I think the "safety of still living with your parents" thing is really important. I remember when I was 16 and tested my beer limits, when I got home drunk and had a headache the next morning, my father talked to me like "so, how do you feel? Is it fun? Now you know your limits, I hope." No "how do you dare get drunk", just "I trust that now you know getting THAT drunk is not fun, but it is important that you experienced it, now we can talk about it - here, have something to help with the headache, welcome to being an adult". I guess that in the US, when you're 21 and probably not living at home anymore, that lack of support by your parents is quite a disadvantage.

@nox5555

Жыл бұрын

the trick is to send your kids lawnmowing the next morning.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

I so agree! I then its one of the main goals of parenting. For our children to make mistakes and try out new things and then to be able to talk through them with us and learn from them with the safety and support of their parents.

@lindaraterink6451

Жыл бұрын

@@nox5555 I love it but thats so sadistic. lol

@Sycokay

Жыл бұрын

@@nox5555 Haha, yep. My father usually found something to do for me in case I was hungover. "Wer saufen kann muß auch arbeiten können" was his motto. I learned my limits pretty fast.

Hello, I am a Canadian raised by German parents. I was fortunate to be able to travel to Germany often as I was growing up, to visit my relatives. I always loved to compare our different cultures. One of the things that always impressed me, was the openness of alcohol and sex (nudity). As many other people posted, I was allowed to try and partake of some alcoholic beverages, mainly beer and wine, at a very early age (10, I believe?). By taking the mystery away from alcohol, I feel made more sense to respect drinking than being strict and prohibiting consumption, thereby making it the forbidden fruit! Making those first encounters with alcohol at home, like having wine with a special meal for celebration or festivities, under the supervision of my parents, taught me about the proper social aspects of drinking alcohol. So later when I was out with friends, I didn't feel the need to "drink to get drunk" because I had been taught a whole different set of values. My legal drinking age at the time, in Canada (province of Ontario, at least) was 18 years old. We even had just introduced Age of Majority cards to prove we were of legal drinking age when entering any bar or establishment serving liquor. A couple of years later, it was raised to 19 and unfortunately they also scrapped the cards. I did envy my German cousins having such an open culture. I also noticed their attitudes were more respectful of drinking than those I encountered among my peers at home. Our rules regarding where we are allowed to consume alcohol are also so much more restrictive. My husband was amazed to learn that you could walk down the street drinking a beer you just picked up at a kiosk or drink while driving in a car (as long as you are not driving!). Having alcoholic drinks available everywhere like grocery stores, kiosks, markets, parks, etc., was totally mind-blowing. It almost seems to me, the harder you try to control who, what and where of alcohol, the less control you have in the end. Keep it casual, as you would with anything else that you teach your kids and they'll learn the right way to handle it. I have done the same with my four children and none of them have any problems with drinking. This has been my experience and opinion. Thanks. Prost!

@natsukiilluna6324

Жыл бұрын

I so agree with that

@analholes77

Жыл бұрын

You're allowed to drink when driving even. As long as you stay under 0.5 promille. But if police sees you probably get in trouble, cause they will stop you and let you take the blow test, and if you just took a sip the result will be over 0.5. Then they take you to a doctor, who takes a blood sample and the result will be below 0.5. So you won't get punished, but waste a lot of time.

@lynnshell78

Ай бұрын

follow canadian here we ranked 16th i thought we would be higher I think it comes down to how you are raised

I think the main difference for minors drinking, that in Germany this is seen as a parental problem, not as a legal one.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Ooo that’s an important difference.

@marianne9317

Жыл бұрын

Oooh, yes! Same here in Norway. If the police were to catch you drunk, they drive you home or makes sure you're safe and let the parents know. If it's consistent, maybe child protective services or the school would be notified. No legal trouble.

@eddavanleemputten9232

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife - Agree. In Belgium, if a kid is drunk, authorities will contact the parents. As long as you’re a minor, in the majority of infractions, parents are legally responsible and held accountable. If problems repeat themselves and/or add up, the authorities will take on both the parents and the child(ren). My daughter is 18 and I see two main attitudes towards drinking. One is “don’t make it a taboo, teach them it’s part of life but to handle things responsibly” and the other is “no alcohol until the age of 16/18 (depending on the parents). Over the years I’ve seen A LOT of excesses as soon as the kid hits the age parents will allow alcohol. Kids who grew up knowing about alcohol, how to not go past a certain point, will tend to go past their limits a lot less. There is also the concept of having to have alcohol in order to he able to have fun. It’s much less of a thing in Belgium than in other countries I’ve lived and cultures I’ve been exposed to. Drinking isn’t frowned on. Being drunk is. Until not so long ago, drinking age across the board was 16. Now it’s like in Germany: at 16 you can have unfortified/undistilled alcoholic drinks. From 18 years onwards, all alcoholic drinks are legal. There is no regulation that I know of regarding alcohol consumption inside the home. I’m not saying kids in Belgium won’t think alcohol/getting drunk is a necessary ingredient to letting their hair down, having fun, etc. There definitely is a contingent that does. Lots of youths however will simply enjoy a few drinks and leave it at that. Or get slightly drunk and secure a ride before even starting. Perhaps that’s also because in Belgium, you can get fined for being intoxicated in public places even when you’re not driving a car. Even pedestrians can get fined. People serving alcohol, whether it’s in a professional setting or a private one, can get into serious trouble if they don’t cut off someone who is intoxicated and you keep serving them. If the intoxicated person gets into an accident that involves loss of life or injury, the person serving the alcohol can even face a prison sentence. It’s rare but it happens. Specifically my daughter: she started sampling sips from my glass from the age of around 12, sporadically (I’m not a big or frequent drinker). That graduated towards the occasional half glass with dinner at family get togethers or as an apéritif before those dinners. At 16, she was almost always offered (but NEVER pushed to!) wine, beer, cider or mead (I’m a home brewer) when others at a gathering were having some. Granted, there weren’t many gatherings because of the pandemic, but still. She was, simply put, treated as one of the group albeit that all (older) adults were aware of her being at the very beginning of legal drinking age and there’d always be someone mentioning that it was just an offer and that there was a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages available. Occasionally I’d gently tell her she was responsible for her own intake. I think that is a very important point: making your child aware of their responsibility and the consequences of their own actions. “No compassion if you get a hangover or make a fool of yourself” is a big element. The result of this approach, given my daughter’s personality and overall education, is that she does enjoy alcoholic drinks, doesn’t like the feeling of loss of self-control even light intoxication gives her, doesn’t enjoy seeing her friends get very drunk, and sticks to 1-2 drinks, preferably with a meal, over the course of an entire evening. She’ll alternate between alcohol and other drinks over an event (if for example a get together starts at 11am and lasts well into the night) and remains in full control of herself at all times. Best summed up her philosophy towards alcohol consumption is “alcohol for the flavour of the drink itself, other drinks for thirst”. I know from friends who were at events my daughter was at (reported by elder siblings of friends’ kids etc) that she doesn’t succumb to peer pressure either. If she feels she needs to, she’ll call me or another trusted adult to come pick her up wherever she is. That’s very reassuring and I’ll never penalise her for doing so. On the contrary: I’ll reward her for it.

