Trusting your child to drink responsibly if you give them alcohol for a party
Many parents trying to help navigate their child through adolescence will inevitably wonder whether they are able to trust their child to drink responsibly if they provide alcohol for them to take to a party.
Unfortunately, there is no strong evidence to suggest that providing alcohol to your child teaches them to drink responsibly. Supplying alcohol to take to parties is even more problematic as the research shows that alcohol is typically consumed at risky levels in these environments.
One of the reasons alcohol is considered dangerous for immature brains is that it affects the frontal lobe, the executive lobe. It’s the part that maintains self control, inhibits impulses, thinks things through, and looks at consequences. This part of the brain is the last to mature in humans, not really reaching maturity until the early 20s.
So, to provide your child with alcohol for a party, away from your supervision, is potentially dangerous. Once they’ve had any alcohol, even a small amount, it affects their decision making and their ability to even consider drinking responsibly. What’s more, they also have to contend with the peer pressure egging them on to be brave and take risks.
Of course, we should trust our kids but when it comes to a serious issue such as alcohol, protecting them whenever we can is even more important.
For practical strategies and expert advice select relevant age group below.