Answer if you dare...........

[jojomojo]

I was sneaking sips of scotch and pepsi as far back as I can remember - mainly at family get togethers while all the grownups were playing cards around the table. I first drank enough to get a buzz around 8th grade. I hit the bottle pretty hard in 9th (never liked beer, went straight for the Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, etc...right out of the bottle) and I was pretty much over it by 10th grade. I probably haven't had more than 10 drinks over 10 years (and sometimes that was just a sip).

 

I pray my kids escape the fascination.

[sagira]

13, when we had a wine and cheese party in French class. We all got little plastic cups and I volunteered to sip everyone's red wine leftovers as I enjoyed it -- ha. My dad was laughing when he picked me up from school and I fell asleep immediately in the car :lol:

[elegantlion]

My grandmother was an alcoholic. We would roll our eyes when she came over. That kept me sober for a while. But high school was probably the first time I drank. I don't remember exactly when but it probably had something to do with my best friend and her older brother driving us across state lines to buy beer or malt duck.

 

My choice beverage was wine coolers or vodka. Ah, the memories. :glare::lol:

[Laura Corin]

I drank the odd glass of wine at home as an early teen, then started going to parties at about 14, where I drank cider (alcoholic in Britain), graduating to Scotch and Coke. I got drunk a few times and learned better. I don't regret it, nor do I think I did myself any damage.

 

Laura

[TammyinTN]

I had my first drink in 11th grade at a sleepover with all my girl friends. It didn't turn out well. But that didn't stop us girls.

 

Now that we live in Europe wine/drinks are served at most meals. We started giving it to our daughters when we moved here because we didn't want them to go out and drink and do something stupid. Drinking lost it's luster because it wasn't forbidden and neither of the girls care for it. They might have a glass of wine with dinner once a year but that's about it.

[LisaKinVA]

My dad gave me my first sip of beer when I was in about the 4th or 5th grade. I thought it was disgusting and still do.

 

I was a senior in college, and 21, before I tried a drink again. Beer still tasted disgusting. I found I liked Midori Sours, and Ammaretto Sours -- but not Margaritas. I've never been drunk, or even tipsy, mainly because I get bored with alcohol after 1-2 drinks -- and I've always enjoyed remembering what I did the night before, not one to enjoy throwing up, etc... so never wanted to chance it.

 

Plus, I have no problem doing/saying embarrassing stuff sober -- I didn't want to imagine what I could do/say drunk...

 

Today, I still enjoy a mixed drink now and then. It does have a calming effect on my nerves, which sometimes get shot.

 

Call me a goody-goody if you want to -- but I didn't feel I ever needed to prove something with alcohol.

[Janet in Toronto]

I was 14, at a party, and had a beer. I left the bottle cap in my pocket and my mother found it. D'oh!

[LaxMom]

I was raised in a pretty liberal house as far as drinking goes. ...my dad had a beer or two every evening after dinner. He wasn't an alcoholic and never had any problems with drinking. We were allowed to have a sip of alcohol for as long as I can remember. My mother also gave us hot toddies for colds and coughs. ... I currently drink two to three times a month (one or on really rare occassions two drinks) ...

Yup, that me, too. I remember having a little - like the size of a shot glass - A&W rootbeer mug (come to think of it, it could have actually been a shot glass) and my parents letting me have a little beer or wine in it when I was a kid... maybe from 5 on? And, to this day, I hate blackberry brandy because of the hot toddies - tastes like medicine to me. ;)

 

My parents both drink wine with dinner, or the occasional beer. I drink the occasional glass or two of wine (two if I'm entertaining, which rarely occurs) mostly with dinner. Sometimes, a friend will pop by late in the afternoon and we'll have a glass - that may happen once a quarter. When I was younger we had an annual drunk, both opeing and closing the local bars. It's called St. Patrick's Day. (Fire dept thing, I suppose) In fact, we got married on St. Patrick's Day, so we would "always" celebrate... we haven't been out on that day since our wedding. :D

 

My children may have a sip of whatever I'm drinking (that's the rule for coffee or tea, as well, though I make them their own tea). Only one of them (one of the 4 y.o.s ) doesn't grimace at the taste, but he never wants a second sip. I think they expect it to be sweet and it's not. They may get a dose of something in some herbal tea with honey during cold season, too, but not a lot - they drink tea out of Fiestaware cups that only hold about 4 oz, anyway, so there's not a lot of volume there - and in hot beverages, the alcohol blows off a bit. (I also tincture herbs in vodka, and have been known to add a dropper of tincture to their drink)

[Melinda in VT]

I was 31. DH and I split a bottle of Mike's Lemonade.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I was in 6th grade.