@chrstiania

Жыл бұрын

​@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife the most important aspect about having no legal problems: if a bunch of 14/15 year old are drinking and it does get out of hand and someone actually requires help, no one will hesitate to call an ambulance or police. I could imagine that's different in the US, where even 20 year olds would have to consider the legal repercussions of calling 911, not only for the person needing help but for everyone else involved in the underaged drinking occasion

@metapolitikgedanken612

Жыл бұрын

I recall in Germany one could buy legally a beer at age 16, but high-percentage liquor only from 18. They sold this even at filling stations, which I don't think is too great an idea.

What I learned from an exchange with English students in the 1980s. The English culture was not as open regarding sex education. After that exchange, we stayed in touch with some of the British students and over the course of that time we heard of many teenage pregnancies (not related to their visit in Germany 😅). However in my German school I only remember 1 girl who got pregnant. Conclusion I learned: it is important to be open about everything and teach kids, teenagers about all aspects of life.

@MartinAmbrosiusHackl

Жыл бұрын

The same with my experience in Rhineland: There was only one girl at my school that I know from, who got pregnant before 20. And she had an abusivr father who she fled very early.

@heinzmack4569

Жыл бұрын

@@MartinAmbrosiusHackl and

I'm a recovered alcoholic. My family started pushing alcohol onto me from the age of 13ish. I was that weird anxious kid that never fit in and never understood or liked other people. When we had big family gatherings my aunts and uncles would give me sweet hard liquor to loosen up and be more fun to be around. My father drinks on a daily base and he treated it as a common interest that connects us. In 12+13th grade I was constantly hungover or still drunk. It got better when I left school and started my Ausbildung, but after that it spiraled out of control. I was still depressed and had anxiety (still have, officially diagnosed know) and the only way to cope with that was to drink. How can you prevent your children from turning into me me? Take them seriously. If they are depressed, scared, anxious, acknowledge these feelings and don't tell them there's nothing do be scared of. Don't push them to drink. You wouldn't try to make them smoke either. Keep an eye on when and why they drink. With friends by the lake enjoying the summer or alone at home in their bedroom. It all sums up to treating you child as a real person and accepting them the way they are and to help them with their struggles in life.

@thatguy8869

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you recovered. 👍

@ginafromcologne9281

Жыл бұрын

It's horrible what you went through, by your own family. :( Who treats a child like that? Some people don't deserve children, but you deserved so much better. You should be so proud of yourself that you still managed to recover, I am proud of you too!!!

@brianoyler706

Жыл бұрын

@dude988.... from your history I ask whether your family members who were pushing alcohol on you also had alcohol pushed on them as minors.....if it is a generational issue, I have concerns. Do you have children? If so, I hope you are not doing to them what your family did to you.

Interesting video thanks. I am a Brit living in Munich and married to a German lady. We discussed about this video and are both of the opinion that there are other things that are possibly more significant to the higher alcoholism rate in the USA (i.e. more significant than different drinking ages). We think that the different social systems have a significant impact - the social system in Germany is so much better at taking care of the less well off people, eg they don't need to worry about paying for healthcare or about being unemployed as they know that the government will take care and support them to a degree, whereas its very different in the US as you guys have reported in various videos (also Feli), and its often people under these hardship conditions that are so much more stressed and may turn to alcohol. So we think that is probably more significant in explaining the higher alcoholism rates in the US. Just another opinion to throw into the mix! 🙂

@helgaioannidis9365

Жыл бұрын

I'm a counselor and I think the point you made is valid. But living in Greece I can tell you that in Greece the social welfare system is not very different from the one in the US and if you need counseling or psychotherapy you have to pay for it yourself. Being mentally ill in Greece is harsh. Still Greece has a very low alcoholism rate even though alcohol is very easily available and not expensive. Scientists assume the reason for Greece's low alcoholism rate is linked to alcohol being introduced into people's lifes connected to social gatherings, religious events, family dinners and food. So it's not something forbidden you get only when you grow up, it's not something transgressive, which would make it interesting for teens to affirm their autonomy. Interestingly addiction to gambling is a real problem in Greece.

@whattheflyingfuck...

Жыл бұрын

yeah but no ... hardship does not come from income alone - this standpoint is pretty Mammon-centric, like when your well off your done with hardships in your life, therefore earning money is key. my family was first mentioned in historic records 963 AD, and we are still on the upper side of wealth a thousand and sixty years later and from the six kids my grandparents on the paternal side had 4 are functioning alcoholics. luckily not my side of the lineage, but sadly 2 of my uncles and 2 of my aunts. wealth does not make you lucky but I see that the combination of poverty and not being educated well may play a big role in alcoholism

Belgian here. A quick search tells me we have the same rules as Germany when it come to public consumption and purchase. For consumption at home, there is no law. My first experience with alcohol was at the age of 11. We were on a school trip and where we stayed, with the meal, they served some brown craft beer (

@daniby9894

Жыл бұрын

Italian here, and I totaly associate with what you wrote.

I grew up in the 90s, like Feli in a big Bavarian City, but my experience was a bit different. My friends didn‘t start drinking until 16, and though there were some excesses, nobody ever had to go to the Hospital or something. I actually liked neither the taste nor the effect, so I was designated driver from day one and, now in my fourties, have never started drinking any alcohol. But I still thought my German friends had more fun and dignity left than for example the English Teens I met. Being clumsy drunk at a Party at 16 is one thing… but being a University Student at 19 (UK) or 21 (US) and going to the Woods to just drink uncontrollably somehow always felt more pathetic to me.

I remember traveling with my grandparents and cousin to Menorca/Spain when I was 14 and both kids saw the bar and went "woah! so many colourful drinks! We want to try them!" and our grandma actually bought every drink we wanted to try. She was of the opinion that we should test things out and understand our limits when the adults could actually see us and intervene instead of doing it in secret somewhere and unsupervised. You can't really stop it if the kid is hellbent on drinking alcohol, she said. It was fine until I got the great idea to try vodka-cola right before our flight home. I was a very drunk kid and don't really remember our flight back - or the 4 hours of waiting at the airport. My mother was so livid 😂 But all in all they all agreed that if they allow us to try stuff, we'll know our limits when we can legally buy the stuff and drink unsupervised.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

What a good story to share! So did having that experience indeed help you to learn your limits?

@juergenwolf5476

Жыл бұрын

Her the same , or close to that . My father wanted to keep us from drinking and smoking . It helped to know the limits .😅

@jassidoe

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Yes, I think so. I remember only one occasion where I failed to stop drinking before I got wasted. And that is when I drank a type of alcohol I never tried before. Usually, I know the signs of "drink more and you will have a hangover" etc. pretty well. I don't endorse drinking alcohol, but if you do, you should know how to do it responsibly and know your limits. That way everyone can enjoy a nice evening :)

@thatguy8869

Жыл бұрын

Great video - been waiting for this topic for a while. When I was 22 my parents and five of my aunts and uncles took me with them to an island where one of my uncles had a second vacation home. My 24 year old brother was supposed to come with me on this trip but he chickened out and left me hanging. The eight of us were all drinking on this trip, but seems like I was the one who stayed the most sober. It was rather funny watching the older generation get lit up. A few years down the road I started drinking alcoholically and eventually recovered. One day about a week before Christmas I woke up and I just knew that no matter what else happened, I didn't want to drink. I didn't make the decision; the decision made me. I'm very lucky I didn't kill someone while driving drunk. Different cultures have different laws and norms that make them more or less susceptible to alcoholism (or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, etc). But someone having or not having one of these problems is another issue.

