Disgusted mum slams mate for letting her four-year-old ‘have sips of wine’ – but people say it ‘won’t do any harm’
The horrified mum walked out of her friend's house over the incident
A SHOCKED mum told how her friend let her four-year-old child have a sip of wine - comparing it to letting a youngster smoke.
Writing on a thread, she said she was "disgusted and upset" by the incident and left her friend's house in horror.
She continued: "At a so-called friend's house last night and the four-year-old was begging to try some (and said it in a way that means she's clearly tried it before as she said it makes her laugh) and he just let her.
"I was too shocked to say anything but we made our excuses and left."
She went on to say: "I was uncomfortable staying there with my dd [darling daughter] as I didn't want her to think that it was acceptable to try alcohol at such a young age. I just think it's so wrong and completely pointless.
"I'm not saying that children who have sips of wine are going to turn into alcoholics - I just think that letting a child try alcohol is equivalent to letting them put a cigarette in their mouth which (who knows judging by the reactions on this thread) is obviously unacceptable and wrong."
A number of people agreed with her.
One mum said: "It's actually illegal to give an under-five alcohol. Their bodies are simply too small to metabolise it effectively and it could poison them.
"I personally am not disgusted but would tell the parent off.
"Six-plus-year-olds if they want a sip I would let them and ignore it as most kids find alcohol disgusting. My first drink was Guinness and it was so horrible it put me off trying any again until I was 13."
But many people thought she was being over-the-top.
One mum said: "You left because your friends let their child have a sip of wine??!! It’s fairly normal in other European countries and I’ve certainly let mine have the odd taste - so far they hate it."
Another added: "What's so wrong with that? My four and five-year-olds have often had a small sip of wine, beer etc.
"They've usually found it disgusting but we always encourage them to try a little bit of things."
And another mum, changing the subject, confessed: "One of the school mums I know regularly gives her two-year-old full cups of coffee! Because ‘he loves it’..."
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