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Forbidden Fruit
"He thinks that by introducing me to alcohol and talking to me about it will take away the 'forbidden fruit' appeal."
By Caitlin Grey
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For many parents, bringing up the subject of alcohol is no easy matter. Youth Radio’s Caitlin Grey’s dad adopted a new (and somewhat unorthodox) approach to introducing his 16-year-old daughter to alcohol.
When I was little my biggest battle with my parents was getting them to let me watch movies with them on Saturday nights. But now that I’m 16, my parents have a lot more to shield me from than Jack Nicholson’s bare behind.
Whenever something “inappropriate” would come on, my parents would mute it, throw me a blanket, and I’d cover my eyes till the scene was over. But honestly, the blanket just made me want to see what I was missing even more.
Now that I’ve gotten older, my dad’s concerned about everything from sex to driving and especially, alcohol. And he knows he won’t always be there to protect me. So he’s adopted a new parenting philosophy. He thinks that by introducing me to alcohol and talking to me about it will take away the “forbidden fruit” appeal.
Now I’m a lot less tempted to sneak out or lie to my parents about alcohol at all. And although my parents’ method of censorship kept me from knowing the “f” word, seeing people make out, or watching some intense kung fu, at age 16, it’s time for the “blankie” to come off so I can be exposed to the real world.
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