@daniby9894

Жыл бұрын

Now, one thing that european parents don't do is making minors binge drink at a bar in order to learn their limits! No wonder your laws are so strict!

I' m an older native German and my son is now in his mid twentees so I could share my owen experiences from way back in the 1960tees and the ones of my son right after the new Millenium have started. From my point of view Felie naild the point with her remark about the different kind of relationship between Teenagers in Europe towards their parents (more of an counselor kind than about hirachy) and the often times more hirachy Kind of relationship in the US. Kids regardles of the society they are born through will watch their parents more than we are aware of and they will quickly spot our double standards (telling the one Thing but doing it another way) and with this in mind you will have a hard time to demand one way and behaving the other. As with other human things we have to be honest with oureself and espacialy with our teanage kids.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Great points. Yes kids are so good at pointing out our double standards, and good for them! They help us to become better people IF we listen and choose to be humble.

I was the son of a Canadian Army member who was posted to northern Germany(Westphalia) at age 16. Drinking laws at that time were pretty open and drinking in gasthofs was normal. An interesting aspect was that new kids drank excessively initially but over time, when it was no longer novel, they drew back and drinking was normalized and no longer drank and got drunk. As military and dependants we we issued ration cards which allowed taboo and beer at age 16 and hard liquor at age 18, much more mature approach than in Canada.

I wonder if the low drinking age in germany is one of the reason why the alcoholism rate is low. after all I know a lot of people in their mid 20s who are already out of their high alcohol consumtion "phase", while people in the US basically just started and at that age you can afford becoming an alcoholic and dont focus your consumtion on parties like many german young people do

@SharienGaming

Жыл бұрын

there probably are a lot of factors (like not being close to the polar circle, less pressure on people in general, medical care etc) but i would imagine that that low drinking age and the parental guidance that comes with it would contribute to more responsible use - the limited financial resources of coure help as well... its a bit of a naturally moderating factor^^

I'm a Canadian. I grew up about 1 hour away from Toronto. My parents were both immigrants from Germany and Austria. I found that compared to my friends, I thought of drinking as a much less rebellious thing, and just a normal thing to do when you got older. I also found that because I was able to be more open about it compared to my friends, I was able to manage the situation a bit better. If I knew I wanted to drink a lot I would plan for that and have safety protocols in place. Most of the time though, drinking in moderation was the way to go. I really made sure that it was my comfort level that informed my decisions in terms of drinking. I did find that some of my friends lost control more easily sometimes when they were experimenting with it. Where I didn't feel the need to experiment as much, because it was an open thing in my household. I did find that my friends and I made sure to take care of each other, similar to Feli. The drinking age in Ontario is 19, but younger teens get alcohol pretty easily from older siblings, stealing from parents etc. A lot of Euro immigrant families like mine allowed moderate drinking. (I could have radlers, for example)

Collaborations are always so refreshing, to see new creators and watching their view.

@ratzundruebe

Жыл бұрын

I want to see more of this content to be honest.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Oh good to know you like them! They always seem to get fewer views on many other channels so I was nervous to do one.

@Danisachan

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Oh don't be! This was really fun! :D

@ratzundruebe

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife you is doing a great job. go on and don´t stop. btw, it isn´t a job! it is your live! make it!

I grew up in Germany. My parents were doctors. Alcohol was part of our every day life. When I was 7 I got watered down red wine. I certainly got offered any alcohol by the time I was 14. I never got drunk, didn’t feel the need, even during parties. My children grew up in New Zealand and I did the same thing my parents did with me. My three children are all sensible consumers of alcohol; NZ has a terrible drinking culture and rate of alcoholism, especially in the South of the countries. I just wouldn’t make a big deal of alcohol and show them normalised drinking.

I grew up with the alcohol culture in Germany and in retrospektive my parents strategy with alcohol was relaxed and successful as I learned to drink responsibly I have never been really drunk in my life. It was normal to see my parents and grandparents drink growing up. A beer for dinner or a glass of wine was a relatively regular occurrence and especially at family gatherings so it was never a taboo. I got my first glass of alcohol on new years eve at age 11 from my grandpa a glass of champagne. I didn't like the taste and after that it was only at a wedding or something similar I was allowed to have one glass for a toast always with my parents there. At 13 I was allowed to have a radler at dinner at family gatherings. At 14 I got my first alcohol in public also at family gatherings with my parents there. After 14 I drank more regularly but my parents always told me eat something first and you never drink on your own. When I say more regularly it is 1 radler at dinner on a Saturday evening. At 16 it got even more relaxed especially regarding gatherings with friends it was normal to drink beer or wine at a birthday party but I never had the desire to get drunk. I think it is because alcohol wasn't this new thing that I was allowed to do I had had it and getting drunk just for the purpose of getting drunk seemed useless to me. Why would I make myself miserable the next day. My parents alway knew when I went to a party they always stayed up till I got home and I had no secrets from them regarding drinking or smoking. When we went to a public festival or club they always offered to pick us up afterwards. 12 was my curfew but if I talked to them beforehand I could stay later. They'd even pick me up at 2am. I didn't have to sneak out once because I knew my parents would allow me to go. If it was legal I could do it regarding drinking and curfew. Hard liquor started to become more of a topic after 16 but it was one shot or two and I learned my limits. At 18 I had tried all things regarding alcohol so the only new thing was that I could by it and that had never been a challenge before because if I asked and gave a reason my parents would buy it for me even before 18. Another thing was that I got my drivers license at 18 with that came more freedom because our parents didn't have to pick us up anymore. If we went out with friends we always decided on a designated driver beforehand. At 18 you aren't allowed to have any alcohol in your blood when driving and we stayed with that rule. If you are 21 and had your drivers license for more than two years you are allowed to have 0.5 per mille blood alcohol level but once I got to that age I didn't use it very much. My parents had rules regarding alcohol: - If it's legal you can do it - Eat before and during drinking - You can get really drunk once and afterwards you should know your limit - If you get drunk there is no pity and you still are required to do your chores and appear at meals. - You can always tell us anything My advice for you would be establish an alcohol consumption culture with your kids where it isn't a strict taboo. Make it a topic in your everyday life when shopping let them put it in the cart and look at the price when in a restaurant with the kids order alcohol to let them see that it is normal. Make it possible for them to tell you when they are going to drink something. It is better you know when they do it. Otherwise they'll do it behind your back. And don't forbid it rather let them try to have alcohol regularly when you are with them so once they are allowed to do it on their own they are already familiar with it and somewhat know their limit.

