Parenting dilemma: are mocktails are okay for tweens?
My tween is having a beach-themed birthday party and she wants to serve lime slushies as one of the beverages. She'd really like the drinks to have little umbrella in them, so they are like drinks served on the beach.
"Lime slushies" are really virgin margaritas. It's technically a "mocktail," a nonalcoholic beverage. My tween is very clear on the fact that she does not get adult versions of the drink for quite a while because consuming alcohol is illegal until she's 21 years old. She just really enjoys frozen citrus-y beverages, and I'm comfortable with that.
When a mom asked about the party, I mentioned the food and beverage plan, including the lime slushies. She said that parents would have an issue with that as it seems like serving alcohol. I want my daughter's guests AND their parents to be completely comfortable.
Perhaps we will just have pitchers of lime aid at my tween's party, and skip the umbrellas. I find it interesting that usually I'm the overprotective mom, the one who wouldn't let her kid see The Hunger Games, but my permissible attitude toward lime slushies makes me a bit liberal and indulgent. One thing I've learned from parenting: comfort levels vary from person to person, topic to topic and circumstance to circumstances. Maybe I'm okay with it because it is my house.
This weekend, People magazine ran the article, "Teen Choice Awards: Tween-Friendly Mocktail to Enjoy" that gave a recipe for a drink with orange mango juice. A raging debate ensued in the comment section over whether it is acceptable to make and serve mocktails to tweens. Some said that it was promoting alcohol to tweens and teens and putting them on the road to drinking early, others thought it was good to give them alternatives to alcohol that are fun but safe. Some said that if it was called a juice drink, it would be fine. If I call the lime slushy a "juice drink with extra vitamin C" does that make it better?
What do you think - is it okay to serve "mocktails" to tweens? What about serving them fun juice drinks and dropping the term "mocktail"?
Idk what the big deal is?
I agree. It's a slushy served in a fancy glass with an umbrella. Nothing more. That would be a pretty pathetic thing for a parent to get upset about. The "helpful" friend would probably be the only one questioning it.
Quoting Delirium003:
It's a slushie. My boys drink slushies sometimes and they are 8&4. If the girl didn't want a slushie because of the glass it was in or the umbrella, then give her a different drink and call it a day.
Idk what the big deal is?
I had shirley Temple's all the time growing up. What is the big deal?
Quoting natesmom1228:I had shirley Temple's all the time growing up. What is the big deal?
I did too! I loved getting those when we would go eat at Red Robin.
My parents let us do sparkling cider or apple juice in wine glasses for New Years, and I loved that tradition- we do it with my kids too. I don't think it hurts anything at all- in fact two of us out of 4 don't even drink now, at all. The other 2 have an occasional drink, but don't go over board and never struggled with it- so I honestly don't think it should be an issue, unless the child is some how idolizing the idea of alcohol.
2 Children Die in Shower after Mom falls asleep
- gacgbaker
on Oct. 2, 2012 at 6:57 AM