50 and beyond

Recently, D1 informed me that his CG will be coming over this evening, and after dinner, they will be consuming alcohol at our place. D1 said no need to buy any alcohol for them because there is so much alcohol lying around our house.

I would like to offer a disclaimer here and now. Hubby and I hardly drink alcohol. But we do have quite a lot of alcohol “lying around the house” only because each time we invite people over for dinner, they bring alcohol as gifts, and they bring more than they consume. Over time, the cupboard gets filled up. Yup, cupboard; I don’t even have a wine fridge.

My first response to D1 was that although I was fine having them over to drink, I had a few concerns. First, would it be possible for D1 to ensure that all his friends informed their parents that they were going to be drinking at our place? I cringe at the thought of having parents call me and me having to explain… True, they are all turning 20 this year; that’s 2 years above the legal drinking age. But for accountability, they ought to at least let their parents know, so that I don’t have to field awkward queries.

Secondly, was there a way for D1 to control the amount of alcohol they consume and make sure that it’s in moderation? I don’t want anyone getting high, passing out or throwing up.

What are my thoughts about allowing my kids to consume alcohol? Well, a friend of mine once told me that she allowed her kids to drink at home, so that they won’t feel so curious about alcohol and binge on it with their friends in expensive pubs and eateries where their parents can’t see them. Also, it’s much cheaper to consume alcohol at home, as they are more expensive in pubs. Lastly, when they drink often enough at home, they know their threshold and can better regulate themselves when they drink with their friends. I thought was pretty good advice and have adopted this for my sons.

So, the sons get to drink during social dinners when friends come over. My sister also often brings over these very light Japanese grape juice with just 5% alcohol, which is quite delicious. The older son D1 has tried quite a few types of beer and wine too. But whenever he gets the chance, he would always ask for whisky. He just loves whisky.

So, what’s going to happen tonight? Well, I rest in the assurance that D1 is a very responsible boy and that he will be able to manage his friends tonight. Plus, I plan to pop my head out of my bedroom once in a while to say hi to his friends, so that they know that adults are around, keeping an eye on them. Apart from some sake, I don’t have hard liquor in the house, only some random wines, Moscato and champagne/bubbly (which I am not offering!). I also took out two bottles of non-alcoholic grape juice in the guise of champagne bottles, for those who don’t want to drink. I even went to Hubers to get some cheese and salami for them, to accompany the drinks.

I hope they have fun.