Dad Shares a Beer With His Kids, 2 and 4

Photo courtesy of viZZZual.com

It’s one thing to buy your son a beer on his 21st birthday, but quite another to celebrate his being weaned from the pacifier.  That’s what a Wisconsin dad did at a county fair last week.  According to fair workers, the man ordered a beer for himself and one for his boys–ages 2 and 4.  The woman behind the beer tent contacted authorities and told them she hoped it wasn’t a joke. 

Setting an Example

I don’t personally drink beer for a number of reason. First of all, I don’t particularly like the taste.  Secondly, I’m rarely away from my kids, and I don’t like to drink around them.  Third, when I was in high school, our head cheerleader was killed by a habitual drunk driver, and I think the experience gave me a negative view of alcohol in all forms, particularly beer (which is typically abused).

All that to say I am not a beer drinker, but I don’t begrudge others for enjoying a beer now and then.  However, I could never imagine buying a beer for my underage kids. At 14 and 16 it is irresponsible, but at 2 and 4 it is downright dangerous.  There is no way to know how alcohol could damage the development of the 2 year-old.  With older kids, you never know if normalizing the effects of alcohol will make them more succeptible to having drinking problems in the future.