Why I'll never buy booze for my teenage kids

As parents, we don't do our children any favors when we take the path of least resistance

A teen drinking.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I used to think of myself as a cool mom. My house has always been where my kids and their friends gather, so it was easy to think that had something to do with me, my tattoos, and my Nirvana T-shirts. But all of that changed when my kids hit their teen years, and I discovered that being "cool" came at far too high a cost.

I've always had a strict "no drugs or alcohol" policy with my kids. Sure, I'll pick them up if they ever get hammered at a party, no questions asked, but there will still be consequences the next day. I figured all of us parents were united in a battle against keggers and spiked punch at prom. It never occurred to me that sticking to my guns about alcohol would make me the odd one out.

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Jody Allard

Jody Allard is the managing editor of ParentMap. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Ozy, Good Housekeeping, espnW, Buzzfeed, and many other publications.