Salut ping.
We experienced the same growing up in New Orleans. By the time I got to college, I didn’t have any desire for binge drinking. Many of my classmates did. I always thought, ‘what’s the big deal?’. But, college was the first time most of my classmates had the chance to drink.
I was brought up this way. There were never any alcoholics in my family or any families we knew.
Red wine, especially, contains resveratrol and other anti-oxidants which are suspected of removing free radicals and are a circulatory aid, as well.
Drinking age should be lowered to 18 too.
My parents took all the fun out of drinking. We never had to sneak around because beer and wine were not forbidden at home when we got to be about 17 or so.
We always had wine with Saturday dinner, and beer was available if we wanted to have a couple. The rules were simple, have it at home when the parents were present, no giving it to friends, and no driving or swimming.
So by high school senior year, I was not inclined to go out and drink. The thrill was gone.
I drank a small glass of pinot noir every evening during my pregnancy. Gasp!
I guess if the parents commonly drink wine at dinner, there's probably no harm in letting older teens participate. If the parents don't drink, then obviously, they shouldn't go out of their way to "expose" their teens to alcohol.
It was just horrible.
I suspect we are not Italian but I don't know for sure. Anyone have an idea?
My two cents. I think people are born alcoholic and perhaps there are lower rates of alcoholism in Italian’s genetic makeup.
My Catholic School permitted alcohol at school parties after the ninth grade...I am not a bum.
It’s utterly unsurprising though.
My parents did this with us..Gramps homemade Dago Red. I did it with both my boys and neither one is a heavy drinker as adults. Nothing wrong with enjoying a pasta dinner with family & friends and little vino.
I did have one mother flip out on me for having wine on the table when her son was there. He is now parked at the bar every night
My Irish grandma used to put beer in my plastic Evenflo baby bottle - and I always demanded another. So I had bad drinking patterns before I was even old enough to sit at the table.
I hope this story doesn’t get out, the MADD nazi’s will descend in force, blitzkrieg style.