Can Parents Teach Teens Responsible Drinking?
It is common for parents to allow their teenagers to drink alcohol underage while at home. Parents believe having their child at home while they consume these beverages will keep them safe and teach them how to drink responsibly. However, this is not the case. Parents should discourage teenagers from drinking until they reach legal drinking age.
When the teenagers drink alcohol at home, the parents are the ones providing it for them. Most of the time, the teenager’s friends are present and therefore the parents provide it for them as well. This is illegal and can cause a myriad of legal issues for the parents and health issues for the teens. Say the parents provide alcohol to their child’s friend and they drink and drive, they are responsible for whatever happens to the friend and anyone else involved in any accident that could occur. If their own child or the friends drink too much and have to get medical attention, they are responsible for that as well.
Allowing children to drink at a young age is often associated with a greater likelihood of the teenagers developing drinking problems in their lives. They are more likely to become dependent on alcohol or have heavy drinking episodes.
So before you allow your teenage child to drink ‘safely’ at home with friends, think again. It could save their life.