 

My kids have had the tiniest sips of our drinks but they are incredibly terrified of alcohol (aunt's abuse). We don't expect that fear to last forever though. Though hubby and I have drank less than 10 times in the past 15yrs, our belief (and what we tell our kids) is that drunkenness is a sin, but there is nothing wrong with an occasional drink or two if you can keep it at a drink or two (otherwise, don't drink). Hopefully, they'll choose to be responsible with drinking if/when they choose to do so.

Edited December 19, 2008 by 2J5M9K

[Quiver0f10]

I was either 13 or 14? Not sure, but it was 8th grade. :banghead:

[happyWImom]

Freshman in high school. It was a snow day from school, and a friend who lived near me came over, even though I was never supposed to have kids there without a parent home. I think she suggested it, I was easily influenced. I don't even know what we were drinking, but we got drunk. I called another friend who lived near me, who was older and wiser, and she came over and cleaned us up, but said she had to call my mom & tell her. My first time drinking, as well as my first grounding!

[dragons in the flower bed]

When was the first time you drank?

 

First and last time:

 

The year I was 11, or maybe 10 or 12, my father and I were camping out on my godfather's farm for the 4th of July. I was the only kid there, as usual. Dad had a bunch of friends who were single, so they occasionally brought girlfriends to these events but mostly it was just guys in their twenties, including my dad, plus me.

 

This weekend, they had black and tan on tap. One of Dad's friends took a milk jug, filled it with the beer, handed it to me and told me to get lost. Thinking back now, I wonder why he gave me the beer. They were usually protective of me. And he surely knew I'd get lost without incentive; I worshipped my dad and his friends and did anything those guys told me to do. Maybe he figured it was the safest possible place for my first experience with drinking.

 

Anyway, as I recall, I went down to the valley in the back of my godfather's farm, laid in the grass and watched the fireworks. I drank the whole jug. I went back up a few hours later and hung around the fire until the adults got too weird for me. Then I went to bed. I don't remember feeling much different, just mellower.

 

The next day, though, I had an obvious hangover. My dad did, too, and slept, but my godfather was up bright and early (as always) and he insisted that I get up early (as always). I recall vaguely a threat involving his barn and his belt if ever again he caught wind of my getting intoxicated. This caused me to stare at my eggs and mutter, I know it was dumb. I need to think things through more carefully.

 

Some time that afternoon word got to my dad. He cocked an eyebrow at me and asked what I thought of drinking. I told him it seemed to be entirely not worth it. I could meditate to mellow out that much, and after meditation I didn't have a hangover. Dad kind of nodded and that was the end of our one and only conversation about alcohol ever.

 

That was it. I have never, since that night, been tempted to drink, and not because I now live only 15 minutes from my godfather's barn. :D I'm earnestly fond of my inhibitions. I think they serve a good and useful purpose. Ironically, this belief stems from spending every weekend and summer from age seven to age eleven, and my adolescence, in the custody of a pack of occasionally intoxicated men. They were never mean (none of them ever actually hit me) and were rarely as dangerously irresponsible as they were the weekend they let me have beer. They were occasionally absurd, ridiculous, absent and solemn, or childishly weak in their drunkenness. I don't want to risk behaving that way.

[HRAAB]

I don't really remember. I had tasted my mom or dad's occasional glass of wine - usually at Christmas or a big birthday dinner. My parents rarely had anything to drink. It was in high school - probably sophomore. Drinking was the big activity at my high school. It really wasn't fun.

 

Janet

[Michelle T]

I am 38 and still haven't had my first drink. I have no interest in drinking at all. In fact, I think that beer smells like refridgerated horse pee. I clean up enough of that at the barn, no desire to drink it.

 

 

I've had small sips of alcohol, but it gives me a horrible stomachache. It smells bad to me, and the taste is awful.

 

I've never had more than a sip, and even that was a long time ago.

Michelle T

[Desert Rat]

This is going to sound awful but....2! My parents had these poker parties when I was little. Ya know how you put your beer by your elbow so you don't spill it? Well, I snuck around and downed them all. My mom put me to bed a little tipsy and from then on the guys were very careful with their beer!

I didn't drink again until I was about 14 or 15. Typical scenario. I'm really careful now because lots of research has been done on my family regarding genetics of addiction through the University of Iowa. It's in my blood so I really watch how much I drink (and other things, eating, etc.)

