Well that surprised me

When my mum was little her grandparents gave the kids a little bit of wine at Christmas. When I was a child, one year on Maundy Thursday Mum made unleavened bread for supper. We kids had grape juice and she and Dad had wine, but they gave us each a little bit of wine just in a shot glass (and not the entire glass, just a sip) to taste.

Apparently my grandfather gave me a sip of his whisky when I was at a tender age. It put me off spirits until I was at least 18!

In that case Nfk he did a good job.
Whisky is a very adult and aquired taste, most younger people hate it.

It was common practice to rub whisky on the gums of teething babies in the fifties

Gripe water for babies used to contain over 3% alcohol. Not sure if it still does.

We used Gripe water when it contained alcohol (it doesn't now) and thought it helped with wind. If we were out visiting and didn't have any, would give a spoon of sherry instead! My husband thought it was the alcohol in the Gripe water that helped relax the muscles and release the wind, so any type of alcohol would do the job.

I remember with shame that the doctor once told me it was OK to have a small beer or such when I was breast feeding. One warm summer evening I indulged in a glass of beer and almost panicked when DS2 (a few months old at the time) slept for ages afterwards. I put this down to the alcohol and never touched any again until he was weaned.

I used to give my daughter Bombay Sapphire in a sippy cup when she was three. Never did her any harm, although she preferred Tanqueray.

I remember having a sip of milk stout when making christmas pudding with my grandparents. Not the same as giving me the rest of the bottle

Anyone who wastes their money on alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, heavy gambling, designer goods etc. is a fool in my eyes. As a child, I was given port and lemon or a snowball at family parties but now the most I drink is a shandy a few times a year.
It is said that the best things in life are free and they are... like a walk in the countryside listening to birdsong while we still can or paddling in the sea with a toddler laughing their heads off as they fall over in the waves. Why people get pleasure from being out of control drunk or even tipsy I will never understand.

Years ago after a big family meal we cleared the table of plates and leaving glasses of wine on the table were all in the kitchen washing up. A four yr old drank all the drinks on the table and was then violently sick several times. When the child then passed out we called the doctor as we couldn't wake them up. The doctor said child was ok as had vomited 8 times otherwise it could have been fatal. From that day on nobody in my home was allowed to drink any alcohol unless my children were asleep in bed. It was a lucky escape from what could have been a real tragedy.

JackyB, I was told by my GP to drink a pint of Guinness a day during the period of breast feeding. This was in Yorkshire in 1980. My second and subsequent babies were born in the Netherlands where the GP was appalled when I told him,and I think kept a close eye on me from then on. Looking back,I cannot believe I adhered to the Guinness instruction to the letter.

Am with Baggs here. Children should not be harmed physically or emotionally. There are laws to cover that. If a child was being harmed by deliberate intoxication by carers that would be very wrong. If child has an occasional glass of dilute alcohol pribably OK. A law is not going to prevent those adults who do not care from harming.

So, Granstender, just how unhealthy is your first child compared to the others?

My mum often told how she gave me a sip of her Cherry Brandy when I was 5. When she turned to take it back, I'd drunk the lot. Later that day I came out in hives (an all over rash..... Never got another sip of any alcohol till my late teens...

As children we were allowed watered down ginger wine at Christmas. And also Lucozade, which was a great treat! When I was a teenager one of my aunties used to give me a small glass of sweet sherry when I visited her. Never had anything else till I went to college.... We allowed our children a small drink when they were teenagers, but they weren't that keen until they too went to university.

Here in France, children are taught to respect alcohol at a fairly young age. Thereafter one very rarely sees teenagers totally inebriated and falling-down-drunk as one does in UK

There was a report in the paper recently on recent research showing that children who had been given even small amounts of alcohol by their parents were far more likely to have problems with alcohol as adults and that it’s a myth that small amounts teach them responsible drinking - and that the French who are always used as examples in the practice of giving children wine have a very high rate of alcoholism!

My parents had both been raised or lived abroad and my mother was part French so wine with meals was common for me and I raised my own 3 the same and none of them have had any issues with alcohol

My daughter first tasted alcohol when she was a little under 2. We were at friends having a pre-Christmas glass of sherry and she picked up a practically empty glass and drained a drop from it. She said "yummy yummy " She then went to the next empty glass and did the same. When I said "What is it?" she said "Gone!" It doesn't seem to have had any bad effects and she is a very sensible drinker now and never touches a drop when driving. I think giving a little taste is sensible as it doesn't make it 'forbidden fruit'.

None of my kids drink, I never made it taboo, I always let them have a small snowball at Christmas, or half a babycham with lemonade, or even cherry brandy in lemonade, or sometimes even a mini bottle of Biere blonde, my daughter has done the same, never made drink a taboo, and the kids have all grown up respecting alcohol, and because it was allowed (in small allowances) they never went mad with it, and out of all my kids and grandkids, none of them have any problems with it.
Same with anything, teach kids how to respect it, and they won't take the mickey.

I had my first taste of alcohol at a neighbours party when I was fifteen. Not impressed and did not have the urge for more even following a glass of sherry at my wedding.
That is until in my late thirties and when out with friends and the wine was free flowing did I realise what I had been missing. It did not turn me into an 'alcoholic' but will never say 'no'. to one or two???????????

Why people get pleasure from being out of control drunk or even tipsy I will never understand

quizqueen It’s perfectly possible to enjoy drinking alcohol without being ‘out of control drunk’ or tipsy.

Granstender I drank Guinness mixed with milk when I was expecting DS in the 70’s. I think the rationale was that Guinness is a good source of the B vitamins.

I did read somewhere that that have less of an alcohol problem in countries such as Italy and France because the children are given it quite young at family meals etc

When I was about ten, we used to have Whitworth's peach wine and pour it over icecream...heavenly! And I can honestly say I've never been drunk in my life, so not an issue! Woulds happily give to my own grandchildren at that age!