This may seem a little out of the ordinary, but some of my friends are actually allowed to drink with their parents. Their parents allow them to have a drink or two in the home because they know that their teenager is in an environment where they can monitor the consumption of the alcohol. If you think this is wrong, think about this: If a parent allows their teenager to drink in the house, they are less likely to see it as a substance that is exciting. I do not think that I would feel as thrilled drinking at home with my parents than if I was drinking at a party with my friends.
So why are some parents choosing to allow their teenager to drink in the home? They are doing so because they believe that if the teenager drinks with them, they can learn to drink responsibly when they are not with the parents. The teenager will already have a sense of what their limits are with alcohol and the amount that they can tolerate. This will most likely ensure to the parents that when their teenagers do go out to wild parties, they will not be involved in alcohol-related accidents.
Even though this method of teaching safe drinking is illegal right now, it is still being used because most parents know that their teenager will drink at some point. If the drinking age were lowered to 18, all parents would feel comfortable in allowing their teenagers to drink in the home. More accidents and problems are occurring in the United States because young adults do not know the safe way to drink alcohol. And who better to teach the young adults, than their parents themselves?
This makes a lot of sense. Drinking with family is completely different than drinking with friends. It is in a more relaxed environment. Exposure to certain activities beforehand is beneficial to the teenager because he or she will have already experienced it.
ReplyDeleteBeing with family or other older adults makes drinking seem like a normal, everyday activity. There is nothing wrong. On the other hand, first time drinkers being with friends can get crazy and out of control.
Then again, teenagers don't always come to their parents for EVERYTHING. The whole point of growing up is to make your own decisions and live your own life. The family relationship is different from the friend relationship. Think about it...would you tell your parents that you got drunk one night and all the things that you did?
It is still important to form that family bond when exposing teenagers to alcohol. Parents teach their children when they are young, to hope that they learn and grow from that knowledge.
Actually, since the law in 1984 that raised the drinking age was for every state, every state has different rules pertaining to it. In some states it is legal to drink with your parents or if they give you permission. Do you think this a good idea or a good stepping stone to lowering the drinking age? I know in North Carolina there is no drinking allowed at all, but in some other states its legal to bend the rules a little. Do you think that there has been some sort of study done correlating kids who drink with their parents and their partying responsiblity versus those kids who don't?
ReplyDeleteI think 18equalsadult raises a good point about the different states having different laws. That makes things really complicated, and messy. Having state autonomy in such legal matters may sometimes be a good thing, but I think this is an instance in which it is somewhat more of a hassle than a help.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the post, I'd like to ask, is one's attitude towards alcohol purely determined by how one's parents treat it and the attitude towards it in the house? What other factors are at play in shaping the individual's opinion towards alcohol?
Also, if your friend were in a state where drinking with parents is still considered illegal, does this not raise the moral question of adherence to and respect for the law? (Although I fully agree that the responsibility lies with the parents to educate their children about matters such as alcohol.)
In response to 18equalsadult and jane, I agree that states having different drinking rules matters are further complicated. I believe that the states that allow drinking with parents are at an advantage because these parents are able to monitor their teen's consumption of alcohol. If these states could show evidence that giving parents the freedom to let their teen have alcohol reduces alcohol-related problems, it could convince other states to also allow this seem. This could lead to all states allowing this option, which could in turn lead to a lower drinking age in the United States.
ReplyDeleteOne's attitude toward alcohol may not be purely determined by how one's parents treat it, but the parents attitudes do account for something in the teenager's attitude. If a teenager sees that their parent drinks a glass of wine every night with their meal, the teenager is more likely to see drinking as a leisurely activity and not a crazy one. This makes the teenager see alcohol as a normal substance and not the "forbidden fruit." But if the parent chooses to drink irresponsibly in front of their teenager, the perception of alcohol is reversed. Therefore, parents should be urged to show their teenager the way to drink in a responsible manner. This education would then be carried on with the teenager as go on to college and less alcohol-related accidents would occur.
I do agree that this could help discipline teenagers for when they go out to parties. If they know exactly how much than can handle, it will be easier for them to drink more safely. Yet, on the other hand, the environment of a party is much more harsh than at home. People are constantly drinking throughout the night which influences others. The teenagers probably act more outgoing at parties than at home and want to drink more in those situations.
ReplyDelete