Your Brewing And Your Children

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

I am a proud father of 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl 5, 3 and 2.
Since my brewing hobby started, i only had 1 child. It was the start of the GFC and i was to meet my other son. I started to home brew with my FIL but as his financial situation picked up, he went back to drinking megaswill.

Anyway............

When i bath my kids, they play with water (capt'n obvious) but they ALWAYS do the "Daddy, I'm making beer!" (imagine them pouring water from one container to another) or if i'm out working in my yard my kids play around with water and dirt and say "Daddy, i'm making beer!!". I mean WTF????

When i drink anything at all my kids ask me if they can smell the "hops".

Is my Hobby//Obsession with beer/brewing washing off too early with my kids? or am i one of those over-protective, paranoid alcoholic parents who think when child-play is referred to brewing is just not normal for the age of my kids???

What are your thoughts? This afternoon, I nearly gave up drinking because i was sick of the brewing/drinking i was exposing to my kids.

 

[eamonnfoley]

No it's a good thing. If anything, brewers usually respect alcohol and will pass that sentiment onto their children. Its a fact of life in places like Germany that having beer around from a young age (they can drink beer at 16) is a better than making out its only good for the devil.

Are you going to stop your kids from having toys with "guns" on them?

 

[dammag]

I've got a 1 YO, 4YO and 6YO.

For a while there when we were out on the weekend the older kids would always ask "are we going to the beer shop"?

Now that I've got back into homebrewing and don't go to the "beer shop" so often they seem to have forgotten about that. They do talk about me drinking beer regularly though. They see me make and bottle beer regularly, and of course drink it. I don't drink as much as my dad did when he was my age, I don't go to the pub, I cook everyones dinner work hard and am generally a responsible person. I don't think it's ideal but I like a beer at the end of the day.

I think with kids if they are nurtured and loved then who cares if you enjoy a beer. Kids see a lot worse than their dad having a beer these days. If in your heart you can honestly say the kids are not worse off for your drinking then I say keep going with your healthy, interesting and social hobby.

Damian.

 

[kelbygreen]

I wouldnt worry to much you have to teach them that its for adults and not children and they will understand. Its not illegal like some of my friends dads at school grew and made so in that aspect it is alot better.

They will see you drink beer or wine or what ever regardless, so making it is just a process in where it comes from and kids love that but as long as they know that the final product is not for them then you are fine.

My daughter sticks her finger in mine every now and then to taste but only let her do it once and it doesnt happen often. Its like coke she is not allowed to drink coke. Its up to you as a parent to put the rules in place and them seeing you do it makes them want to but you have to enforce it.

Put it this way you seen them *** lollies that look like cigarettes? now that has to be worse then them playing with water going I am making beer!

 

[mr_tyreman]

I grew up with my dad drinking Tooheys Blue, Light Ice etc....and look i turned out okay

 

[dougsbrew]

relax, pour yourself a beer. my boy loves anything i do - especially driving the tractor which he emulates on his tricycle.
not so much(for me) the brewing as im not giving him full attention. its not what your doing, its just your their idol.

 

[Brewman_]

Wallace, you raise a very good Q.
EDIT>>>>>>
FS
Fear

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

I think you guys are right. Although you dont know me from a bar of soap, all i will get from my parents is "STOP DRINKING!!!! YOU WILL HAVE NO LIFE WHEN ITS RUINED!!! THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK" Then again im 30 in a couple of weeks and dont give a **** what they think lol.

Its re-assuring to know what other brewers think so far, and to that i thank you all.

 

[Nick JD]

am i one of those over-protective, paranoid alcoholic parents who think when child-play is referred to brewing is just not normal for the age of my kids???

Yes. The fact that you're home with them, bathing them and playing with them and not at the pub till 2am shows this.

But you already knew that and would like reassurance.

 

[Cocko]

Mate,

you are moulding them in so many more ways that you would not even imagine of thinking about it...

The fact you have thought about this one is just you getting into your own head IMO.

As NJD said, you are thinking about this while playing with them and educating...

At the end of the day, they will be grown ups with your influences, if you believe you can cast the right morals, what ever comes along between is part of the path.

Stress lees, as then they will.

Now have a beer.

 

[Phoney]

I wouldnt worry to much you have to teach them that its for adults and not children and they will understand. Its not illegal like some of my friends dads at school grew and made so in that aspect it is alot
better.

Hehe, a friend of mine is a primary school teacher, she was telling me one day she was teaching her class about the harm of smoking etc. one of the kids pipes up and says to the class "my daddy sometimes smokes green tobacco and he dries it in the microwave" :lol:

 

[Mattress]

Your home brewing hobby isn't the only time your kids are going to be exposed to alcohol. They will be exposed to it throughout their lives.

They will also be exposed to drugs, pornography, racism, right wing red necks, left wing loony's, Allan Jones and all sorts of other nasties that you can't keep them away from.

What's important is the lessons, advice and morals you give to them as they grow up, so that they will hopefully make the right decisions when exposed to these type of things.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

I like to think there are a fair few advantages to being a Dad that brews. I coudn't have cared less when at school about studying. Chem and math were boring as I never got the relevance. But when I did a little bit of chem when studying yeast, Whoa all of a sudden I'm right into it. Everything starts clicking and it's really interesting.