I grew up in the US to Italian parents. I had a splash of red wine in ginger ale since…..I can remember. Also at every family party/event, I could have a small glass of pro secco if wanted. I usually didn’t. Same with a kid’s coffee. Warm milk with a tiny splash of espresso. I now have a 17 and 16 year olds in Germany. My German husband and I treat them the same way. They can have beer/wine with dinner since forever. They usually choose something else. My kids have been to their fair share of parties. There are kids who have a beer and kids who finish their third before some finish their first. My 17 year old will be 18 next month and friends have already asked him to buy hard stuff. He laughed and said no! Both my boys have Feli’s mentality, a beer to be social or with a meal but those who over due it are considered obnoxious. I asked if he wanted a huge party for his 18th. He said no because the drunks would ruin the mood. Instead he wants a small dinner party with only 6-8 friends even though one of his friends shared the same birthday and they considered throwing a huge bash together. We pick up our kids too at all hours if the party is far. Often it is just in our neighborhood.

I am a native German women in my fifties and my parents handled it (already) like Felis. My first drink was a small glass of white wine at a family gathering - so I was under surveillance. From that time on drinking only on festive occasions. I'm sure you know that having a glass of Sekt has a huge standing here in Germany. My husband grew up with the same introduction to alcohol. As we did it with our daughter, too.

I remember, when my daughter went on a school trip to Provence…. Most of them were 18 and even the teachers at her gymnasium were laid back enough to let them drink in moderation. They considered wine a part of experiencing the culture and just expected them to be able to take part in the sightseeing without being too wasted😂

@grandmak.

Жыл бұрын

My daughter went on a school trip to Tuscany back then and the one who got drunk the most every day was the teacher. She found that pretty disgusting.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Wow! This would be a shock for Americans! This would never be done. This aspect of our country’s cultures truly is very very different!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

@@grandmak. that would be weird to see your teacher drunk.

@Danisachan

Жыл бұрын

A good attitude I think. That is the best way. :D

@grandmak.

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife absolutely !

I grew up in Milwaukee, WI when the drinking age was 18. To me going out was more about socializing, seeing bands and listening to music than it was about drinking. We had so much fun in college going to clubs, dancing, and being with loads of other young people. Our university had an area with a vibrant night life and everyone would walk so there was no issue with drinking and driving. I couldn’t imagine what we’d have done at that age without that experience, I actually feel sorry for young people being shut out of the adult world and all the fun.

French perspective: My dad (born in '64), is French, and his grandmother gave him small amounts of wine when he was an infant. She would pour him the bottom of the glass, like a sirup, add one or two cubes of sugar, and stirr it into water. And she gave that to the kids. And the wines was just for the taste. So yeah that must have been around 1970, it's been a while, I don't think it's common practice now, but it used to be from what I know ^^

I was on the later blooming side, as well. These days, the rules and controls for bars and restaurants are somewhat stricter than 20 to 30 years ago when I was that age. However, I think it is pretty much true that learning to handle alcohol with the help of your parents is a lot better than having to find out completely on your own!

Hi, I’m a German and currently living in the USA. I grew up with that German drinking culture where it’s totally normal to drink alcohol (reasonable amounts depending on the age of course). I think drinking at my parents house and also together with my parents helped me learning about my limits when it comes to drinking. My mom always told me that it’s better to experience something like being drunk for the first time or having a bad hangover rather at home than somewhere else where I would do it secretly because I’m not allowed to do it home. It really helped me to get to know my own body and how I react to alcohol. I feel like kids that are not allowed to drink alcohol at home, overdo it as soon as they get the chance to drink (legally or illegally). I would definitely do it the same way my parents did because I feel like I know how do deal with alcohol very well and I know when it’s just enough so that it doesn’t affect me negatively in the long run.

I think the responsibility point is quite important in Germany regarding the early drinking age and culture. As Feli mentioned, we were always told to look out for each other, be responsible, my male friends walked/had to walk us girls home when we were not picked up and to this day, at 33 years, I always love it when I live in Germany and friends (even new friends) end the night “send me a message when you’re home safe” and you nearly always get a response to that with “good night” or something as acknowledgement that everyone is home safe but stayed up until they knew this is the case. Sometimes experience that in the USA, AUS or the UK but not very often. BTW: I still call my parents “mum” and “dad” 😊 and yes, teachers asked us also if they want us to use the “Sie” in school or stick to “Du”

Me havent havent worked with addicts for 20years and being a dane (we drink a lot), im pretty sure that alcoholism (while it can be genetics) is mostly due to stress, lack of social networks/friends and a lack of psychiatric care. A lot of alcoholics have a variety of diagnoses like depression, scizophrenia etc etc. Its always hard to find the single cause and if one thing led to the other or vice versa.

In Germany my mother let me sip of her wine whenever I wanted to when I was a child, even in the age of 7. I only took one sip and was satisfied. This took the whole magic forbidden-fruit-feeling away and later I never had a problem controlling alcohol.

I think it can be considered a general rule, that if you think that you have to be ashamed to talk about a topic with your parents, then there’s something not right.

I congratulate you on choosing "Feli from Germany" as a consultant for German drinking culture. So far, she has always made a very reasonable impression on me in her videos and can certainly say how young people in Bavaria approach the subject of alcohol. By the way, the earrings go perfectly with the dress.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

I’m glad you liked seeing her on our channel! She is really great, we love her channel.

My experiance with about 10 American GIs stationed in Ansbach/Germany and some locals: Right after duty the GIs started drinking beer as fast as possible to get as drunk as possible. Tipsy time were fun but then it went delirious with fighting and falling down the stairs, while the drunken Germans (me included) still knew what they said and did. I think repressive alcohol regulations lead to a more unreasonable behaving.

What a great video ! Well, you asked your followers for their experience so here we go. When I was a teenager ( which was about 55 years ago 🤭) my parents encouraged me to have a glass of wine or beer with them so I would learn the effect of alcohol within my home rather than outside. I hated the taste of alcohol back then but when I started to enjoy it at about 18 or 19 I was prepared to not drink too much. I do remember though coming home one night and locking myself into the bathroom to throw up because I had drunk too much. My father heard that, got out of bed, stood outside the bathroom door and asked " so you drank too much ? Are you ok?" and my mother woke me up the next morning before school with an Alka Seltzer. When my daughter was a teenager in her rebellious years we would fight about her going to clubs at late hours far before the legal age but never about her drinking because having watched her peers lose their self control she always knew her limit ( similar to what Feli said). I do agree that the ideal relationship between parents and kids is being able to talk things like that through and establishing a fearless atmosphere but on the other hand I don't think parents must be their kids best buddies. That's why I prefer the cuddly 'mom' and 'dad' as opposed to calling your parents by their first names. Let's be honest : parents remain the ones to bear responsibility and make decisions as long as the kids are under age so that there will always be at least a minimum of hierarchy between them. And I love it when my 46 year old daughter still calls me 'Mami'🥰.

In our school we had the option for teachers to call us "sie" at 16 (but they still used the first name). Most teachers asked us if they could still use the "du" (informal) but offered us to also call them by their first name. Most teachers felt almost like collegues at that time and it really made us put even more effort into our schoolwork. (i am from Switzerland)

I particularly appreciated the last point that teachers use the informal forms. Many of my classmates found that they feel old, but I find it very appreciative and respectful as Feli said.

@grandmak.

Жыл бұрын

I agree. It's a bit comparable to wearing a school uniform because it makes the students behave differently. If you are addressed with "Sie" by the teacher you will show a more adult behaviour.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

That was a really interesting fact - I love that teachers will do that here!

@petraw9792

Жыл бұрын

Also school is supposed to prepare you for life and figuring out when to use which form to address someone it tricky for Germans as well and needs practice.