[fshinkevich]

The first time I *tried* alcohol I was in middle school, maybe 13 or 14 and I was with my sister.

 

I cannot remember the first time I actually drank alcohol, enough to feel it, but it was well after my 21st birthday.

[Aubrey]

Ok, I'll play. I turned 21 while I was pg w/ #1, & something about pg makes me crave wine. I'd never had it before, so it was pretty weird, but subsequent pgs were the same.

 

Anyway, a few mos after ds7 was born, dh bought some fruity girly wine, made fancy sandwiches, & we had a picnic. Um...I think it was just in his parents' back yard, but it was very memorable. Wine w/ lunch seemed like the most romantic exotic thing! :001_smile:

[sassenach]

I don't even remember when my first drink was. My mom would give me sips of her Margarita, even when I was just a little kid. I started drinking with friends when I was 14 (or maybe 15?). From 15-16 I drank quite a bit. I was pregnant by 16 and since starting our family, I just drink occasionally. A Mike's here or there, but that's it.

[PariSarah]

I think one of my uncles gave me a sip of beer when I was real young--eight or nine. But there wasn't much alcohol in our house growing up, and I never, EVER wanted to have the "What? You've been DRINKING?!?!" conversation with my parents, so I just never drank, never hung out with the drinking-and-drugs crowd at school.

 

I had a few drinks on my honeymoon, but I was still underage, so it wasn't much. I never did the drinking-to-get-drunk thing--just had zero interest.

 

It wasn't until we lived in France that wine and beer became a more regular part of our lives. We have a glass with dinner more often than not, although we can't afford it as much as we'd like. (Nor as nice as we'd like!)

 

Now that I think about it, though, I did drink more than was good for me once in Paris. Didn't get roaring drink--just kind of wavery--and it was by accident. Dh officiated at a wedding, and the reception was a dinner cruise down the Seine. Better wine than we had ever tasted in our lives. A different wine for each of the seven courses. And they just kept refilling our glasses when we weren't looking! Oh, that was one of the best meals we've had, ever!!

[Jennifer in MI]

I'm really surprised at how many started drinking in high school. I guess I was nieve. Do most kids drink in high school?

 

I had sips of wine at my parent's New Years party every year. Then, in college, I would have a beer or two at parties my sophomore year.

 

Now, I drink a glass of wine or two about 2 - 3 times/week.

[lionfamily1999]

I think it really depends on where you grow up and who your friends are.

[~Tara~]

I grew up surrounded by alcohol. Had sips at a young age. Made my own drinks around 6th grade. But I never was a party goer. At home or with a few friends. Quiet like. That is, in my teens/high school, lol, sorry about that. Up until I was of legal age TO drink. Then my life turned completely around. And hadn't touched alcohol until a couple of years ago.

[Storm Bay]

My parents follow the philosophy that it's better to let kids have one sip of whatever alcohol they're drinking than to make it the forbidden fruit. This worked well for us, and we were told to call home if we had too much to drink to drive home (not that they encouraged drinking, but they were trying to be realistic.) But I hated the taste of alcohol. I rarely had any alcohol in high school and never got drunk. I did have a couple of drinks I liked once I was of legal age, but never drank more than one, at the most, two. I did like Saki a bit and might have had three servings once (it's so long ago and far away), and it doesn't bother me like most alcohol does. BUT, I finally decided that if I don't like it, I dont need to drink it to make anyone feel comfortable and now only have a sip at communion, which we don't do every week.

 

I also let my kids have a sip to taste. None of them like it. My sister has always liked the taste of beer, but didn't mishandle alcohol in high school.

 

I've always thought drunk people looked stupid, even if it was a friend. One of my aunts was an alcoholic for about 30 years before she dried up, and it's ugly.

[Melissa in Australia]

never . I only drink water. I don't even like fruit juice. my mum use to give us a little cooking sherry for an upset stomach ( something she read in the bible) . well, the smell of any alcohol reminds me of being sick. and I can't stand it.

[Peela]

Apparently I drank and got drunk at my Christening. Its a story my mother likes to tell. I was a cute little toddler and I would dip my fingers in everyone's glass and have a suck. No one realised I was dipping my fingers in everyone's glass- they did realise when I passed out though.

I know that would be considered a type of child abuse nowadays, but I do feel it was innocent then.

My parents always allowed my brother and I to have a sip of their drink when we were growing up. Just a sip. Then when we were teenagers, we would be allowed an occasional small glass. Kind of European style, I guess.

