With schools starting back up recently and colleges in full swing, I’m sure parties are happening all over the majority of campuses around the world. I certainly remember (vaguely) my early days at the University of Delaware. The freedom of no parents and nobody telling you what you can and can’t do. Things can really go off in many directions….both good and bad.
I was able to sip my Dad’s beer as a kid. I was probably handed my first full beer at way too young an age by my brother. I attended high school parties and definitely drank my share of beers there. So I was definitely exposed to it early in life. But it was never abused. We all knew we could call our parents or an older sibling for a ride and never thought about driving. We were responsible underaged drinkers if there is such a thing. (I’m no saint, never have been, just sharing some truths), I think having the right group of friends and being involved in team sports was a huge help there but that’s another topic for another day.
By the time I went to college, the excitement of college parties and drinking was fun but not anything that ever got seriously out of control. I had several friends in the same situation and we managed to get through school without acting like complete idiots and failing out. Many college kids are going to party and drink, it’s a fact of life. You just hope the ones that do can do so (somewhat) responsibly.
On the other hand, we had some kids in my freshman dorm that had never been allowed to drink. They were under some pretty strict rules at home from birth through high school. These were unfortunately the kids that went off the rails, wanted to experiment with everything available, and in two occasions had to be taken to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped from over consumption.
This is no judgement on either parenting type. Both ways have probably worked and not worked and I’m sure there are plenty of stories for whichever side of the fence you fall. But where do you stand? Always curious to hear from other parents and learn how you were exposed to alcohol and what you are doing with your children.