So if my baby boy gets to school and shows the same signs of indifference as I did I 'll put it all in context for him. Teach him the hobby and teach him math and chem at the same time. He won't get to try any till he's old enough but that willteachhim to respect the beer as a hand crafted beverage rather than something to get drunk on.

Ciro

 

[Brewman_]

Yes, teach em while you doing your job / hobby, plenty to learn when brewing. Good responsible approach.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

Yes, teach em while you doing your job / hobby, plenty to learn when brewing. Good responsible approach.

And plenty to clean while he's learning

 

[bignath]

Got a 6yo boy and 5yo girl.

Regularly speak to the boy about beer, how it's made, why i make it, being responsible with it, what happens if consumption goes overboard etc....

My father (also brews) once told me:

"if you want to find out what alcohol is like, one day we'll go and buy a box of beer, sit down together and learn about it in a safe environment."

He didn't want me to go behind his back and do it with my mates and get myself into a situation i wasn't able to control. I think this is a good approach, and one that i'll be doing with my kids.

Same thing with smoking.....He was a smoker, relatively heavy smoker too. Same offer applied. We were to go and buy a pack, come home and then start 'em up if i wanted. Never took him up on the offer, and to cut a long story short, went behind his back one day whilst away on a holiday and came back "a smoker".
The disappointment said it all across his face. I continued to smoke heavily for several years but gave them up maybe 8 or so years ago.

To this day, it still bugs me, that just when he thought he could trust me, i made it clear that for those short days i was away, he couldn't. One of several things i'd change if i could do it all again.

Still have the odd one (maybe 2 a year) to remind me why i don't like it anymore as my brain keeps telling me to go and buy a pack.

It's bloody hard being a parent sometimes, but i feel the best approach is a responsible approach, and not one based on ignoring it and hoping the kids won't experiment anyway.

my 2.2c (gst adjusted).

 

[jyo]

he dries it in the microwave" :lol:

Well, that's a bit impatient, isn't it?.



Mate, I stress about this a bit too.
My little fella pours beer in the bath and when he's playing in the sand pit. He talks about "Daddy's beer".

I think if your kids see you pouring pints and acting like an abusive arse to your misses/other family members or kicking the dog, then I'd say it's having a detrimental effect. Some great responses about the morals and respect you teach and relationships you build that will carry them forward in life, mate.

 

[Brewman_]

Got a 6yo boy and 5yo girl.

Regularly speak to the boy about beer, how it's made, why i make it, being responsible with it, what happens if consumption goes overboard etc....

My father (also brews) once told me:

"if you want to find out what alcohol is like, one day we'll go and buy a box of beer, sit down together and learn about it in a safe environment."

He didn't want me to go behind his back and do it with my mates and get myself into a situation i wasn't able to control. I think this is a good approach, and one that i'll be doing with my kids.

Same thing with smoking.....He was a smoker, relatively heavy smoker too. Same offer applied. We were to go and buy a pack, come home and then start 'em up if i wanted. Never took him up on the offer, and to cut a long story short, went behind his back one day whilst away on a holiday and came back "a smoker".
The disappointment said it all across his face. I continued to smoke heavily for several years but gave them up maybe 8 or so years ago.

To this day, it still bugs me, that just when he thought he could trust me, i made it clear that for those short days i was away, he couldn't. One of several things i'd change if i could do it all again.

Still have the odd one (maybe 2 a year) to remind me why i don't like it anymore as my brain keeps telling me to go and buy a pack.

It's bloody hard being a parent sometimes, but i feel the best approach is a responsible approach, and not one based on ignoring it and hoping the kids won't experiment anyway.

my 2.2c (gst adjusted).

Very well said! It is hard being a parent, your 2.2c was well said.

 

[bum]

I think if your kids see you pouring pints and acting like an abusive arse to your misses/other family members or kicking the dog, then I'd say it's having a detrimental effect.

Excellent point but I think the problem is that these blokes (not OP, I'm sure) never blame themselves but it is the missus or that prick dog. Falls on deaf ears where it is needed.

Very well said!

Even the bit where he completely undermines his own point by proving how futile that attitude is? Not having a dig at Nath, just making an undeniable observation. Kids will always notice and pounce upon hypocrisy no matter what you say.

[EDIT: Well, I guess I mean "precisely because of what you say"...]

 

[bignath]

Even the bit where he completely undermines his own point by proving how futile that attitude is? Not having a dig at Nath....

No dig taken bum.

The undermining is deliberate in my own post. It was to point out that yeah, sometimes kids will do things regardless of what you say to them, HOWEVER the guilt felt on my part due to me growing up and realising what i did was wrong has kept me in check (somewhat) for future (now past) situations where things could easily have gotten out of control in a bigger way besides alcohol and smokes...not saying they aren't dangerous, but not as "dodgy" as some other witnessed experiences.

Kids need boundaries, some more than others, and if i chose THAT as my particular time to go behind the old man's back and try something, i'm glad it was that one, and not something MUCH heavier and out of control like some of the things i've witnessed.
Seen mates swallow, snort, inject, burglarise and cause general mayhem for police on way more than enough occasions. And without the lesson learnt previously, who knows what could have seemed like a good idea at the time.