Alcohol & the Holidays: What Do Kids Think?

By Leticia Barr

With Christmas behind us and a weekend of New Year's celebrations ahead, have you ever wondered why your kids think you celebrate with a drink through the holiday season? To be honest, I hadn't specifically asked my kids, ages 7 and 10, why they think my husband and I raise a glass to toast over holiday meals. Given how frazzled I often feel during the holidays, hearing my daughter say I drink "because it is fancy" was almost a compliment!

Admittedly, my daughter's observation caused me to reflect. I know that kids have a way of observing and speculating on the things going on in their surroundings, even when it seems they're not paying any attention at all.

Do you know what your kids would say if you asked them about drinking? Are they wondering why you're pouring a glass of champagne on New Year's Eve or a glass of wine with dinner? Are they curious? Do they want to try your drink?

Recently a program called #TalkEarly embarked on an effort to ask parents how they manage holiday stress and how they find ways to relax, i.e. #HolidayZen. What the parents thought, however, is only part of the story because what the kids thought about the holidays was revealing. Why do parents celebrate with alcohol. What does it taste like?

Being exposed to the #TalkEarly campaign caused me to think twice about what I say and reflect on my actions. No more flippant comments like "I need a drink!" and certainly less joking about alcohol on social media by posting those witty Some eCards to my Facebook wall! As a parent, I'm passionate about talking to my kids about making responsible decisions, modeling healthy behaviors throughout the year, and seizing teachable moments to answer questions they may have about alcohol.

All this said, the videos are absolutely hilarious! If you're wondering what else these groups of kids, ranging in age from age four through sixth grade, had to say, here's a link to the other short videos. I'm not afraid to confess my daughter revealed we fight about laundry, as well as toast with wine because it's fancy.

For more information and tips on how to talk with your kids about alcohol, follow @TalkEarly on Twitter.

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Leticia Barr is the former Tech Savvy Parents columnist on Parents.com and currently writes for Babble and her own site, Tech Savvy Mama, where she helps parents navigate the ever-changing world of technology. Follow her adventures on parenting two tech savvy kids as she muses about them in real time and shares snippets of her life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.