# Alcohol

**Should we let our teen drink alcohol at home?**

What you allow around alcohol: none until the legal age, small sips on occasion, supervised drinking at home, or permissive with safety rules.

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Zero tolerance until legal age; Sips on special occasions; Supervised drinking at home; Permissive with safety rules. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: teen.

- Area: The teen years
- Evidence: Evidence leans one way
- Best settled: Teen
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/the-teen-years--alcohol

## Alcohol: what are the options?

1. **Zero tolerance until legal age**: The teen may not drink at all until the legal age.
2. **Sips on special occasions**: The teen may taste alcohol at family celebrations.
3. **Supervised drinking at home**: The teen may drink at home with you present.
4. **Permissive with safety rules**: The teen may drink, with rules such as never driving.

## Alcohol: what does the evidence say?

**Evidence leans one way.** Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. (Leans clearly toward no supply)

Parental supply showed no protective effect; drinking before 15 raises later risk

Sources:

- [NIAAA](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking)

## What else is worth knowing?

Some parents hope that allowing a little alcohol at home teaches moderation. Research does not support that; teens given alcohol by parents tend to drink more, not less. Rules about never driving after drinking stand apart from the rest.

## Questions to ask each other

- What was our own experience with alcohol as teens?
- What do we want our teen to do at a party where there is drinking?
- How will we model our own drinking?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=the-teen-years&topic=the-teen-years--alcohol