On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 16:10:41 GMT, Sylvia
> wrote:

> > Aversion therapy, you mean?
>
>Aversion therapy would be associating taking a drink with some other
>negative outcome. I'm just taking advantage of a kid's normal "yuck"
>reaction to satisfy their normal curiosity at a time when they don't
>have peers urging them to drink into unconsciousness. No doubt part of
>the conditioning is that we don't drink much so there is no "adults
>only" mystique about drinking.

So far it's working with my daughter. Now, granted she's only four
years old, but when ever my wife and I are drinking something
alcoholic we'll offer her a taste.

Took all of one taste of my bourbon and water to convince her she
wanted nothing more to do with it. She actually tried mine and my
wife's glasses of wine before deciding she wanted nothing to do with
that either. Same for beer.

If we have wine with supper I pour her a small shot type glass of it.
She's not required to drink it. It's just there if she wants it and
so far she hasn't wanted any.

We plan to continue that way. No mystique, no 'it's grown up to
drink', no curiosity. She can have a taste when she wants it. When
she gets one she doesn't want anymore.

> Likewise, my son had expressed a desire
>to try a cigarette, so I bought one from a smoker yesterday and let him
>try it. He took a nice deep puff, coughed for three minutes, and
>complained for the next half-hour how awful his mouth tasted --
>completely satisfactory from my POV. My amateur conditioning may not
>stand up to peer pressure to smoke or drink, but I've given it my best
>shot. (We also discuss why people smoke/drink/do drugs, negative
>consequences, and why peers might want to pressure them to join in.)

My grandfather broke me from wanting to smoke in a similar manner.

He smoked, but my grandmother wouldn't let him smoke in the house.
One day while we were standing outside the garage so he could smoke a
cigarette I asked him for one. I was about ten at the time and he
didn't turn a hair. Just shook out one of his unfiltered Camels for
me then handed me a kitchen match to light it. All he said was "you
gotta drag deep."

He died at the age of 84 from congestive heart failure and emphysema
brought on by a lifetime of smoking, but from the day he gave me that
cigarette I've never had any interest in them further.

> > A lot of kids sip from parents drinks. Some become alcoholics,
>others not.
>
>Other than Gary, I've NEVER heard of a child given alcohol who later
>turned into an alcoholic. Your source for this statement?

My family has had it's share of alcoholics. If there is any rhyme or
reason of why one person turned into one while others did not it's
never been apparent to me.

......Alan.


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