Under Age Laws

PeterCS wrote:

Demelza wrote:Well, I remember her from the infants and she's certainly blossomed......

It might be a poor reflection on your boy if she hadn't changed.

:D:D

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:

PeterCS wrote:

Demelza wrote:Well, I remember her from the infants and she's certainly blossomed......

It might be a poor reflection on your boy if she hadn't changed.

:D:D

True

PeterCS, no she doesn't look at all like me, thank God!

Demelza wrote:

JKLever wrote:Teach him to drink sensibly, have respect and not to go OTT.

I did that at 16 and my mum threw my stereo out of the window.

That learned me so it did.

Yes, I told him about the expression "pacing yourself" just after he'd thrown up on the way home after the first session.

"Pacing himself? Let's see - had he thrown up, or wet his pants?

Demelza wrote:

Zat wrote:Dem, It's not bout banning the sales to under 25s, it's about asking for ID if you look under 25. Mrs Zat works in retail, and with the fines for selling fags and knives to under agers being immense, her employers have the same policy in place.

Most women are actually flattered to be asked, especially if they're 26 or 27, says Mrs Z.

Okay, tonight I was working at Morrison's petrol station. A bloke came in asking for cigs. I knew his brother from when I was a teaching assistant so I knew he wasn't much older than him..... He didn't look over 25 so I asked him for ID (as we have all been told to do. I can be fined £5,000) and he had no ID. I had to refuse sale just because he looks under 25.
He is in fact 20.....2 years older than the age limit for buying fags.
How stupid is that?

Well, if you know (as opposed to guessing) how old someone is, then it would be a bit stupid.

Mind you, I used to occasionally indulge at a watering hole prior to turning 18, the first time I was actually asked for ID there was a week after my 18th birthday. They threw me out for beating the system for several previous months.

Have you taught him the "get wasted, find the greasiest, nastiest, kebab possible, puke, and then carry on drinking" technique?

He'll get nowhere without that. Knowledge is power.

Pacing yourself takes a while. Still, I'm getting there. Only sick four times so far this year. And on of those I don't count. Result.

I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Not really. People keep falling over themselves to give them to you these days. Especially at school and college, where most of them get blown up and float around and the teachers pretend not to notice. Except when the headteacher hilariously expresses her displeasure during assembly.

Winkle Spinner wrote:Not really. People keep falling over themselves to give them to you these days. Especially at school and college, where most of them get blown up and float around and the teachers pretend not to notice. Except when the headteacher hilariously expresses her displeasure during assembly.

I remember that Sex Ed lesson when we had to put condoms of fake penises. I don't think I have laughed so much in my life.

Demelza wrote:I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Yeah, I also remember my mum searching through my school blazer and finding them whilst I was in the same room.

PearlJ wrote:I remember that Sex Ed lesson when we had to put condoms of fake penises. I don't think I have laughed so much in my life.

Well, in my experience, that never stops being funny!

Yes, good times. The small sickly kid was so upset by the whole thing he turned green and left the room. And there was one black one that the black kid threatened to throw a wobbly if he didn't get given. All very droll.

Demelza wrote:

PearlJ wrote:I remember that Sex Ed lesson when we had to put condoms of fake penises. I don't think I have laughed so much in my life.

Well, in my experience, that never stops being funny!

So you stock a variety of fake penises?

JKLever wrote:

Demelza wrote:I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Yeah, I also remember my mum searching through my school blazer and finding them whilst I was in the same room.

That made me cringe!

Zat wrote:

Demelza wrote:

PearlJ wrote:I remember that Sex Ed lesson when we had to put condoms of fake penises. I don't think I have laughed so much in my life.

Well, in my experience, that never stops being funny!

So you stock a variety of fake penises?

Doesn't everyone?

JKLever wrote:

Demelza wrote:I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Yeah, I also remember my mum searching through my school blazer and finding them whilst I was in the same room.

When my mother found mine, I told her, all wide-eyed-and-innocent-like, that I'd bought them from a vending machine, thinking they were chewing gum and wondered why it tasted like rubber...

She didn't believe me, but she never said anything else.

PeterCS wrote:

Demelza wrote:

JKLever wrote:Teach him to drink sensibly, have respect and not to go OTT.

I did that at 16 and my mum threw my stereo out of the window.

That learned me so it did.

Yes, I told him about the expression "pacing yourself" just after he'd thrown up on the way home after the first session.

"Pacing himself? Let's see - had he thrown up, or wet his pants?

