Someone needs to explain to me why parents of kids say the following in front of them:
“I can’t wait for the weekend to get trashed.”
“Is it only 10:30? I need a drink now.”
“Where’s that glass of wine? -Trying to do math with my son.”
All I can think when I hear this talk is, “What are you THINKING?” I am dumbfounded when those same parents are just shocked that they have to monitor their children’s drinking habits.
Kids look at what we do and say. In this case, we are showing an incredible example to our children of how to turn to alcohol when we are stressed. Life can only be dealt with by getting drunk- we just can’t wait to get our hands on that drink.
I’m not saying that adults can’t have an occasional drink to take the edge off. But let’s be honest with ourselves… if we HAVE to HAVE that drink on a regular basis and HAVE to talk about it and plan for it, maybe it’s time to cut back. Alternatively, what ever happened to not sharing everything with kids? If you HAVE to HAVE that drink – do it. It may not necessarily mean you have a problem. But, for the sake of the kids, let’s have some secrets between just us adults.
We want to teach our children ways other than drinking for taking the edge off and relaxing. We need to help them find hobbies and friends and ways to cope with life’s challenges other than taking chemical measures.
I’d like to understand. What are people thinking when they say in front of their kids that they HAVE to HAVE that drink?
If this made you think, you might enjoy Raising Children- Basics We Can’t Do Without
