I totally agree…I have 3 daughters 24,almost 18 and almost 16,we allowed them to try and then have a little alcohol with us in a controlled environment.Many people won’t agree but from my own experience and my oldest daughter’s the teens that go over the top with alcohol are the ones who’s parents point blank allow them. Its becomes exciting because they aren’t supposed to be doing it…my oldest daughters friend got so drunk she nearly blacked out and put herself in a very dangerous situation with a boy.By allowing our girls to try some we take the excitement away and they have been able to observe limitations by themselves.Not once have they done it behind our backs we know this,because that is the relationship we have with them.Dont get me wrong we aren’t/don’t give them a bottle of vodka and cheer them onto down it.Again not everyone’s way of doing things but upto now it’s worked for us,and it has proven that we trust them,and that keeps the lines of communication open for other things too
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making alcohol a forbidden thing just makes it exciting..letting them try it,in a controlled environment around their family takes away all of the excitement..I’ve seen lots of comments saying kids are doing this and that behind their parents back…personally I’ve been a mum now for 24yrs and if you want to keep the lines of communication open between you and your child/teens you have to make no subject off limits.Have the conversations around alcohol and the limitations that come with it,even down to what alcohol is stronger than others etc..if they do drink and it’s not around adults tell them not to put their drink down,never accept a drink of someone etc..you can’t completely forbid anything to do with alcohol because they will be the ones who will do it behind your bank and end up in potentially dangerous situations.We need to equip them with information about how to be safe not just tell them they can’t do it and they will be in a lot of trouble if they do x