A most valid point Peter!

Zat wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Demelza wrote:I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Yeah, I also remember my mum searching through my school blazer and finding them whilst I was in the same room.

When my mother found mine, I told her, all wide-eyed-and-innocent-like, that I'd bought them from a vending machine, thinking they were chewing gum and wondered why it tasted like rubber...

She didn't believe me, but she never said anything else.

My old man, gave me my first packet. Problem was they were out of date...

I wasn't sure how to act.

Demelza wrote:

Zat wrote:Dem, It's not bout banning the sales to under 25s, it's about asking for ID if you look under 25. Mrs Zat works in retail, and with the fines for selling fags and knives to under agers being immense, her employers have the same policy in place.

Most women are actually flattered to be asked, especially if they're 26 or 27, says Mrs Z.

Okay, tonight I was working at Morrison's petrol station. A bloke came in asking for cigs. I knew his brother from when I was a teaching assistant so I knew he wasn't much older than him..... He didn't look over 25 so I asked him for ID (as we have all been told to do. I can be fined £5,000) and he had no ID. I had to refuse sale just because he looks under 25.
He is in fact 20.....2 years older than the age limit for buying fags.
How stupid is that?

You did what you had to do to protect your job

holcs wrote:

Zat wrote:

JKLever wrote:

Demelza wrote:I'm almost glad I'm this age now.....

Do you remember buying your first packet of condoms?

Yeah, I also remember my mum searching through my school blazer and finding them whilst I was in the same room.

When my mother found mine, I told her, all wide-eyed-and-innocent-like, that I'd bought them from a vending machine, thinking they were chewing gum and wondered why it tasted like rubber...

She didn't believe me, but she never said anything else.

My old man, gave me my first packet. Problem was they were out of date...

I wasn't sure how to act.

Naturally?

Basil wrote:[You did what you had to do to protect your job

I know. Just seems a little OTT to me.

Demelza wrote:

Winkle Spinner wrote:Like that'll do any good. Fake IDs are so easy to get. So are friends who are 18. If they want to get drinking of the streets, let 16 year olds into pubs. Only pubs for 16 year olds, obviously, we don't want them being obnoxious in our pubs. But trying to stop it just isn't going to work.

So what's the solution then?
My 16 year old, shortly to be 17 at the end of this month, is getting into the swing of going to the beach with his mates on a Friday night now, where one of the mums regularly buys one of them a whole load of cans and bottles of cider and they have a kitty. What can be done about that?

No easy answer: Being the strict mother and saying he can't drink alcohol won't work because there are clearly ways for him to obtain booze anyway.

If you have done a good job as a mum ( and I am sure you have) he will not be a stranger to alcohol - by that I mean, the odd glass of wine with meals and maybe the occasional swig out of your can of lager will do no harm and will de-mystify the appeal of alcohol.

He will get it wrong sometimes, - he will come home, occasionally, smashed out of his face - it's a part of growing up. But if you have done a decent job as a parent, he will grow out of it.

My brother became an alcoholic in his late 20's. He always said it was because my parents didn't drink and there was never alcohol in the house and it became this huge mystery for him; made him want to have it even more....so I've always been very aware of that and made sure my son was allowed to have it, here and there, like you said the occasional glass of wine etc. I'm hoping he'll be like me, rather than my brother, as it is a big fear. There's a huge "drinking culture" in Newquay.

Demelza wrote:My brother became an alcoholic in his late 20's. He always said it was because my parents didn't drink and there was never alcohol in the house and it became this huge mystery for him; made him want to have it even more....so I've always been very aware of that and made sure my son was allowed to have it, here and there, like you said the occasional glass of wine etc. I'm hoping he'll be like me, rather than my brother, as it is a big fear. There's a huge "drinking culture" in Newquay.

That's because it's where all the tweenagers go to get their first taste of White Lightning.

Demelza wrote:My brother became an alcoholic in his late 20's. He always said it was because my parents didn't drink and there was never alcohol in the house and it became this huge mystery for him; made him want to have it even more....so I've always been very aware of that and made sure my son was allowed to have it, here and there, like you said the occasional glass of wine etc. I'm hoping he'll be like me, rather than my brother, as it is a big fear. There's a huge "drinking culture" in Newquay.

You've done the right thing - take the mystery out of it. You can't control your boy 24/7 - he will make mistakes. There comes the time (like now maybe) when you have to trust his innate intelligence.