When did you drink?

My little sister is 14 years old. All of a sudden, all of her friends drink. They go hang out at the high school or something at night. She isnt into it...so she ends up staying home. I feel bad for her. All of the girls lie to their parents and shes just not like that...I wasnt either. She can still go and not drink, but she just doesnt want to. I dont know why I feel so bad...this stuff happens to teenagers. I guess I just feel bad because its my sister

Re: When did you drink?

I actually did not try alcohol until I went away to college... I just turned 18...

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I feel like 14 is SO young....I think I was 17?
Shes a baby to me still!

Re: When did you drink?

I drank early. Very early. I know I went to keg parties as a freshman in high school.. so 14? At that point it was mostly take a sip/spill a sip - just to 'look cool'.

Fourteen IS young. I can't believe what my parents didn't know..

ETA: I did drink wine with my parents from the time I was.. 8ish? With dinner - it wasn't a big deal. I interpreted your question to mean.. drinking as in DRINKING as a social endeavor.

Message edited 11/11/2009 3:14:45 PM.

Re: When did you drink?

I drank around 15 I think.
But not out with friends.
At home in front of my parents.
They had no problem with me and my cousins have a drink or 2 at holidays or family functions.
I really didn't drink in public until like 18 when I got my fake ID.

Re: When did you drink?

My friends and I were the "good kids" We were respectful, we were all dean's list/top of the class and most were involved in afterschool activities. . . BUT. . . we were drinking at 13/14. We knew what stores we could buy beer at and we drank at the park or wherever. NOW, I think it is nuts - but back then of course, I thought it was normal.

Re: When did you drink?

i was stealing sips since i was real young, but doing anything like drinking a can of beer or some vodka was 14. Depends on who you hang out with, i was always with older people even as a young teen so most of them had beer around so i drank.

My parents NEVER knew until i was around 18 when i completely put a dent in their liquor closet. The best thing is to say if your going to drink don't binge (i was smart enough not to do that) but some of my friends were not and had to deal with choking vomit situations.

Re: When did you drink?

Good for her! Better off she gets rid of those losers now then later.

My little cousin had the same issue - she made new friends because she really got into dance and drama, but it was a hard few months. Is there an activity that she likes that you can encourage her to do? I also hung out with her a ton when this was going down..... movie nights,shopping, going to the city to wlak around the flea markets,nails.

I say alll of this from someone who was hanging out at the park drinking at 14 and it got me into all the wrong places with all the wrong people...... no good can come from it.

IETA It is different now then when we were kids - if she gets caught she will get into serious trouble - not jsut a ride home and a warning.....

Message edited 11/11/2009 12:01:11 PM.

Re: When did you drink?

Re: When did you drink?

Re: When did you drink?

I was around 18 or 19

Re: When did you drink?

High school ... I'd say end of freshman year. I know for sure I was a "social" drinker by sophomore year

Re: When did you drink?

High School....15 or 16

every weekend by the time I was 17

nothing else to do in my town...pretty normal

Re: When did you drink?

I used to occassionally go to parties & not drink in HS--probably starting around 17, and didn't drink until I was 19, towards the end of my freshman year of college, and not regularly untill my sophmore year.

My friends didn't drink at 14, but in 8th grade one of the kids in my group in home ec class missed class b/c he was hungover.

Re: When did you drink?

Re: When did you drink?

I was around 14. My older brother & his friends would always let me hang out with them, and they were all 17 or 18. But, I was pretty uninterested by the time I was 18. The novelty wore off years before I was the legal age.

Re: When did you drink?

Posted by Tilde

Posted by bri1980

Posted by irishbaby

Good for her! Better off she gets rid of those losers now then later.

My little cousin had the same issue - she made new friends because she really got into dance and drama, but it was a hard few months. Is there an activity that she likes that you can encourage her to do? I also hung out with her a ton when this was going down..... movie nights,shopping, going to the city to wlak around the flea markets,nails.

I say alll of this from someone who was hanging out at the park drinking at 14 and get got me into all the wrong places with all the wrong people...... no good can come from it.

She tells me a lot...I am 15 years older than her, so she trusts me. She said there are some other kids she would like to start hanging out with....but I feel like its only because she is being forced to. You know?
But I do a lot with her. My DH and I are looking at coops out in Suffolk...so I think I might take her this weeked to see the one we like. She will be there a lot...plus my older sister lives near by too...she is 20 years older than her! I am so thankful that she has us. I think it makes her a little more mature because her siblings are so much older.

My sister is 14 years older than me - I used to tell her everything because she never freaked out. I found out later that she would call my brother after and then freak out LOL but she always kept her cool and gave me good advice without being too mothering. You can make a HUGE difference in how she spends her HS years. Good Luck!

Re: When did you drink?

Re: When did you drink?

I was a goody goody and very busy with theatre jobs through HS. All my friends were drinking but I didn't. I didn't really start drinking until I was 19 or so.

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I never drank before I was like 19...and I never had a fake id to go to bars before I was 21

no worries, I more than made up for lost times in my 20's

Re: When did you drink?

Posted by Noonie

I was around 14. My older brother & his friends would always let me hang out with them, and they were all 17 or 18. But, I was pretty uninterested by the time I was 18. The novelty wore off years before I was the legal age.

Re: When did you drink?

Posted by pinkandblue

I never drank before I was like 19...and I never had a fake id to go to bars before I was 21

no worries, I more than made up for lost times in my 20's

Re: When did you drink?

Probably 15-16. I babysat for someone and drank their gin in their liquor cabinet.

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I was 13 I thought I was old enough

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I was drinking and smoking in Jr. High. Do I think that was young...yeah maybe but I turned out just fine. I think because I had a great family to keep me grounded. So I say just be there to support her and she will make the right decisions.