school holidays 15 year old drinking alcohol

dandelionclock30

In reality if hes going to drink cider he will do, really all you can do is ask him not to and go through the effects etc and how it impairs judgement etc.
You cant stop him really, only encourage him to behave responsibly. However most teenagers do have a drink with their mates on occassion and get upto other things that there parents dont like.
Experimenting is part of growing up. My friends were upto all sorts at this age miles worse than having a sip of cider.

Lieja

My friends mum used to buy us alcohol when we were 16, as long as we drank it in the house. Usually it was lots of alcopops and a bottle of tequila! Looking back, I have no idea what she was thinking but we thought it was brilliant.

barba

I'd be just as concerned about him playing x-box on his own every night.

liney

To put this into context, he has just finished his 4th Year at secondary school, right? Year 10.

He's not a 17 year old at college who's friends are mainly old enough. He's a schoolboy. No it is not acceptable.

If the parents of these friends are buying them alcohol then I don't think they are a suitable influence. Even if he is not drinking with them, then he will end up involved in whatever they get up to whilst under the influence.

Just because worst things happen, does not make it acceptable!

Blue_Elephant

Hmm. The law states that you cannot *buy* alcohol under the age of 18.

If you’re under 18, it is against the law:

• for someone to sell you alcohol
• to buy or try to buy alcohol
• for an adult to buy or try to buy alcohol for you
• to drink alcohol in licensed premises (eg a pub or restaurant)

However if you’re 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult, you can drink (but not buy) beer, wine or cider with a meal.
If you’re 16 or under, you may be able to go to a pub (or premises primarily used to sell alcohol) if you’re accompanied by an adult. However, this isn’t always the case. It can also depend on:

• the specific conditions for that premises
• the licensable activities taking place there

It’s illegal to give alcohol to children under 5.
from https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law.

It's a bit unclear on how a young person (who incidentally could be less than a year older than OP's son) would get hold of a drink with their meal without buying it or getting it bought for them... :think:

However, the point I'm trying to make is that in less than a year, this young adult (he's really not a child) could get married (with parental consent or without in Scotland), join the Army, have children all perfectly legally.

In Germany, they have staggered drinking ages, starting at 14 with parents, and 16 without parents for beer and cider, which changed to 18 for liquors etc. They seem to have less problems with "youth and alcohol" than we do, as the more relaxed approach means there's not such a big deal about it.

On the other hand it's the hanging around in groups drinking in public that would bother me, not because they will be causing trouble, but may be perceived to be doing, and if police for example see a bunch of 15 year old lads sat around drinking in the park, they won't look on it favourably. Also as a parent you have a right to say yay or nay.

Do you know his friends' parents? Could you agree with them (if it is them supplying the alcohol) that you all keep it for occasional times only and then only in one of your homes so that there will be someone around if things go wrong? (and they inevitably do when people start drinking for the first time)

Your son has been honest with you and has proved he can be treated like a grown up. Why not try to reach a compromise with him about getting home time and alcohol, so he has boundaries and your mind is at rest?

Wilma33

Quay + cider + 15 year old boys at midnight sounds like a terrible idea!

MissKeith

My parents had a rather relaxed attitude to drinking, allowing me to drink alcohol at home at a young age, I was also drinking with friends at 16. I have never got so drunk I couldn't walk or see, I have thrown up once or twice and quickly learnt my lesson and now at 25 I am pretty much tee total.

When all my friends were getting hammered at 17, I didn't see the point, it was never something I could use to rebel as I could tell my folks that I'd had a drink and they trusted me enough to know I wasn't doing anything daft or getting myself in dangerous situations. On the flip side, the kids I knew whose parents had a very strict attitude regarding drinking went completely off the rails at 18, did know their limits and thought they were the bees knees for passing out/throwing up/getting into fights etc when drunk.

I think it's a good thing that your son tells you when there's drinking involved, that to me shows he's pretty trustworthy. I would have a chat about drinking in public places and how he's liable to get into trouble by doing that but perhaps allow him to drink in moderation at home if he wishes? It definitely worked for me and my family as the novelty soon wore off. For most teens half the fun pf drinking is the the fact that they shouldn't be doing it.

meritaten

this weekend was 'leavers' weekend - and my local shop is very vigilante about alcohol. the kids apparently 'party'!
they buy cheap booze or get parents to buy it for them. then go drink themselves stupid!

gers1976

OP I have 3 boys 18 17 & 14 the oldest one is obviously old enough to drink now but when he was 15/16 him and his friends always had some house party to go to at weekends so would ask me to buy alcohol and I did (bad mum) was usually alcopops he would get 5 from me and no more never once did he come home drunk.

The 17 year old text me at work few weeks back when he was still 16 saying he was going to a house party and would I buy him drink , me being a bad mum again said yes no problem text me what you want so he replied with 4 kopperburgs so i bought them for him and away he went to his house party he came back home in the early hours sober with 2 cans left saying he not fussed about drinking lol .

I can honestly say neither have any real interest in drinking and even less interest in smoking as they tell me everyday that I should quit smoking as its a disgusting habit - I think they all go through a phase of drinking with pals I know I did but I'm now the same as them I never ever drink it doesn't interest me .

So I'm obviously a bad mum for buying them drink while underage but hey the oldest one has been working for 2 years doing a mechanic apprentiship and the middle one is still at school and doing brilliantly and the youngest we'll he's not asked to be bought drink yet but I'm sure the time will come and I will also buy it for him.

I think it's good that your son never lied about it either he told you the truth about drinking I wouldn't give him to much of a hard time we were all young once

alias*alibi

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

In reality if hes going to drink cider he will do, really all you can do is ask him not to and go through the effects etc and how it impairs judgement etc.
You cant stop him really, only encourage him to behave responsibly. However most teenagers do have a drink with their mates on occassion and get upto other things that there parents dont like.
Experimenting is part of growing up. My friends were upto all sorts at this age miles worse than having a sip of cider.

I can remember me and my friend drinking thunderbird when we were about that age and our parents definitely didn't know anything about it; my a$$ wouldn't had touched the ground if my mum had found out as she was a non drinker. Kids experiment and will often get older kids to get it for them or fake their ID.

It's a hard call as you don't want to wrap your kids up in cotton wool but neither do you want them going off the rails either. I'd suggest you say you are not happy and wound prefer he didn't do it but its going to be a hard one to monitor.