@Alexander-dt2eq

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife you could make a short video on that subject too. how is this "informal form" culture in Germany for you coming from a you-4all-country. i struggled with US people since it is difficult to know what "distance" to keep in companies with US culture. Many german companies it is also same problem now, cause so many switched to using "Du" only - even with the boss. "You can say you to me"... sometimes it makes conversation/relationship lot more complicated by removing the distance and i feel that the german Du is a lot more Du than a YOU in the US :) if you / Sie verstehen was ich meine :)

@manub.3847

Жыл бұрын

@@Alexander-dt2eq Perhaps this is because there are 2 forms of "Du" in English: du = you; Sie (plural) = you Why keep the polite form?-> it's too easy to say "du A..." and it's harder to say "Sie A...". ;)

My drinking experience in Saxony, Germany is a bit different from Bavarian experiences, where drinking culture is much more common. within a family, it is normally normal to being allowed to take a nip of wine or beer at age of 12. But as beer is usually very bitter and wine tastes very tannin-dry, kids naturally don't like it and come at it later when they're in company of others and realize that being dizzy is an interesting feeling. The problem is that schools doesn't talk enough about alcohol or problems that come with it. It should be part of familly education but in most families it is not. I think it is important that, as alcohol is availablle everywhere in Germany, to not make alcohol a forbidden thing, because this makes it more attractive in kids eyes. And this is the key why a high overall alcohol consumption doesn't leads to alcoholism.

@wolfgangpreier9160

Жыл бұрын

We in Austria did not really have a practical age limit. It all depended on the parents, grand parents and where they went drinking. In my case i got beer even before kindergarten. I guess to „calm“ me down. Not much, mostly only a sniff or the foam, but i never knew about age limits till i was 20 something. I do not drink any alcohol since 2005, when my father - as at least 3 of his forefathers - died from liver cirrhosis induced by too much alcohol. 🤷‍♂️

@NenadTrajkovic

Жыл бұрын

good point there 👍

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Yeah it’s so important to educate kids on the dangers of it and set healthy limits.

@wolfgangpreier9160

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife Don't "protect" kids from real life. It just bites you in the Allerwertesten when they find out what they've missed.

@petraw9792

Жыл бұрын

It's not brought up in school? In NRW you visit DROBS in 8th grade with your whole class. That was already the case for me in the 90s and it's still mandatory today.

I think a few factors of alcoholism are: upbringing, state of mind and intent. :) In my family, for example, it is just the common, polite thing to drink beer and hard liquor for family gatherings. I was never a big fan because I didn't like the taste, but I was almost made fun of it for it. I never liked doing something just because everyone else was doing it, so naturally I never had a problem with alcoholism myself, although I have been drunk a handful of times in my life of course. Most often though I always liked the role of getting everyone home safely at the end of a party with friends, so everything worked out fine in those earlier wild, party days. (Especially since I had friends who were coincidentally not drinking for the sake of getting drunk either, which some are). The few cases of alcoholism I know personally (all of them way past 50y old, so grown adults) are, or were, really all a form of depression or loneliness (which I think is why a few of the former soviet states are on the list). If life in general is not treating you good right now, you are much more likely to succumb to alcoholism I think. Plus peer pressure. Which is still a big deal, but luckily it seems to mostly remain a teenager phase in Germany.

@MusikCassette

Жыл бұрын

Seams like in those cases you discribe the alcoholism is more a symptom than the main part of the Illness.

@Danisachan

Жыл бұрын

@@MusikCassette Yep I did. There are many forms of "constant drunks" but I didn't think I had to go in depth with that.

Feli did such a nice job answering ur so interisting questions!!!! luv it !!!

I always called my grandparents and parents by their first name. My father used to tell a story from a train ride with my grandma where I was age 5. There a lady asked why I call my grandma by first name and not Oma. My answer was - she is not calling me grandchild either … :-)

I'm from Bavaria. Beer is part of our culture. In my family my mother came from the Holledau from a family, that produced hop. When we ate lunch in the middle of the table stood a 0,5 l mug of "Radler", 2/3 Soda, 1/2 Lagerbeer. My mother had her own glass with the rest of the beer of the bottle (about 0,3 beer), our father and we 2 kids drank Radler. It was in that way in my childhood, as long as I remember. My mother is now 85 years old, still drives a car, no medicine, healthy. Never saw her drunken neither, nor my father. I personally drink a few alcohol, at feasts, with guests, perhaps 2 beers in a year, a little liquor. I know a family, where the kids were forbidden every single drop of alcohol until they were 18. They reminded us, when our daughter celebrated her 16th birthday with a bowl of punch, because there was some wine in it. 3 years later my daughter said to me, that she was invited to the bithday of the girl of that family, but won't go there, because she wasn't in the mood to pay such an amount of money for the drunkeness of other people. The girl collected 10 EUR of every guest to buy liquor. That girl and her friends turned out to be drunken every weekend, and not with beer, but with harder drinks. Perhaps it is better to teach the children how to handle with alcohol, than just to forbid, because forbidden apples are the best.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

From all of the stories told here I’m thinking that’s in general, true!

