[tschmidlin]

Oh great,are you guys letting them drink the beer too? You should all be behind bars.

Or at least at bars.

[tumarkin]

Oh great,are you guys letting them drink the beer too? You should all be behind bars.

+1   yeah, my dad let us kids drink his beer at home as kids, and look where that got me! 

[euge]

In my state it is completely legal for a parent to give a minor alcohol. These days it's frowned upon but still legal. My parents let me taste but had to grab the Coors can out of my little hands since I already showed the propensity to chug.

[deepsouth]

if my son asks for a sip, which he does on a rare occasion, i give it to him.  my dad gave me sips and his dad him and his dad him.  i *think* i said earlier that if he brews, he will be a fourth generation brewer.  it would be five, but my dad has never brewed a beer.....  yet....

[anthayes]

Oh great,are you guys letting them drink the beer too? You should all be behind bars.

In the UK it is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

[gordonstrong]

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

Just curious.  I've been trying to think of a circumstance, but am coming up blank.  Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a bartender.

Last time I was in the UK, I bought a shandy along with my fish & chips at a chipperie.  Before I walked away from the stand, I thought to ask if there was any kind of open container law I need be concerned with.  The lady said, "nah, don't worry about that love, school kids walk around drinking these."

[capozzoli]

Lots of medicines contain alcohol. Under medical supervision translates to American as 'with a prescription'. Maybe that is why?

[gordonstrong]

Right, but medicine is usually called "medicine" not "alcoholic drink". 

Off to mow the lawn and then enjoy a nice bottle of cough syrup.

[capozzoli]

Well, you know how the English are.

Make sure it is cold

[deepsouth]

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

2:00 am and child still crying.  bourbon in bottle, oh yeah!  seriously though.  i've never done that, but my pediatrition told my mom to do that with me when i was a wee one and didn't sleep and i just went in for a full physical for my 40th and i have an infant that doesn't sleep well and she told me to try a little sip of something in the bottle (which is impossible as he won't take a bottle).

[tumarkin]

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

2:00 am and child still crying.  bourbon in bottle, oh yeah!  seriously though.  i've never done that, but my pediatrition told my mom to do that with me when i was a wee one and didn't sleep and i just went in for a full physical for my 40th and i have an infant that doesn't sleep well and she told me to try a little sip of something in the bottle (which is impossible as he won't take a bottle).

he won't take a bottle? well, not of milk maybe. offer him something more interesting, and see what may happen.

[anthayes]

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

The whole thing is pretty weird - why five anyway? Before moving here I let my kids have sips of homebrew - pretty much from eight months or so- wet lips rather than mouthfuls. I stopped once I found out the law.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

[Thirsty_Monk]

In my state it is completely legal for a parent to give a minor alcohol.

Legal in Wisconsin to share alcoholic drink with your child at home or in the restaurant/bar as long as it does not violate house rules of establishment.

Now think about the communion wine.
Is that legal?
Minor are been serve alcohol in churches not by their parents.

[deepsouth]

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

2:00 am and child still crying.  bourbon in bottle, oh yeah!  seriously though.  i've never done that, but my pediatrition told my mom to do that with me when i was a wee one and didn't sleep and i just went in for a full physical for my 40th and i have an infant that doesn't sleep well and she told me to try a little sip of something in the bottle (which is impossible as he won't take a bottle).

he won't take a bottle? well, not of milk maybe. offer him something more interesting, and see what may happen.

as of 11/22/10, he will not take a bottle. 

[tschmidlin]

A little sugar added to the milk/formula might make it more interesting for him, our doctor recommended that or sugar water.  Or just wait until he's so hungry that he'll take it, it depends on your tolerance for crying.