According to a new study, one in four moms believe it’s A-okay to let young kids taste alcohol. The rationale behind this surprisingly common belief is simple: Get rid of the “forbidden fruit” appeal of drinking by letting kids taste alcohol early in life. But the study's researchers warn that trying alcohol at a young age is actually a risk factor for teenage problem drinking.

Conducted by RTI International and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the four-year study looked at parenting practices that affected children’s opportunities to try alcohol. It also sought to learn about parents’ beliefs and attitudes towards lettings kids taste alcohol at an early age. The findings, just published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, reveal:

• At least 25 percent of moms say allowing their kids to sip alcohol would discourage their kids’ curiosity in it.
• 40 percent of moms feel that not allowing kids to taste alcohol would only increase the appeal of drinking.
• 22 percent of moms believe that kids who sip alcohol at home with their parents would be better at resisting pressure to try alcohol.
• 26 percent of moms believe that letting their kids taste alcohol would make their kids less likely to experiment with risky drinking in middle school.
• 33 percent of kids in the study have tasted beer, wine or other alcohol.

“These findings indicate that many parents mistakenly expect that the way children drink at home, under parental supervision, will be replicated when children are with peers,” said Christine Jackson, PhD, a social ecologist at RTI International and the lead author of the study. “More research is needed to understand how parents acquire these ideas to understand the relationship between early sipping and alcohol use in adolescence.”

While there's a lack of extensive research on the actual effects of early sipping on adolescence, many experts believe it's best not to offer your kid that sip of wine at the dinner table. Still, it's clear that many parents do, sometimes due to religious practice—often not. Have you let your underage kid taste, say, wine or beer? Do you know other parents who have? What do you think about this practice? Let us know in the comments below! 

Letting Children Sip: Understanding Why Parents Allow Alcohol Use by Elementary School-aged Children