Disclaimer: I am in my sixties now, so I am a couple of generations ahead of you and Feli. When I grew up parents would sometimes allow you a sip of their wine or beer, if you wanted to taste it. They would NOT serve you drinks, or even at a regular basis. So I have a slight problem with the definition of "drinking". I don't consider sipping on my mother's or father's wineglass as "drinking", or even drinking regularly. To me it's like this: they would allow us to taste it under their supervision, so we don't have to go out and try to get alcohol from someone/somewhere. The appeal of drinking was definitely low, as you didn't get the feeling from your parents like you are doing something "special" or forbidden. So even when I was 16, going dancing etc. barely any of us would drink alcohol/beer when we were out, we usually opted for a coca cola (as this was usually something our parents would not have at home, except for birthdays or similar - sugary drinks). I have never been drunk in my whole life, I have been "tipsy" maybe 3 times in my life (in my thirties and once last year: I had two cocktails) but mainly because I barely drink alcohol, so I get tipsy very easily. I usually have a glass of Prosecco for my birthday and christmas and New Years. It is very rare that I have anything else over the rest of the year. I don't drink beer ever, I don't like it, and I only know that because I tasted it when I was a teenager, my father let me have a sip. As for wine I like it better, but for some reason I don't really drink wine. A bottle is just too large and it would get wasted being open and I have only a glass and then for weeks nothing, so I don't even buy it. And even with Prosecco/Sekt/Champagner I buy a "piccolo" (small bottle with 0,2l) because I would not finish a regular bottle. Same thing goes for my sister, she doesn't drink either. I believe that because we grew up without this "huge thing" over our heads, there was no "forbidden fruit" and we tried it, didn't really like it, there was also never any peer pressure, because you were allowed to drink so it really was your choice if you did or didn't, that was probably the reason why we didn't grow up to be "big" on alcohol. BUT: I did hide a sugary drink every once in a while in my closet from my parents 😉😂 I don't remember any of my friends ever being drunk or over-indulging on alcohol. Another experience I had, was when I lived in the US, first at college and later working. I realized that, to my shock, most of the college kids were drinking excessively, they also had sex often with changing partners, which was absolutely shocking to me. I shared my room with another German, a French and a girl from Boston. all four of us were not big on drinking, funny coincidence and we didn't have boyfriends at the time, so we basically were together all the time. There were also some Dutch and Danish guys at the school (sports scholarship) and they were drinking quite a lot, so I don't think being European had anything to do with the drinking or not, but it was more the guys who drank a lot, than the girls. A few though did. When I was working it was quite common to go for drinks after work, happy hour, and while I mostly only had soft drinks (coke , ginger ale, cranberry juice), I occasionally had a frozen strawberry daiquiri, but I saw that many of my co-workers would have "hard drinks" and not just one. So I realized that drinking seems to be also a cultural thing when socialising, which I had not experienced working in Germany. When I lived in Italy it was quite normal for everybody to have a small glass of red wine with their meal, but I did not see them heavily drinking. In my first time, when I was still at a language school I was with people from many countries and when we went out in the evening it became apparent that people from certain countries were drinking more than others. The Germans, French, Spanish, Swedes, Canadians and the Brazilians didn't drink a lot, while the Russians, Polish, British, Americans and Australians did drink substantially more, to the point they were intoxicated. Age-wise we were a quite well mixed group from people in their twenties to an American guy in his 70's. I was in my 40's. Working in Italy it was quite common to go for an aperitivo after work, but I rarely saw my co-workers overdue it. So in the italian culture it was definitely a social thing to go out for drinks, but not for "drinking" yourself into oblivion. I found it quite interesting to be able to live in different cultures and experiencing different things. Regarding alcohol it is my firm belief that the less alcohol is stigmatised the less likely you are to become a heavy drinker or alcoholic. HOWEVER, I think it is also important to take into consideration that some people might be genetically prone to addiction, in these cases I don't think culture and the legal age for alcohol can have any big influence. One other thing I realized, Germans - the ones in my social environment - don't drive when they had a glass of beer or wine, while in the States I saw a lot of people saying: it was just the one glass .. or: I had only two beers ... It seems that in Germany people plan ahead, like: I know I will have a drink, so I am going to use public transportation or take a cab .. while in the US it seemed to be more of a "spur of the moment" thing, like: I wasn't planning on drinking, but everybody did, so I did too, now I have to drive my car anyway. I realize of course that it is way easier in Germany to take public transportation, so this might be a factor. One other thing is the generational gap: In the past years I think drinking in teenagers has become more of a problem, I remember almost daily reading or hearing things about the misuse of alcohol in teenagers, and it was quite a shock. I think it was around 2007-ish and it was called "Komasaufen" (binge drinking) It seems to have gotten better though, I don't hear/read much about it any more, as far as I can tell this kind of misuse has become very uncool for the new generations. Good on them! Personally I don't know anyone who was ever that drunk that they ended up in hospital or became alcoholics. But as I said, I am an older generation (baby boomers) and things were probably different. So I can't say that I ever experienced anything like what Feli experienced, people having to go to a hospital or parents sanctioning a party with alcohol or you drinking. However, my parents would always give me the feeling that they trust me and also that if ever something happened I could call them, have them get me from wherever I was and not have to hide anything. But they were definitely not as chill and cool as Feli's parents apparently were/are. But I didn't grow up in Bavaria, so maybe there is also a regional and not only a generational difference. And we never had any school festivals with parents and/or alcohol present. Not sure if that is due to the generational gap or a regional thing. Sorry for the long comment. But I find your videos always very engaging, so I tend to write more.

@agn855

Жыл бұрын

Hab’s komplett gelesen. So at least you impressed a single person like me, myself & I :o)

@sabineevers5577

Жыл бұрын

I've just been reading it all too, and I am impressed as well as glad about the opportunity to learn about your many different experiences in different countries, so many habits and angles of view with regard to this subject, and such astute observations. So it was fun and very interesting to read it, (thank you!) and besides + moreover - I was sooo glad to note that there's somebody out there who writes even longer comments than I normally do 😂

Fantastic colab. thankx.

I. I‘m from Germany in the Rhineland. My mother only gave me three pieces of advice, when I was young: 1. Never drink alone! (You should make sure you‘ve got the social control by being with friends that you trust.) 2. Never drink through the day before about 6 pm (if you start the day with alcohol or use it at daytime, you easily lose control by habitualising.) 3. Never drink when you are crossed in love or lovesick! (Alcohol must never be seen as a solution - especially when you feel strong emotions, like depression, unhappiness, failure.) II. Actually in my town, alcohol was not such big deal in my youth. I think I started drinking alcohol, now and then, at parties when I was 18. Before, there was no alcohol at parties of my friends or me. But we always heard, that especially in Bavaria people drink a hell lot more than in the rest of Germany. So for me and my friends our 16th birthday was not so special as Feli experienced it. I do not remember any alcohol, then. I think it wasn‘t even a topic to us. But when about 18 or 19 I remember we started meeting with friends about two or three times, with the outright intension to get really drunk. We bought Vodka, other hard stuff and juice (to mix it) and started in the night in a small circle. III. My mother always knew about that. I never hid anything from her. My friends‘ parents also knew, when we drank alcohol. (My mother was a well respected teacher at school, btw. She was known to be fair AND strict. My aunt was a state prosecutor, my best friend‘s father was a tax investigator - that type of German who obeys every rule and dead erious and correct in everything he did. So it was all totally normal and relaxed in respect of alcohol in good middle-class families and circles.)

Great video and with Feli just the right partner for such topics.I grew up on the southern wine route.Our direct neighbor had a winery and it was completely normal that we often celebrated with them.So I got my first Weinschorle at the age of 6 or 7.In this way, I learned how to deal with alcohol in daily life.I learned that a good wine or even a beer in the company of friends or family is nothing bad and completely normal.Above all, however, I got to know my own limits.It also became completely normal that I always had to buy alcohol for the whole gang for school parties at the age of 13. Maybe it was also because I was already 5.77 ft tall at that time,in any case, no one ever wanted to see my ID.Of course, my parents noticed what I was doing,but they didn't cause any trouble.They just explained to me that I had to take responsibility for my friends.I am convinced that the trust between parents and children and the right awareness is the key to everything.

That was amazing!!! Some of my two favorite Germany you tubers! Very good information! Thanks so much!

I personally also think that the leveling of what you can trink in Germany is quite good. If it's already legal to trink this low percentage alcohol with sixteen you also trink this for the most part. Of course most people trink shots or mixed trinks on home parties, but you will not excessively start trinking wodka because you are able too. And I think this helps finding your personal boundaries, because you have to trink way more to go past your boundaries and it's easier to stop yourself if you want to.

I have been watching both of your channels for years; so cool and fitting to see you united in one video!!!

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Ah very cool! Glad you enjoyed it!

