My article in 'The Daily'...
Is it just me or does every parent think it’s time to ignite the teen drinking debate?
This is not something I ever wished to share with you. It is my private family business.
However, if a newspaper column is good for anything, it should kick-start important conversations.
Underage drinking is a problem on the Sunshine Coast, and I am not blameless.
But before I confess the sins of my family, I want to be very clear.
If your 15, 16 or 17-year-old child belongs to a reasonably social peer group, if they go to parties, regularly attend sleepovers or hang on the street after dark, then I think you can safely assume they are drinking.
Not every teenager drinks but the socialites do, whether their parents choose to acknowledge it or not.
When I was a kid, I had two older siblings and my dad was a publican. By the age of 16, I was allowed to drink at home with friends, occasionally. We weren’t always sensible but we were out of harm’s way.
In a similar vein, from the beginning of Year 11, our son has been allowed the odd light beer, although in truth he has never pushed as hard for it as I did with my parents.
By the end of Year 11, he and a couple of mates had progressed to the occasional big night in.
I know some people won’t admire me for it, but I am comfortable with that situation.
Having said that, Gabe’s now in Year 12 and it’s possible he will want to raise the stakes.
That makes me uncomfortable.
We have always been very clear with Gabe about our expectations.
He is allowed to drink at home with friends.
We are prepared to negotiate about parties but he is never allowed to take alcohol to the homes of people we don’t know.
He is never allowed to drink in a public place or hang out at Mooloolaba (sober or not) for no good reason.
Do I think that means we have total control, that we will never be compromised by Gabe’s behaviour or that he will remain safe?
Absolutely not; 18 is still a very long way off.
It doesn’t make me proud to write any of this.
Like most parents of teenagers, I would like alcohol to go away. Despite my upbringing and my belief our plan made sense, a big part of me wishes we never let the genie out of the bottle.
I don’t know if parents with zero tolerance on alcohol will ever live to regret their decision, but right now I admire their courage.
Police claim that on Saturday night there were more than 500 drunken teenagers on the streets of Mooloolaba and Noosa.They were pushing and shoving, mouthing off to young families, and generally ignoring police directions.
This week I spoke to a long-term copper who says he’s had enough.
He says Queensland police are already using capsicum spray almost daily – often on children. In less than six months, every cop on the beat will be carrying a taser.
I believe with all my heart that if you let your child out on a Saturday night without managing their access to alcohol, how and when they get home or who they are with, then you can’t complain if they suffer capsicum spray or, God forbid, a taser strike.
A 90kg drunk bloke causing trouble is a problem for police; it doesn’t matter how old he is.
Teenagers do not run the world. Public drinking and disorderly conduct are illegal for everyone – being a kid is no excuse for being a public nuisance.
Not only that, in these increasingly volatile times, if your kid is drunk and in public (quite possibly behaving like a tool), then they are at risk of being king-hit, stabbed or raped. It happens every single weekend.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I’m crossing my fingers and praying just as often as you are.
But I do know this: As parents it is our job to protect our children, especially from themselves.
This is not something I ever wished to share with you. It is my private family business.
However, if a newspaper column is good for anything, it should kick-start important conversations.
Underage drinking is a problem on the Sunshine Coast, and I am not blameless.
But before I confess the sins of my family, I want to be very clear.
If your 15, 16 or 17-year-old child belongs to a reasonably social peer group, if they go to parties, regularly attend sleepovers or hang on the street after dark, then I think you can safely assume they are drinking.
Not every teenager drinks but the socialites do, whether their parents choose to acknowledge it or not.
When I was a kid, I had two older siblings and my dad was a publican. By the age of 16, I was allowed to drink at home with friends, occasionally. We weren’t always sensible but we were out of harm’s way.
In a similar vein, from the beginning of Year 11, our son has been allowed the odd light beer, although in truth he has never pushed as hard for it as I did with my parents.
By the end of Year 11, he and a couple of mates had progressed to the occasional big night in.
I know some people won’t admire me for it, but I am comfortable with that situation.
Having said that, Gabe’s now in Year 12 and it’s possible he will want to raise the stakes.
That makes me uncomfortable.
We have always been very clear with Gabe about our expectations.
He is allowed to drink at home with friends.
We are prepared to negotiate about parties but he is never allowed to take alcohol to the homes of people we don’t know.
He is never allowed to drink in a public place or hang out at Mooloolaba (sober or not) for no good reason.
Do I think that means we have total control, that we will never be compromised by Gabe’s behaviour or that he will remain safe?
Absolutely not; 18 is still a very long way off.
It doesn’t make me proud to write any of this.
Like most parents of teenagers, I would like alcohol to go away. Despite my upbringing and my belief our plan made sense, a big part of me wishes we never let the genie out of the bottle.
I don’t know if parents with zero tolerance on alcohol will ever live to regret their decision, but right now I admire their courage.
Police claim that on Saturday night there were more than 500 drunken teenagers on the streets of Mooloolaba and Noosa.They were pushing and shoving, mouthing off to young families, and generally ignoring police directions.
This week I spoke to a long-term copper who says he’s had enough.
He says Queensland police are already using capsicum spray almost daily – often on children. In less than six months, every cop on the beat will be carrying a taser.
I believe with all my heart that if you let your child out on a Saturday night without managing their access to alcohol, how and when they get home or who they are with, then you can’t complain if they suffer capsicum spray or, God forbid, a taser strike.
A 90kg drunk bloke causing trouble is a problem for police; it doesn’t matter how old he is.
Teenagers do not run the world. Public drinking and disorderly conduct are illegal for everyone – being a kid is no excuse for being a public nuisance.
Not only that, in these increasingly volatile times, if your kid is drunk and in public (quite possibly behaving like a tool), then they are at risk of being king-hit, stabbed or raped. It happens every single weekend.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I’m crossing my fingers and praying just as often as you are.
But I do know this: As parents it is our job to protect our children, especially from themselves.
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 5:18 AM
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