Kids and Alcohol

As a mum of five children, the eldest of which is now 24, the subject of alcohol has raised its head many a time.  I have approached it in the same way as I approach all my parenting issues, with open discussion, honesty and understanding.  I like to equip my kids with the tools they need to survive in the real world, and maintain the channels of communication, encouraging conversation without judgment.

At some point, our sweet, innocent children will find themselves in a position where alcohol will become available to them.  If they are not fully equipped with the necessary information, they could make a really bad   decision, with potentially dangerous consequences.  I want my kids to be able to make responsible, informed choices.

In today's society we see so many examples of alcohol abuse: the scenes of binge drinking that feature on the news, the tales of booze fueled unprotected sex and violence on the Jeremy Kyle show and stories of wayward teenagers drinking cider under the slide in the local park.   But demonizing drink is not the answer when we live in a society where alcohol is also widely accepted, positively advertised and easily available.

One thing I have always tried to avoid is making alcohol taboo. There is nothing more tantalizing to a teenager than the idea of breaking what they consider an unfair rule.  However, there are things you need to tell them about the dangers of drink to educate them in alcohol awareness.  It is naive to assume they will not try alcohol, so to help them develop a sensible and responsible attitude is vital.

I tell them about my own experiences with honesty....and I have quite a lot of horror stories to share!  I remind them that there is no point going out somewhere nice if you are going to get so drunk you won't remember it.  And there is nothing glamorous about waking up face down in a pool of your own vomit.  You make bad decisions when you are drunk which can have far reaching consequences, so it is better to be in control of your actions.  You can go out, have fun and enjoy yourself without the need to get excessively drunk.  In fact you will have a better time as there will be no hang over to contend with next morning.

At Christmas the temptation to drink alcohol increases.  My 10 year old often wants to try her dad's beer or her older sister's Malibu and coke.  Although I don't totally forbid her from trying a tiny sip, I try to give her other options, reminding her that alcohol is for grown ups because her young body will not be able to tolerate it and it could make her feel unwell.  Instead we make fun, kid friendly mocktails.  As I am now mostly a non-drinker myself (one too many alcohol related horror stories of my own), it is fun to involve Kizzy as we mix fruit juices and lemonade adding chopped fruit and even decorating the glass with a parasol to make it feel extra special.  It demonstrates to her that we don't need to drink alcohol to have fun and have a good time. I hope this lesson will stand her in good stead for the future. I want her to have the confidence to stand up for what she believes especially when faced with peer pressure away from home.

If any of my children do find themselves drinking, I want them to be able to talk to me about it.  Thankfully my eldest children have had generally good attitudes towards alcohol.  Yes, we have had the odd indiscretion that has lead to them having their heads down the toilet following a night out, but the fact they were able to tell us about it and confidently come back to the safety of home means we have been able to control a potentially difficult situation.  Plus, we get to give them the "this is what alcohol does to you" talk in the morning!  It's all a learning curve and every mistake is a life lesson!

I hope my younger children grow up with responsible attitudes to alcohol.  I will continue to make it a subject that is discussed openly.  Whenever the subject comes up on the news or in a TV show, I use it as a prompt to comment on how damaging alcohol abuse can be and just how ill it can make you.  I hope I teach them by example and they understand that drinking in excess is not an acceptable thing to do at any age.

As part of its Kids and Alcohol campaign which launched in 2011, Drinkaware has been encouraging parents to arm themselves with the facts surrounding kids and alcohol, and to have an open and ongoing conversation with their children about the various issues.  You can find out more about this at www.drinkaware.co.uk

There is a Twitter party taking place on Dec 4th from 8pm-9pm, hosted by @drinkaware and @tots100 using the hashtag #kidsandalcohol. It aims to promote some new research the charity has done into children and alcohol at Christmas, and how parents' drinking habits influence children, as well as the risks parents need to be aware of around this time of year.  It's never too soon to start thinking about this subject.

This is a sponsored post.

BornFree Twist 'n' Pop Straw Cup

BornFree was the first baby feeding company to be clear and open on its stance on BPA.  They created a range of bottles, cups, teethers and soothers that were completely free of this chemical.  The fear is that BPA can leach out into foodstuff which can be harmful to babies and toddlers.  BornFree  have paved the way to make safer products for our children!

One of their innovative products is the Twist 'n' Pop Straw Cup.  This 14 fl oz toddler cup has a twisting cap that exposes a soft silicone drinking straw for comfortable drinking.  The twist mechanism keeps the straw clean and reduces spills.  This child-friendly beaker is dishwasher safe and detachable into two parts making it easy to clean.

We were sent a BornFree Twist 'n' Pop Straw Cup to test out with Freddy.  I was impressed at the good size  of the beaker, which would make it ideal for a day out.  The twist mechanism was easy to use and I liked that the lid was in one part for easy cleaning.  The bottle was shaped and textured making it really easy for little hands to hold.

