May 5, 2011
Drinking with Your Children

When I was 18, it was legal to drink beer and wine. My parents were alcoholics and had been since I was 8. They started drinking with me, and it was the first time I felt the warm glow of acceptance from them. Before I never quite measured up and when I did win a blue ribbon or get an A, it was fleeting approval.

This warm feeling of acceptance quickly turned into my becoming an alcoholic. Over the years, throughout my 20's and 30's, they would continue to encourage this behavior at all family get-togethers, being "loving" only as we drank. I finally became sober in my early 40's about 6-7 years ago. It was a choice. No AA, no counseling, I decided that I didn't want to be my parents and stopped to save my children's childhood.

Drinking with your kids, even when they are adults, can be very damaging (I don't mean a glass of wine at dinner). I can only imagine how difficult my life would be had they started this sooner.

 

T.

Posted by Staff at 10:55 PM