LilSugar

Have You Ever Taken a Photo of Your Child With Booze?

babysugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:00:43 -0700

It's Labor Day weekend, and I have a feeling many a baby will be propped on the lawn chair with a cold one resting next to him while his parents snap away. If it's hot enough, mama might even put him in the cooler for a quick ice down. Moms and dads who don't condone children drinking or even wearing gear promoting the alcoholic substances may find posing the babe next to a bottle of booze harmless. What's your opinion?

Do You Hope Your Child Inhales Instead of Drinks?

babysugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

If you had to pick between two vices for your child, would you rather he take a toke of marijuana or guzzle a beer or two? That is the question many moms are debating these days. As alcohol related deaths continue to make headline news, many pot proponents are advocating the legalization of the leafy drug to help curb the use of alcohol. In the book Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?, the authors make the argument that the effects of the illegal substance are less harmful than those of alcohol.

To see what both sides argue, read more.

A forbidden drug, marijuana is often blamed for memory loss and the lack of motivation. Alcohol, which is legal on the other hand, can be faulted for a plethora of problems: cirrhosis, alcohol poisoning, reckless driving and domestic abuse. Cannabis supporters claim that the herbal treat mellows the user and has medical benefits as compared to the liquid toxins. And if legalized, the authors believe it will drive people to drink less and inevitably cause the related deaths and abuse to decline as well. The opposing camp believes when more substances are available for abuse, the more people will misuse them. They say adding pot to the mix is only going to encourage people to drink and smoke.

Since the grass (har har) is always greener, it begs the question: If pot becomes legal and everything else remains the same, would things change for the better? I can see it now... a wedding buffet with a hashish bar and hookahs at the table. The Temptations' "Shout" may not get quite the same excitement as a circle of people singing "Kumbaya."

Beer Hats: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:01 -0700

We are raising a nation of mini mes. Children accompany their parents to bars and some moms and dads don't mind if their tots take a swig or two from a beer. But, what about alcoholic apparel - would you put a Budweiser cap on your baby?

When Victoria Beckham and her six-year-old cutie, Romeo, were spotted at LAX recently, the boy carried a teddy bear and sported a trucker hat that had a patch for the "Beer Appreciation Society DOM NYC." on it. What's your opinion of the accessory?

Does Motherhood Drive Women to Drink?

LilSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:28 -0700

Crayons, check. Puzzles, check. Chilled Pinot Grigio, check. Mamas may wish to hold onto pieces of their pre-baby lives with a cocktail here and there, but the phenomenon of the spiked playdate or daily "wine-o'clock" drink seems to be more common.

The stress – felt by both working and stay-at-home moms – to be the perfect parent has led to women confessing their mommy moments which often include a drink or two before the lil ones hit the hay. Forty-six percent of lilsugar readers recently admitted to driving their kids after casually drinking, while Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, told her fans that she was sobering up after realizing that she was drinking two, three or even more cocktails while home with her children. According to the New York Times, "better-educated women are more likely to drink than less-educated ones; so are women employed outside the home versus those who stay at home."

Do you think motherhood is driving women to drink, or are women just being more open about it than before?

Do Parents Try Too Hard to Maintain Their Pre-Baby Lives?

LilSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:00:54 -0700

Having a baby changes your life, but are some parents more willing to accept that than others? Mamas love to joke about aging faster than their childless counterparts and their lack of time for themselves, while their friends without lil ones running around just nod their heads in agreement.

In a recent essay in the New York Post, a "non-breeder" wrote about her decision to live life childless and her resentment of how society judges her. She suggested that many women seem to have children because they want to please someone else and they aren't ready to abandon their pre-baby lives for their offspring. She said:

“When people insist on having a kid but refuse to accept any of the sacrifices that go along with doing so, they're being selfish while trying to pass themselves off as saintly just for reproducing."

Last year a Park Slope bar had to put up a sign banning strollers from their premises after they became overrun by parents bringing their tots into the joint while they enjoyed a drink. Do you think parents are trying too hard to maintain their pre-child lives after welcoming additions to their families?

Have You Ever Driven Your Kids After Drinking?

LilSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:00:31 -0700

A beer at the ballgame, a blended cocktail to cool off by the pool or a glass of wine with dinner. Lots of moms indulge in a spirit, two or a few in the company of their children. Saying cheers and knocking cups at a family get together or night out amongst friends is not unheard of and neither is loading the kids in the car and driving home afterward. Have you ever casually drank and then driven your offspring?

