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'Aussies bring a 6 pack': Mum speaks out on R18+ kids party practice

"Until last year, I would have said there's no problem with it."

Image: Hannah Cross TikTok
Image: Hannah Cross TikTok

A woman asked whether it's "normal" for adults to have a "drinking session" at a child's birthday party, and the response has been varied.

Australian Hannah Cross shared a clip where she wanted to talk about the practice of parents bringing "a six-pack [of alcohol]" to kids' parties, with the intention of turning the event into an adults' social celebration.

Her questions sparked an intense debate.

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'We're here to get on the piss'

Hannah asked, "Do you think drinking at children's birthday parties is normal?

"And I'm not just talking about a couple of beers at the barbeque, I'm talking about people that genuinely like a couple of bottles of wine, catch an Uber over...

"Like, 'We're here to get on the piss'. And then it eventually turns into a sesh, and either the kids leave or go to bed, and it's turned into a drinking occasion - it's no longer a children's birthday party."

Hannah added, "I know that a lot of people use any social event as an excuse for drinking because 'we earned it'. But I would be interested to hear how many do this? What do you think is a normal limit?

"Until last year, I would have said there's no problem, but the more that I learn about alcohol, the effects on your mind and the effects on children - what you're training them to do - when they're two or three and running around and you're on the piss with your friends."

Hannah concluded: "I think it's a conversation that needs to be had."

Mum asks if it's normal to plan a drinking session at a kid's birthday party

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"Drinking is normal, I live in Australia"

Viewers of Hannah's clip responded to her questions in a very divided comments section.

"Yes, it’s normal, I live in Australia," one said, but other Aussies disagreed that made it acceptable, and questioned the drinking culture.

Others didn't see a problem, with this viewer writing, "Kids party until 4pm then it’s the adults time to relax and unwind, what’s the issue?"

Many identified a clear distinction between a couple of drinks over a few hours, and a dedicated drinking session.

"I had a few drinks after my bubba's first birthday party was finished and he was in bed. I celebrated my first year of motherhood. I didn’t get blind though," shared one mum.

But some took a strict approach, with this viewer saying, "Honestly, I have a rule that if my kids are around everyone is to be 100 percent sober, not a drop. Their birthday party should be only about them not about pointless drinking just because."

Where do you sit on the topic of drinking at kids' parties? Tell us in the comments on Facebook.

Originally published as 'Aussies bring a 6 pack': Mum speaks out on R18+ kids party practice

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/aussies-bring-a-6-pack-mum-changes-her-mind-on-r18-party-practice/news-story/3ff7d3da39b708979fadadf079a33296