Would you be ok with your partner drinking with children in the house/in their care? If so, how much? Would you see beer/wine as ok but not spirits? What if there were other adults present? Would you expect them to be under the drink-drive limit? Thank you 🙏🏻
25 Replies
As long as they werent smashed and as long as they stuck to the requirements of being under the limits of the type of drink it is, I'd be ok with it. I drink in my house with my kids, but sensibly.
Day to day, a few socially and still parenting and acting well. Once in a blue moon a social gathering can have a few more. If youre having a bit of a party and getting tipsy when kids are home is fine in my opinion the line is if you can behave ok and not in a way that scares children.
There would be very few homes in australia and the world where people don’t drink with children in there care.
Wine/spirits/beer are all fine, alcohol is alcohol the point is to know your limits and make sure your behaviour is safe and there is always someone capable of looking after the kids wether in bed or not.
A kid seeing there parent have one or two drinks in a responsible manner and role modelling moderation isn’t going to harm them.
Do they necessarily have to be under the limit, no, I may not be legal to drive at 11 pm on a Saturday night, but I can certainly phone a friend, call an ambulance and perform first aid, call a taxi or a home visit doctor.
But if my partner or myself had taken it too far, put our kids at risk, didn’t know our limits then I’d change my thinking.
As long as one of us can drive, I’m okay with that
Depends on the ages and capabilities of the children. Would I drink too much with a baby? No. Older kids that can keep themselves safe and know how to use a phone, why not. I don't think parents need to be able to drive 24/7 If something life threatening happened you would call a bloody ambulance.
We're one of the few households that don't really drink, but think it's fine as long as people aren't obviously drunk in front of kids & one person can drive & make clear decisions if an emergency occurs. I don't think what they drink matters.
You can call an ambulance but they're not a Medical Uber because you're over the limit. A lot of things that require going to the emergency department don't need an ambulance if the person can be driven.
There are lots of families that can't drive or don't have a car and survive OK, I don't think you need to be able to drive all the time. There are no laws to say you must be able to drive your child to hospital.
I feel like the differentiation lies between having a few drinks and getting drunk.
I personally don't have a lot of tolerance for people who don't know when to stop or people who can't enjoy alcohol without getting completely written off. That's not something I'd ever accept in any relationship of mine, especially not in front of my kids.
A glass of wine, a couple of whiskeys or a quiet beer or two - I don't see a problem with that.
I also feel like in a home with dependent children, there should always be at least one adult who's not impaired, that doesn't necessarily mean under the legal driving limit but that they're still able to think clearly and act accordingly.
The only time I'd expect there to be at least one adult under the limit is if there was extenuating circumstances (such as a child with a serious medical condition combined rural living as an example).
I might be a bit more conservative than other people coming from family of chronic alcoholics though.
If he drinks too much often and turns around and says youre here to be the responsible one, nope to that.
Common sense, does anyone have any anymore?
You’re going to ban spirits....god 😂😂😂
I’m a non drinker btw, but find this question ridiculous.
When I read questions like this, I’m so glad I’m single.
If you were my partner, asking this, I’d run.
Whereas i lean towards her being a sane person so whatever partner is doing with drink is unhealthy and op doesnt know how to deal with it.
I read this as a person who's trying to determine where the line is in terms of acceptable drinking habits whilst children are present. Not someone trying to ban spirits or control their partners entire existence!
Just once I'd like to see someone ask their questions without receiving smart arse, condescending replies.
You can educate someone or give your opinion without being a dick...
Come on, we’re adults.
You don’t need rules around drinking, if your partner is irresponsible, it’s pretty clear.
Do you need a bunch of woman to tell you what drinks should be allowed and how much?
His drinking is either an issue or it isn’t.
We all come from vastly different walks of life. I grew up in a family where one side treated alcohol like it was the ultimate sin, it wasn't spoken of or accepted and people who did drink were openly looked down upon - it was a completely taboo. The other side of my family were and still are raging alcoholics.
So it took me a really long time coming from both of those extremes to figure out what a healthy balance looked like in terms of alcohol consumption and what was socially acceptable.
Being an adult doesn't automatically mean you know everything. Just because something is bleedingly obvious to you doesn't mean it will be for someone else.
It doesn't hurt to be a little more open minded.
Both my partner and I drink. After the kids go to sleep of a night we like to sit out in the pool area and have a can or two. On weekends a little more. We have 5 children, all under 9. Could I drive at 9 pm on a Saturday night. Nope. Could I responsibly take care of all of my children to my full capability as a parent, yes. I am over the legal limit to drive, but I am in no way drunk or even tipsy. Alcohol is alcohol, wether it be beer, wine or spirits.
Wine gets me drunk quicker than any other alcohol. I don't understand people that think wine is better than spirits, at least if you mix your own spirits you can dilute it as much as you like.
Irresponsible drinkers can do way more damage faster with spirits.
If you drank it straight maybe, but most Australians drink pre mix which is about the same percentage as beer and less percentage than standard wine. Any kind of irresponsible drinking will get you wasted, it doesn't happen more with spirits.
The thing I've found with hard liquor is that it hits you all at once.
If I drink beer I can feel myself gradually getting tipsy which is when I know I've had enough.
Whiskey or vodka, I'll feel nothing so I'll tempt the fates and have another, then suddenly I'm smashed. That's why I don't drink it!
Spirits are my house to because they're literally the only 1 I can control the alcoholic content rather than needing to buy certain flavours/brands to get a lower alcohol percentage etc. I also get more drunk on other alcohol types. How ridiculous to think it would possibly be ok to dictate what can and can't happen. Judge their parenting and the safety of the children, not whether someone has a drink or 2. Honestly, the only times I've ever felt too out of it to care for my kids has been due to prescription meds that were needed (and short term)
Absolutely and you know what I drink with my kids in the house, I take them out and I don’t drink to excess but I still drink.
It’s overly controlling to tell them that they can’t drink in their own children’s presence. Drinking to excess as long as one of you are sober enough to drive the other is allowed to have a big night if they choose to. My partner and I take turns.
The only time I would say this is not ok is if they were an abusive drunk and you were copping it from their over indulgence, and if you and your children were suffering because of theIf drinking.
Absolutely. And I don't need it to be under the limit because I'm planning to drive, I won't drink even 1. If there was an emergency, I'd call an ambulance. Otherwise, any other reason to drive isn't important and could wait.and I see know difference in what flavour alcohol someone drinks or the brewing/distilling process of the alcohol. You can drink sensibly or stupidly on any type of alcohol.
I think if it was a common occurrence of being smashed around the kids, no. But also really depends on the type of drunk too. My partner doesn't change when he is drunk so probably wouldn't be a massive issue. I usually like to be under driving limit and would prefer an adult at home who can drive for an emergency. But on a very rare occasion (new years) weve gotten very drunk whilst kids are home with us.
I personally don't drink unless hubby home as we have way too many snakes to risk it with dogs and us. So just don't but when he is I drink spirit's and wine.
Personally I prefer to ensure I am 100% fit to drive in event of emergency.