Family life and alcohol

[ComedyPilot]

Further to the other thread, what are people's views/actions concerning alcohol in the family home post-birth?

I have personally dealt with so many alcohol-fuelled domestic incidents where the poor kids were terrified, that I promised Mrs CP our family would never be put through that. We weren't big drinkers anyway, but are now almost teetotal. I will still have a beer at home every now and then, but getting totally kaylied is a no no.

 

[Black Sheep]

My family weren't big drinkers when I was growing up, as I got towards top end of junior school a glass of wine was sometimes had with dinner, normally at christmas or an adult's birthday. Even when I was at uni it was frowned upon to have alcohol.

stark contrast with my wife's family, she grew up in a pub where she was concerned about her mother's drinking and health.

we think (may change when it actually all happens) that we'll likely continue as we are, the occasional drink or so in an occasional evening perhaps getting a little giddy, too giddy to drive but not giddy enough that we don't know what we're doing or are unable to look out for our children.

However, when we've had a few, our temperament is that of being soppy teenagers towards each other, not violence.

As hinted, these are my views, what my actions are will come to light.

 

[MarkF]

My mother and father used to have alcohol fuelled blazing rows. My father is long gone but I still think of them, as a child you think that the world is ending, it's very upsetting and affects your sense of security.

I enjoy a drink but my kids have never seen me drunk and have never heard their parents argue loudly.

 

[Maz]

It is against my religion to drink alcohol.

 

[numbnuts]

My neighbour is an alcoholic (we live in a small block of flats), he moved in last April and he is the neighbour from hell, it is so bad the police have been round so many times it's not funny. Just before Christmas the housing association took him to court to get him evicted, he didn't turn up as he was drunk the night before. 2nd court case he turned up with no defence, court adjourned, now court case early February, hopefully he'll turn up and get kicked out.
I do feel sorry for him in a way, but he will not go on any AA courses and he is claiming JSA, but he never turns up for interviews ect, but his benefit is never stopped. He will not be kicked out on the streets as he will go to one of the society to help alcoholics and drug users.

 

[Dave Davenport]

It is against my religion to drink alcohol.

 

[Night Train]

I think the problem isn't alcohol or no alcohol. It is more that some people will go to extremes and excess in whatever their 'thing' happens to be. It is the extreme and excess that causes the problems where it harms their judgement and/or their household.

 

[8mile]

I enjoy a glass or two of wine or beer 3 or 4 evenings a week. I used to enjoy drunken nights out with friends before we had children. I've not drunk to the point of near incapability since we were expecting our first child. Apart from anything else the thought of dealing with young children and their attendant mess and smells whilst in the throws of a full blown hangover is a definte turn off!

I would also hate for our children to see me (or my wife) obviously drunk i.e. staggering and slurring. I never saw my parents drunk whilst growing up but remember being alarmed by an uncle getting pis*ed and collapsing on our dining table one christmas.

 

[addictfreak]

When I was younger getting drunk was a fairly regular occurrence! But having said that I always managed to behave myself when drunk. But I can't ever recall being drunk (tipsy maybe) around the kids, certainly not when they were young. Not that I thought I couldn't behave, but because I don't think it's right.
As the years have passed, I just don't drink as much now anyway and since being ill, I probably only have 2 or 3 glasses of wine week. One of the things I hate about being too drunk these days is the time I loose recovering the next day! Time that could be spent on the bike.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've never liked the feeling of being annihilated, but that's not to say I don't sometimes drink a little bit more than I should by 'accident', but my daughter will never ever seen me drunk. I've been in bands where my bandmates would sink a somewhat remarkable twenty pints each before getting on stage, I have absolutely no interest, and not just because I can barely play even when sober.

I do adore alcohol in almost all its forms, and am very grateful of the fact that I'm a very soppy happy drunk if I do accidentally push too far I also have an uncanny ability to 'snap out of it' if needs be, and to be honest I'm probably more tired than drunk most of the time

My uncle was an alcoholic and I think seeing that incredibly slow decline put me off for life.

 

[Melonfish]

being a northerner beer has its place. i would not however get plastered when i have responsibility. there's something for having a drink at home but when you're the only one looking after the kids that is not good.
mostly when i'm drunk its because i'm on a night out and the kids are away for the night any other time it may be me having had a few too many at the open mic night and i stagger in to SWMBO stinking and singing lol. but that isn't often
either way the kids are always looked after by a responsible adult.
when we're out with the kids we moderate, i won't get hammered in front of em, don't want that.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I grew up in a family that drinks. My real father was a drinker - I'm pretty certain he was an alcoholic, he was certainly a physically abusive drunk & drug user. I have not seen him since I was 7. My 2nd 'father' (1st step-father) was a verbally abusive drunk. I would regularly see them drink a bottle of wine a night each & get through 1 bottle of gin a week... my brother likes his drink, but stays with beer and has a gut to show for it, he drives for a living so rarely gets plastered. my half-sister recently (10 months ago) got so drunk on one holiday of hers that she collapsed hitting her head badly, losing consciousness and ending up with a subdermal haematoma that has left her with continuing problems included repeated periods of her collapsing/paralysis down one side of her body - she does now thankfully seem to be recovering. There are rumours that I have a half-brother but to be honest, I rarely see him. He has issues - what the cause is (drugs/alcohol) is anyones guess. he has little communication with the family despite living with my sister. My 2nd step-father does not drink, is not verbally abusive, is not physically abusive and is a really nice man. Unfortuantely my mother still drinks like 2 fish (wine & spirits) and gets through more than enough for both of them.
My father-in-law also drinks - mostly beer, but you never seem him have more than 2-3 beers, you will never see him drunk but the evidence however is in the recycling. My mother-in-law drinks in moderation, my husband's brothers: 2 drink, 1 does not (he decided he was allergic to hangovers many years ago and stopped completely which probably saved his life, he is now type 1 diabetic dependant of insulin)
I don't drink much at all - close to none whatsoever (half a beer once or twice a month, a hot toddy if I can't sleep when I have a cold. If I consume 6 units a year, it would be a bad year... I joke that I gave it up when I started to learn to drive, it was not really a joke. I was the taxi service for my mother & ex-step father, in return for unlimited use of the car whilst I was at home.

My OH has naturally gone my way, never being that fussed about it, but we still worry about 2 out of 4 of our parents.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I dont drink ...no alcohol whatsoever.

In my experience those that do drink to excess rarly recognize or accept they have a problem..even when they destroy other peoples lives.

 

[summerdays]

My parents enjoyed a drink but never in excess, and I can only think of one occasion when I felt that my Dad had drunk enough to make him merry and show the effects of alcohol. And they also believed in letting their children drink - I can remember going wine tasting on holiday in France and having a small glass of cider with a Sunday roast when I was slightly older. But again not very much.

I like alcohol - lovely taste. Pre-parenthood I would drink to the point of merryment, but I have never got so drunk that I didn't know what I was doing, and I'm not sure I've ever had a hangover, other than being a bit dehydrated. Since having the children especially when they were very young and therefore more likely to wake in the night, I reduced my consumption. They still haven't seem me drunk.

Recently I bumped into two friends of my eldest, apparently they were very embarrassed because their bags had alcohol in it for the party they were having that night. I discussed with my child that I am aware that 18 yo's drink, and that I don't have a problem with that .... IN MODERATION. Whereas there is one friend who will start drinking in the middle of the day - I think he is heading for problems in later life unless he gets it under control.