In the region where I live, on the countryside in northern Germany, almost every parents allow their kids to smoke and drink at the age of 14. It often starts at their confirmation, because it's the time you are seen as an adult at the church and also in our society. Last year, when my niece got their confirmation, she was allowed and introduced to drink alcohol ( not the hard stuff of course ). Fun fact, while we had our coffee and cake with the whole family at the confirmation party, the "Dorfjugend" ( the youth in our very small village of 200 inhabitants) showed up, with them a handcart with beer and other alcohol. They invited her to "officially join" the Dorfjugend and they also invited themselves to our party, of course😆. The last of them went home somewhat around midnight. When I was young and a member of the Dorfjugend too, we have been 25 members at the age of 14 to the mid twenties. Once a year we went on an overnight trip mostly on camp sites and even the 14-15 years old had their parents permission to take part. One year we had been on a weekend trip to Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden by ferry and the younger had been with us, of course. Not to mention that our parents did not pay a cent for those trips, we paid it out of our "Dorfjugend-Kasse". We collected and earned enough money over the year.

Hi - German here. I think the main point is what alcohol is taken to mean in a certain culture. If it's put on a pedestal, meaning only adults are allowed to have it, of course all the kids want it to 'prove' they are grown-ups. I remember my parents always gave me wine with our Sunday meal in order to teach me to differentiate between good and bad stuff - at the age of ten. The same went with having small sips of Cognac - and in this respect I'd have to disagree with Feli here - I liked the taste back then, it's not true that children only like sweet stuff or something. So for me, drinking alcohol had nothing to do with maturity, but with culture, aesthetics and sophistication. Getting drunk would counteract all this (you can't really taste anything when you're too drunk to realize anything to say nothing of the disgusting aftermath...) so to this day (I'm now 58) I enjoy different kinds of alcoholic drinks but never have been drunk (little tipsy yes, but not drunk) in my life.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

This is fascinating! These stories we just don’t hear in the US. This is one aspect of European and American cultures that are just vastly different. Europeans really do approach alcohol more like an art and that somehow got lost in the US to a certain extent.

@charis6311

Жыл бұрын

@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife This is an interesting question. As an outsider, I can only speculate, but do you think it possible it might be connected to the Calvinistic attitued towards anything of sensual pleasure?

I am the second of three kids so my parents went through the whole process with my older sister before I turned 14-15.... it was very relaxed...I still remember my mother telling me on a Friday night before I left the house to meet friends: when you are drunk tonight be sick outside first and then come inside;) such a practical approach

@grandmak.

Жыл бұрын

lol

@beatrixpastoors1104

Жыл бұрын

🤣

@samu6874

Жыл бұрын

Bei uns hieß es : wer bricht, der wischt!

And concerning experiences: When visiting the Gymnasium, I was more the loner and outsider. Interested in books and outdoors, classical music. So I was not part of those in groups which met on weekends to bragg on Mondays who drank most and vomitted hardest. I just found it stupid and disgusting. The law changed and made it harder to legally buy alcohol. I personally offered my son a sip of fine red wine and alc free Radler and Bier and also let him try some with alcohol and told him, he can get it at home, so never needs to do it in secret. So, it was not interesting any longer. He will be 19 in December, never got drunk, is not really interested in alcohol, seldom a Radler in summer and doesn't smoke, nor drugs of course, since I taught him how to deal with tough life situations and how to overcome them and keep on track. We may enjoy a Federweißer or Federweißer soon, because the young, new and sweet wine is delicious. But never overdoing it. I also taught him to really enjoy and not to simply consume brainless and thoughtless. I am especially proud of him that he is mature enough and with enough self-esteem to say no even under "group pressure" as he experienced recently. Going instead back to his room and enjoying a good book. So, like mother like son. Independent, strong minded and we know what we want and do not want. Just: he is most definitely the better version of myself. I was and am more rebellious and emotional 😇

@sashimster3243

Жыл бұрын

I get being proud of your kid, but indicating people only get addicted to drugs because their parents didn’t teach them how to cope with problems is incredibly uneducated, rude and naive.

😍😍😍 Ooooh I am so happy for you that you are in a collab with Feli from Germany. 🎊👏 I also like her vlogs very much.

Great video - really enjoyed your conversation! :)

My "Klassenlehrerin" made a lot of fuss about reaching the legal age. I was the first kid in our class to turn 18. She gifted me a book and asked for permission to continue addressing me with "du". She also explained that from now on, I wouldn't need my parents signature for missing classes (due to sickness etc.) anymore, but would sign the notice myself :)

(German here.) I was always treated like a little kid, but when it came to alcohol, my parents were always open. And even kinda wanted me to drink. When I came home from parties and said that I didn’t drink anything (which was the truth bc I was never into alcohol), my parents asked my why, instead of saying that’s good. XD My dad is also a religiously beer drinker and always offers me a bottle, and that started when I was like 15 already. I tried wine the first time shortly before my 15th bday, didn’t like it and never drank again, but my parents always offered me to have something. Or when I was going to parties at friends house, they were like “don’t forget to drink with the cool kids” (not that they found drinking cool, but bc they were trying to get in that teenager-level, where they thought drinking was cool). It’s crazy to have it at the total opposite (instead of parents asking to drink less, they encourage me to drink more). XD

When I was young I really had a problem with alcohol. I was a teen in the seventies (in Germany) and my parents were very rigorous. They did’nt trust me and don’t respect me. I allways had the feeling I have to hide everything: where I go, who my friends are, parties, my boyfriend and so on. I think: forbidden things are the most dangerous things for parents! And the second place on my list are things you are not allowed to talk about. As an adult I was so shocked about how open minded my friends handled problems with their kids! But this is the key to good relationsships between parents and kids.

I found this conversation very interesting. Thank you.

My 16th birthday is on Wednesday. But i never was drunk and don't plan to get drunk with my friends. My class in school is very responsible i think, so there is no alcohol drinking. We did drink a LOT of alcohol free beer. I really like the taste of beer, but i don't like the taste of alcohol. I do however like wine which i had some sips of. I might drink like 0.1L on my birthday. Different topic: the Sie in tenth grade is definitely true. We most often get siezed now. Great video, i always like your videos!

This conversation, and Kevin’s nervous laugh when some subjects are broached, reminds me of how many hangups most Americans have. You get that here in Frankfurt once in a while talking to tourists: schock and awe from Amis concerning how Europeans deal with many of life’s experiences.

Excellent topic of conversation. 😊

Austrian drinking culture is almost identical to the German one so I relate to everything Feli said. I think another point is that the novelty of drinking wears off fairly quickly for most people, so if you start at 15, by 21 you're likely to have a pretty normal relationship with alcohol and partying and not overdo it as much anymore. At least that's how it was for me. For example my parents would always offer me the dregs from a glass of wine as a kid (of course I found the taste disgusting back then). Especially the way my parents always put the focus on quality over quantity later prevented me from going overboard - as a person who generally appreciates taste, my parents effectively managed to keep me from drinking shitty 5€ vodka or cardboard box wine by showing me what good wine and liquor tastes like. I started drinking at 14, but then I went to the US for a year in 10th grade so I didn't party until I got back at 16. I had some bad hangovers including blacking out pretty badly once but I think these experiences taught me that drinking to that point is terrible and I didn't want to do it anymore. By the time I hit the legal drinking age in the US, I already very much felt like I was getting too old for drinking in that way. I would drink socially with my friends (maybe 2-4 drinks a night) but not to the point of being wasted. When the pandemic hit in 2020, obviously we didn't have many parties for over two years and now that I'm 25, I honestly feel like I'm too old for that shit - my hangovers are starting to be terrible and while I still appreciate a good glass of wine or a beer or two when I'm hanging out with friends, the cost of getting drunk is just too high now. I appreciate the clarity of not being hungover on a Saturday or Sunday morning and being able to do fun stuff like going for brunch, to an exercise class or hiking. Another interesting point is maybe driving under the influence. In Austria, there is a kind of driver's license you can get at 17. A lot of people take advantage of that especially if they live in the countryside. Generally, driving under the influence is unfortunately something of an Austrian national sport with people generally making light of it. I think it is probably much the same in Germany. In my friend group, this was never a huge problem as my as well as my friends' parents always picked me (and a few of my friends) up no matter the hour, but this might be something you want to have on your radar, especially as you don't live in a big city where you can easily go home on public transport or get a comparatively cheap taxi. I think here it's getting somewhat better in the younger generation as you're not allowed to drive drunk until you're 20 (as opposed to the 0,5 limit afterwards), which is why when some of my friends got their licenses, we would generally have a designated driver who did not drink at all for fear of getting their newly-earned license taken away. I'm not too sure how all of this works in Germany but I just wanted to let you know that getting home is usually the main problem, so if you solve it for your kids they will be eternally grateful (and also not die in an accident...).

