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children drinking (alcohol free) beer

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grannyactivist Fri 11-Jul-14 13:16:41

During their recent visit to us our friends from Slovakia shocked us by offering, as routine, non-alcoholic beer to their daughters aged 12, 10 and 2 years. The first time was at the beach on a hot day when dad came back from the beach shop and asked his children if they wanted a cold beer. I thought he was joking, but apparently not and he handed out the beers - reassuring me with the information that, "it's okay, it's alcohol free" and saying that his children love beer and the two year old has a particular liking for it. The second time, at dinner, my adult daughter was also with us and expressed her horror that the parents should be instilling in their children a beer drinking habit. The parents were equally surprised at the strong feelings expressed and kept repeating that "it's only beer and it's alcohol free".
So, what do you think grans? A harmless habit or a slippery slope to ruin?

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FlicketyB Sat 12-Jul-14 15:58:57

I think it is a cultural thing. My father wasn't a beer drinker, but he did enjoy cider. Summer picnics were always accompanied by a bottle cider for him and DM and a bottle of Cidrax, a non-alcoholic cide,r for us children.

None of us was tempted down the primrose path of heavy drinking by this dalliance with a non-alcoholic version of our parents alcoholic drink and I do not see why it would shape the habits of the children in Slovakia. It will be the drinking culture in the country, not their childhood drink, that will shape their drinking pattern as adults

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upsydaisy Sat 12-Jul-14 21:04:45

I was surprised at the binge drinking in Eastern European countries grannyactivist, I thought that was just unique to this country but it's possible that these countries drink more than the average european perhaps because alcohol there is cheaper?

But yes, I tend to agree with FlicketyB in that it's a cultural thing. Amongst under 30's I would think socio economic background too is an indicator of how much binge drinking a young person will be inclined to indulge in. I used to have a proper beer/shandy as a youngish child (around 12 ish now and again and I have only once ever got seriously drunk on a first holiday to Spain at 17 without my Mum and Dad. I can take or leave alcohol, even go for months on end without ever having a drink and not even think anything of it. I do wonder if its alcohol consumption, especially amongst young women that is contributing to the obesity epidemic we're told the UK is suffering.

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Deedaa Sat 12-Jul-14 21:23:10

My grandfather used to give me a cherry brandy on special occasions when I was very small. I went on from that to very diluted gin and orange. I am so far from being an alcoholic that I often exaggerate my intake when the doctor asks, because saying "I had a glass of wine 6 months ago" sounds as if I'm trying to hide something.

A thing that I noticed with the young girls I worked with is that they don't actually like the taste of alcohol, they just want to get drunk. Which is why they drink those vile alcopops. When they saw me having a glass of Grappa they all had a sip - and all hated it! I really like the taste but have no desire to get drunk on it.

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