Mommy Dearest: Parents Encouraged Beer Swigging Child

LilSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:09 -0700

Mommy Dearest,

On the Fourth of July we were sitting at the park waiting for the fireworks to begin when the families on a nearby blanket set up their picnic. One child who was no more than four-years-old started whining and said he wanted a beer instead of his juice box. His whimpers quickly became a full blown temper tantrum and though the mom refused to hand over the bottle, the dad gave in and opened the beverage! The boy took a few swigs and began screaming when his parents tried to take it away. To make matters worse, the father and his friends began snapping photos of the kid drinking, which undoubtedly egged him on. In the end, I think he drank about four or five ounces of the alcohol. I was in disbelief and wanted to call the police, but wasn't sure what to do. Am I overreacting?

– Teetotaling Mommy

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Teetotaling Mommy,

The drinking age in the United States is 21 so what you witnessed was against the law. While a child mistaking a beer for another beverage and taking an accidental sip is one thing, a father handing over a cold one for his preschooler to chug is quite another. Four or five ounces of alcohol is an awful lot for such a small child to drink. And, snapping photos and cheering the tot on is rather odd. I'm curious if the parents were also drinking? In any event, I think it's fair to step in and say something or contact authorities when you believe a child's well-being is in danger and this may have been such a case.

-Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar.

Boozing For Expectant Moms – Sans Alcohol

LilSugar — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0700

What's not to celebrate when you're pregnant? While some mums-to-be indulge every once in a while, others are more wary and don't even indulge in alcoholic foods.

For pregnant women with a barbecue bash, bridal shower or just an evening with friends on the calendar, two new books filled with non-alcoholic drink recipes may shake up your beverage of choice. Zero Proof Cocktails ($14) is filled with100 recipes for nonalcoholic aperitifs, mocktails, martinis, infusions and wine alternatives, such as the Raspberry Razzletini and Strawberry White Sangria. Preggatinis ($12) includes fresh juices, herbs and garnishes in its recipes for moms-to-be, many with fun names like the Folic Fizz and the Mamarita.

Just because you aren’t indulging in a night of drunken debauchery, doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun yourself.

For the Preggatinis recipe for Mamarita, read more.

Mamarita
From Preggatinis by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen

Ingredients

1 ounce agave nectar
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice
3 ounces organic limeaid
1 lime wheel
rimming salt

Directions
Rim a margarita glass and set aside. Stir agave nectar and lemon juice in the bottom of a mixing glass until nectar dissolves. Add orange juice, limeaid, and ice, then shake vigorously. Strain into the margarita glass, and serve with a lime wheel on the rim.

Print recipe with images | without images

Men Should Watch Alcohol Consumption Before Conception

LilSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:42 -0700

A drunken night on the town or romantic dinner over a good bottle of wine may seem like the perfect precursor to an evening of baby-making, but men might want to think again before pouring another cocktail. A man's sperm count can be directly affected by toxic chemicals, including alcohol. According to the Mayo Clinic, only 50 to 70 percent of a man's sperm are healthy enough to fertilize an egg. When alcohol and tobacco are added to that mix the number of healthy sperm decrease significantly.

It said:

Heavy drinking may reduce the quality and quantity of sperm. Limit alcohol to no more than one or two drinks a day. The combination of tobacco and alcohol is particularly harmful.

So if you and your partner are actively trying to conceive, it may be time to reduce the number of drinks you both consume each week. There's no harm in a little early prep work for once the baby arrives.

Source

Do You Eat Alcoholic Foods While Pregnant?

LilSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Penne a la vodka, cozze, beer-battered shrimp and Jack Daniels marinated steaks - all foods that women don't think twice about ordering, unless perhaps, they are pregnant. Most recipes that involve wine, beer or liquor burn off the alcohol in the cooking process, but sometimes expectant mamas are still wary. A recent trip to the grocery store landed me in the ice cream aisle where I came across Ciao Bella's Blackberry Cabernet Sorbetto. Wine and sorbet sounded like the suitable solution for a mama-to-be who isn't comfortable downing a glass of vino, but not all ladies would be willing to give it a try. Do you have concerns about eating foods made with alcohol while pregnant?