My Mum and Dad bought alcohol for me from the age of 14. They would buy a quarter bottle of vodka and I would drink it with my friends with OJ before we went out. This was to stop us drinking it at the train staion/alley way somewhere. In the UK (or at least when I was young) it's easy to get fake ID's and to buy it yourself.

I don't think i'll do this for our kids though, each child is different and it really depends on his/her maturity at the time (not before 15 though).

I got drunk for the first time when I was 11 and unfortunaltly it didn't stop me from doing it again...and again... and again.

Last year I went back to England and over to France to see family. It was my aunts Bday and the celebrations went on for about 4 days. Lots of meals, alcohol and wonderful conversation around enormous tables with children and adults. The children are allowed a glass of wine and it is considered normal and as such not abused. As Ryn said it is so different on the continent.

I really don't know what i'll do with our kids, it terrifies me to think of our children ever ending up in some of the situations I ended up in. I also think if it is totally banned they will go elsewhere, without supervision and be out of control.

I wish there was a simple answer to this but I don't think there is. Communication is the most important thing.