Under age drinking

pinkshoes

Have you tried contacting the goverment company "Connexions" who might be able to help, or at least give you advice, as they help house 13 to 19 year olds...? Maybe they could house her else where for a few days to give you a break, and maybe help your daughter reflect on her behaviour. The prospect of loosing her family over this might make her realise her behaviour is unacceptable, but you need to show her you still love her, and she's always welcome home if she shows you respect. That way she can't go round saying that you kicked her out, and seeking sympathy in the form of alcohol!

Have you tried doing more activities together? Sounds daft, but me and my mates used to drink due to boredom. mabye take her and her mates out somewhere, where they can have fun without alcohol!

mishmash

pinkshoes wrote: »

Have you tried contacting the goverment company "Connexions" who might be able to help, or at least give you advice, as they help house 13 to 19 year olds...? Maybe they could house her else where for a few days to give you a break, and maybe help your daughter reflect on her behaviour. The prospect of loosing her family over this might make her realise her behaviour is unacceptable, but you need to show her you still love her, and she's always welcome home if she shows you respect. That way she can't go round saying that you kicked her out, and seeking sympathy in the form of alcohol!

Have you tried doing more activities together? Sounds daft, but me and my mates used to drink due to boredom. mabye take her and her mates out somewhere, where they can have fun without alcohol!

Sorry pinkshoes but connexions may well be able to offer some support or signposting to drug and alcohol services, but they would not be able to provide accomodation for a child temporary or otherwise. Connexions is an enhanced service that we used to call the carrears service. They do much more these days but not placing a child in care.

Mish

TheWaltons_3

Don't even contemplate putting your child into care - you may as well give her a lifetime supply of Alcohol.

She is your child, you deal with this and don't leave it down to someone else. There are enough children desperate for Foster homes for more valid reasons than you despairing of her behaviour.

Just hope it's a phase she grows out of. I drank from the age of 13 then ended up smoking Pot and taking everything else. I stopped aged 19 when I realised that all those around me were going nowhere, and I wanted more from my life.

That's just the way it is these days. She's not alone.

dfwz

Don't offload her please. I've never seen that succeed, I have a friend who has been put in to care and it's just given her more to rebel against.

Keep her close, pick her up when she falls and try not judge. It's scary knowing she's making a mistake, but she's old enough to just go and do it without your support and in a few years she's likely to be living self sufficient anyway, making mistakes all the time. Better she makes them now with you there to look after her.

I was given enough freedom to make some silly mistakes, but my mum was my best friend all the way through. Not the fun/cool best friend, but the one I could trust and turn to when things started getting out of control.

There comes a point when you're no longer the protector but the shoulder to cry on.

Claire_Jones_3

How about getting in contact with charities that deal with alcohol abuse and making her see what she is doing to herself? Failing that take her (when sober) into your local A&E department in the early hours of a saturday or sunday morning and having to see the state of people that our emergency services have to deal with? I seem to remember a television programme that took a few rebellious teenagers that were binge drinking and causing trouble over the weekends out with ambulance crews and it really opened their eyes into how stupid and immature they were being.

Good luck

ginger

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've just spent half an hour typing out a long thank you but then lost it!!!

The shortened version is that I will take heed of all the good advice and hopefully the problem will runs its course in time.

L

Savvy_Sue

Another vote for the Tough Love, but I don't think I've seen anyone mention Al-Anon. I don't know if it would be helpful or not - obviously binge drinking as a teenager isn't quite the same as alcohol addiction, but they may still be helpful. Also the Drugs in the Family sticky at the top of this board may be useful, as the general principles are the same.