Freddy found it very easy to use the cup and sucked his juice up the straw without any problems.  Having a non-spill, closable, good sized bottle like this is a real bonus.  I can give Freddy a healthy juice drink, when we are out and about, as an alternative to children's ready-made, sports topped, bottled drinks.  It is just as convenient and easy to drink an  it will save money in the long run too.

As you can see Freddy loves his Twist 'n' Pop Straw Cup.  I'm happy that it is BPA free, easy to clean and comes with a resealable lid.  Freddy is just happy!! After all  BornFree do say "Babies Know Best!"

 It is available in four bright colours and costs £5.99 from www.babybornfree.co.uk.
Check out the website for other products, stockists and news from BornFree.

Nuby Review Part 1...No-Spill Drinking put to the Test!

I was lucky enough to be approached by Nuby as part of their exciting new initiative to connect with Mummy Bloggers to review from their range of baby feeding products and teething toys.

The company's philosophy is:

"At Nuby™ we strive towards making the lives of parents and children easy, simple and fun. The highest quality standards, global trends and continual product development help us bring parents everything they need for their baby's development.
Our products are inspired by nature and offer the best, safest and most simple choices for you and your baby."

I am already a fan of Nuby for removing BPA from all their feeding products, which shows a real committment to their safety standards.  We want the best for our little ones, it seems Nuby share that concern.

I received an exciting range of drinking products suited to the age and stage of my little boy and tiny tester Freddy. 

No Spill Insulated Cool Sipper
No Spill Sports Sipper
Insulated No Spill Flip-It

First impressions of the products is that they are very colourful and thoughtfully designed.  I love that there are so many options for the single purpose of quenching our little ones' thirst.  I have gone through so many varieties of beakers and sports' bottles over the years, but very few have impressed me.  They have leaked, poured, cracked, spilt, not resisted the gnaw of little teeth, the plastic has perished or they have been difficult to use due to their size or shape. 

The No-Spill promise on the products was of particular interest to me.  Freddy is a notorious pourer.  The amount of times we have picked him up from his car seat to find he has an empty beaker and a gusset full of juice which has soaked in to nappy level.  We've had to strip him down, clean him off and on one ocassion had to buy him new clothes (well Next were having a sale so it seemed like a good excuse!)

I let Freddy choose his first test subject and he made a bee-line for the Sports Sipper for ages 12 months and up.   This bottle is shaped for little hands with easy grips and had a Vari-Flo  Silicone straw with a built in valve that opens when sucked.  The soft straw is kind to baby's teeth and works using a natural drinking action.  It is a lovely sunny yellow colour and comes with a lid for when not in use.   Freddy immediately picked it up easily and started guzzling from it.  The valved straw was very easy for him to use.  I turned the bottle upside down and gave it a hard shake and not a drop escaped...impressive!   This was really easy to clean too.  It is a very grown-up style bottle which is a plus...Freddy wants to be like his older siblings so this totally fits the bill. 

Next up it was the turn of the Flip-It beaker .  I loved the colourful space design and the flip top, that flipped up to reveal a pop up straw, was very effective.  Using a valved soft sipper silicone straw, this was also a drip free, no spill drinking bottle.  The cup is insulated to keep drinks cool and to avoid the cup "sweating". The lid would make this ideal when on the go with baby.  Just flip it shut and throw it under the buggy or into a baby bag and it wouldn't leak and the straw would be protected and kept clean.  Freddy did try to tip it at first but soon worked out that he had to suck the drink up.  Big sister Kizzy took a shine to this cup (not wanting to miss out on the testing!)  She thinks it'll be perfect for school, keeping her water cool and keeping the drinking straw safely covered!

The last cup we tried was the Insulated Cool Sipper for ages 15 months plus which has a soft spout on the edge of the cup.  It comes in a variety of fun designs for boys and girls.  Freddy loved his "ball" design and the name label is perfect for identifying it at nursery.  This beaker encourages the motion of drinking from an open topped cup but has the security of a non-spill silicone spout.  This is also more gentle on baby's mouth.  It is insulated to keep the drink cool...perfect for when Summer comes (fingers crossed!)  Freddy coped well will this and the tipping action came naturally to him.  It's a step towards competent drinking from a regular cup or glass.  Again, there were no spills, no drips, no leaks...Nuby really do deliver on their claim!

One thing I really love about these bottles is that you can buy replacement spouts and straws.   This means you don't need to throw away the beaker because the spout has been chewed, which minimises waste and is more economical in the long run. 


I also think it is excellent to have such a variety of beakers to choose from  (Nuby produce six stages for all ages all using their patented drinking system) meaning that there will be one that your child can use with ease and without mess. Freddy definitely favoured the Sports Bottle.  Drinking is so important to keep babies and toddlers well hydrated, so if there is an element of fun involved it will encourage them.


Please check out Nuby on Facebook  or follow on Twitter and be sure to mention this review on www.insidethewendyhouse.blogspot.com