Hot on HuffPost Parents:
PHOTO: Virgin Mary Figure Appears With Child Battling Leukemia
Babble.com: 8 Parenting Lessons To Learn From 'Arrested Development'
Drinking with Your Kids at Home Not a Good Idea, Study Says
Filed under: In The News, Research Reveals: Teens
Thinking of having a few brewskis with your teenage son?
After all, if a kid's going to learn how to knock 'em back, he might as well learn from his old man, right?
Probably not a good idea, according to a study coming out of the Netherlands. The latest issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reports parents who drink with their kids put the teenagers at a higher risk of alcoholism.
Researchers looked at 428 Dutch families and found that teenagers who drank at home with their parents were more likely to drink away from home as well. Then there's the heightened risk of alcoholism and other drinking-related problems.
These problems reflected themselves in trouble at school, including cutting class and getting into brawls.
ScienceDaily reports that some experts recommend parents drink with their teens to teach the kids how to drink responsibly. Dutch researchers dispute that advice, according to the Web site.
Parents in the Netherlands often are told to drink with their kids, lead researcher Dr. Haske van der Vorst tells ScienceDaily, but that advice is not based on on scientific evidence.
"The idea is generally based on common sense," van der Vorst, who works at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, tells ScienceDaily.
"For example, the thinking is that if parents show good behavior -- here, modest drinking -- then the child will copy it," she adds. "Another assumption is that parents can control their child's drinking by drinking with the child."
Her study begs to differ.
"I would advise parents to prohibit their child from drinking, in any setting or on any occasion," van der Vorst tells ScienceDaily.
Researchers looked at families with two children between the ages of 13 and 15. Parents and teens completed questionnaires on drinking habits -- at the beginning of the study and then two years later.
The more teens drank at home, the more they drank elsewhere, van der Vorst tells ScienceDaily. The bottom line, she says, is drinking begets drinking.
"If parents want to reduce the risk that their child will become a heavy drinker or problem drinker in adolescence," she concludes, "they should try to postpone the age at which their child starts drinking."
Related: Teen Alcohol And Drug Abuse: Is Your Teen Using Alcohol Or Drugs
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
New Ordinance Leaves Parents On Hook For Underage Drinking
Who is responsible when kids drink underage, and things get out of control? Well a new ordinance say that if parents are the ones serving the drinks, then they are.
-
Drinkin' With Dad - Is It Safer For Kids To Drink If Parents Know?
Those cool parents who say their kids were going to drink anyway, so they may as well do it at home? They may be turning their kids into binge drinkers. Joining the conversation are Iris Estrada, James Mulcahy, Kindred Howard, Melina DiMarco and Suzanne Hegland.
-
Parenting Grown Up Kids
Just because your kids are able to vote, drink & join the military doesn't mean parenting stops, but it definitely changes. How do you stay Mom & Dad with adult kids?
-
Teen Drinking - Drinking in front of the Kids
Learn about Teen Drinking - Is it okay for a parent to drink in a socially responsible way in front of their children?
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-02-2010 @ 6:16PM
Sandyone said...They're not seriously recommending that we teach our kids to abstain from alcohol, are they? Don't they know that kids will drink no matter what we tell them? We can't stop them, so we should show them how to do it safely.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Reply
2-03-2010 @ 1:54PM
Denise said...No they are saying don't drink with your kids and that is a great idea. Lead by example.Don't drink and don't keep alcohal at home plan and simple what is more important Your kids or your booze?
2-03-2010 @ 11:46AM
charlene said...I would have to disagree When I was growing up I was very curious about drinking. Me and my mom had a open relationship so I went to my mom we talked about it. She then took me to the store asked me what kind of beer wine coolers I wanted to try and she purchased them we went home and got drunk together. I havent touched a drink since! All of my friends in high school thought it was the thing to do, go sneek and get drunk then go drive there cars. To me it wasnt nothing to it. I knew if I wanted to get drunk I could do it safe in my house with my mom knowing about it, but I choose not to!
Reply
2-12-2010 @ 5:16AM
Gia said...My parents and grandparents never encouraged drinking nor did they ever discourage it. Alcohol was never out of their kids/grandkids reach because they had no reason to do so. Their philosophy was when you hide it and forbid it "it just makes the kids want to have it." So when I was a little girl, when I asked to have some wine with dinner they would get a glass and pour a few sips in it so I never felt left out. I guess this worked for my family. Out of my grandparents four children and seven grandchildren there isn't a single alcoholic amongst us. I didn't even have the urge to drink on my 21st b-day....hell even at 27 I don't even drink at all! , Since my husband doesn't have a problem with this notion we'll probably continue this with our own family.
Reply
2-18-2010 @ 3:32PM
DA TITTY MAN said...drinking in family just leads to incest!! well at least in west virgina!!!
Reply