I never however had the urge to get drunk as a teenager and only remember getting a bit tipsy once on one glass of wine. I didnt actually find out what getting drunk was like till I was much older. Won't do that again. Cant understand how anyone could do that more than once :)

[melissel]

And for some reason - TMI, but I have to pee after the first sip, same with cold medicines with alcohol in them.

 

Me too!!! DH always rolls his eyes at me like I'm being dramatic, but I'm the same way.

 

13, when we had a wine and cheese party in French class. We all got little plastic cups and I volunteered to sip everyone's red wine leftovers as I enjoyed it -- ha. My dad was laughing when he picked me up from school and I fell asleep immediately in the car :lol:

 

Wait, your school let a bunch of 13-year-olds drink wine? Weren't you all under the legal drinking age (at least in the US or Canada)? That's crazy!

 

I had a sip here and there as a kid--my parents also wanted to avoid the "forbidden fruit" thing, and my dad also let me have a nice big gulp of his Jack Daniels at dinner one night :lol: That stuff still makes me shudder. But I think my first active drinking experience was when I was 13, when our class went to Washington DC. All our baggage was checked and bottles examined, but no one thought to check all the girls' pump hairspray bottles, which of course smelled like alcohol to begin with. I didn't drink enough to get sick until I was 16. I wasn't a huge drinker, but did drink to drunkenness off and on through college and in my party years living in Hoboken and NYC. I think I've only ever been sick or badly hungover from drinking maybe 3-4 times though.

 

It's funny, I'm actually more afraid of getting comfortable with a regular drink to "take the edge off" than I am of getting drunk. Episodes where I drink enough to wobble around and giggle too much are few and far between, but I wish for something to take the edge off much more often! I intentionally don't drink alcohol on a regular basis because I'm afraid of coming to rely on it in some way. We always have wine and liquor in the house for DH and guests, but I don't partake often.

Edited December 20, 2008 by melissel

[caitlinsmom]

I was young, dont quite remember. But by 8th grade we (best friend and I ) were taking her brothers whiskey, vodka, and something else and drinking it. I wouldnt drink more than a sip or two but still that knocks a kid on her but. Had a wine cooler here or there in high school but once I realized my parents were druggies and alchoholics I decided the ocassional was way to much for me.

I havent had anything in over 10 years and never plan to again. although sometimes I crave a good fuzzy navel, lol who knows.

[Lacie]

I don't even remember. 12-13 something like that. My friends and I snuck alcohol to jr high on the last day of school. But that wasn't the first time. I never did drink beer, just different alcohol. I got turned off of beer from kissing a guy that had been drinking it... :ack2: I never wanted to try it after that.

 

Drinking so early was a huge mistake. But I can't change it. I can only hope that I can teach my children something from my mistakes.

[jamnkats]

The smoking thread made me think of this....

 

When was the first time you drank?

 

I was a senior in high school. It was exam week. Someone had a party, I went and drank enough to make me knee walk. I called my future dh to come and pick me up, I knew I shouldn't drive. He came and got me, brought me home. (Which took a lot of guts, he wasn't even at the party but he brought me home to my parents???)

 

I was sick, threw up ( on my radio, no less). My mom decided that for punishment I got nothing for a hangover, had to clean up my own mess and was expected to take my English exam the next day. I think I made an "A".

 

What I remember most was that a girl named Daphne and I were having huge issues at school, she was a big bully and I was a goody. We both showed up in homeroom that morning, hung over and wearing our hair in bandanas, no makeup at the same time. She stood there and looked at me for a minute, no more bullying.

 

I must have been 7 or 8 the first time, I specifically remember being 11 and drunk and throughout highschool. Strangely, it was all in reaction to my childhood and as an adult I'm not an alcoholic and just started drinking a glass of wine at dinner (to increase the good cholesterol) but keep forgetting. It's been at least 5 days since I had my red medicine so I'd have to say I'm not hooked on the stuff. I had a pretty bad childhood though.

[Mama Lynx]

I have no idea. My parents let me have sips of wine from early teens on, I guess. In high school they'd let me have the occasional glass of wine at home. I think I drank out of the house, with friends, in hs, maybe twice.

 

I've always been a very responsible drinker, and I think it has to do with my parents no attaching any mystery to it, and teaching me how to drink responsibly and moderately. I very much enjoy drinking. I've been drunk exactly three times: Once at college, when I had not yet learned my limitations; once at college, at a party where the people mixing drinks were not honest about what they were putting in them; once as an adult when I had been out in the sun all day and had no idea that dehydration makes your more susceptible. Duh. Being drunk is awful, and I very conscientiously avoid it.