@wolfgangpreier9160

Жыл бұрын

My parents in Austria gave me beer since before kindergarten. I guess to „calm“ me down. But i never had the need to drink myself into stupor. It happened, a few times because of the group but not because of any „need“. And since 2005 i do not touch any alcohol and don‘t miss it. There is only one drawback. I can not become mayor without being drinkfest. Oh well. I will survive. 😊

What an interesting video. Thank you.

My first time joining! Thanks to Kiersten’s Vlog of you both in Austria. So much fun. As an American living in Vermont yet born and raised in Paris, I really appreciate the theme of Americans living abroad. So I’m looking forward to your Vlog

I was brought up with a really relaxed relationship with alcohol I learned from my parents that alcohol is something to enjoy, like chocolate. My parents explained quite clearly that with alcohol there is this point where everything just is a little bit more fun, which is fine and then there is this line one does not want to go over. But my parents also tiled me that when young almost everybody crosses this line at least once, and if so I should just call them and be save. And to this day when drinking alcohol I always watch out for this red line. I enjoy a glass here and there more for the taste, when on a party I may get a little tipsy (though there weren’t so many parties in the last years) but I never get drunk.

Regarding Teachers and "Du" vs. "Sie", growing up in northern Germany most of my teachers actually didn't started addressing us formally in 11th grade, but offered us the informal address, and we addressed them with their first name for pretty much all of high school.

@RolfMeyer-cl7ou

12 күн бұрын

Moin

Hello Sarah, hello Kevin, i recently discovered your videos on KZread and I always look forward to your reports... You are so likeable, so positive and so full of joy... I want to say to you, it's nice to have you and your whole family here in Germany. I wish you all the best of luck and many wonderful experiences here... 💐 Greetings from Kempten (Allgäu), also nearly the Alps... 😊 Mathias 😉

Hello, i am a new prescriber due to Kirsten! Look forward to your fantastic vlogs. I live in Bolton England 🇬🇧!

Make sure you also check out the interview we did with Feli on parenting differences between the USA and Germany here! kzread.info/dash/bejne/qGyiqamEmLnHpLw.html

Oh yes. We moved to Germany in 72. I didnt drink a lot but drank wine and beer sometimes. Never had any issues with drinking just curfew hours.

Today guys, I`m really surprised ! Surprised about you and your todays matter "alcoholism and drinking" and also about myself. Because at first, I hadn`t any big expectations for this matter. But while following your vid, it became more end more interesting for me. And especially the virtual interchanging with Feli from Germany (who is really great !), made your report and story so "alive" and comprehensible. LG Klaus Z.

A case of beer is usually either 20 x 0,5 l or 24 x 0,33 l. Some smaller breweries may have different case sizes.

I think one of the reasons that the US has a relativly high rate of alcoholism, while being relativly low on the alcohol consumption list is that the US has a much higher rate of teetolers than most european countries. Be it for religious reasons (many evangelicals and pentecostals abstain from alcohol, so do mormons, muslims, and so on), or for non-religious cultural reasons. So the average consumption is lower, but the people who do drink probably don't drink that much less than their peers in Europe. About my personal experience growing up in Germany: My parents were pretty strict, only allowing me what was legal (they were teachers in a small village and feared that if they allowed their son something illegal, they would lose their authority over their pupils on class trips). Their were two exceptions they allowed when I was 14: Berliner Weiße in summer because it has a very low alcohol content, and a glass of champagne mixed with orange juice on special occasions. However, at least beer was very normalised. I drank a lot of Apfelschorle because it looked like I was having a beer (and it was often even served in a beer glass back then). And the beer my family normally drinks comes in "Bügelflaschen", the kind of bottles where the lid is attached to the bottle. When I was a kid, it was my job to open them because I really liked the sound that made. It then became my nephews' job. Kids just seem to love this. And and I do believe it kind of normalises beer drinking.

I think it's very crucial in what kind of group you are socialized as a teenager. Groups like Feli described worked very well in taking care of each other and not pushing the limits. I was lucky to grow up with friends who also liked to party but always looked out for each other. There can be a whole different experience when your environment is toxic and careless and you get pushed to do things you really don't want to. Even in my friendship bubble there were stronger and lesser drinkers... the stronger drinkers usually got in touch through their family way earlier and it was normal to get drunk at family parties with aunts and uncles more often. I grew up with my mother and she really did not like to get drunk or really did not like to see me get drunk... so I had a different emotion towards alcohol. And also I never liked beer, even to this day.

great video! have fun with the cultures and kids!

A major influence on alcoholism is one's own perspective in life or the lack of perspective. If you look at the countries in your list, most countries with a high proportion of alcoholics will also have a high proportion of people on the poverty line in their societies.

Lol 😂 this brings back memories. This reminds me of when I was zooming w her and I was like Omg I’m such a fan!

MIGHT BE A TOPIC SOON FOR THE OLDEST!!! :D :D "dorfjugend" "burschenverein" etc .... i would luv to see everthinng jus about that :) love ur content McFalls!!!!!!!

What I never did because my father and my grandfather did extreme was smoking. I still remember if I had a cold it was a horror to breath in the smoke.

Feli's LPS ("LIKE" per second) rate is out of control 😂e.g. @ 13:10 - 13:30

I'm an Israeli living in Berlin for the last 8 years, I always thought we are very "American" In culture, but today I really understand that we more European in many fields, drinking is legal at 18 , the idea is if you old enough to hold weapons in the army than you old enough to drink

@RolfMeyer-cl7ou

12 күн бұрын

🤘 i concur

Feli describes in principle exactly my youth! my first party with alcohol was at 14. drinking beer at the lake, house parties or playing "Bierball" in the forest. At the 10th grade class trip (so most of us, but not all, were over 16) the teachers got a case of beer as a prize for the winning team of the volleyball tournament. We were all about 20 students, so of course we shared, had a great time and of course no one got really drunk from drinking one beer. The issue with the safe haven of parents while trying limits was definitely the case with us as well. Of course, there were also narrow-minded parents, but we knew which parents we could always call in our circle of friends and used that in an emergency. For example, I remember one birthday party very clearly. We were 16 and it was at a boy's house that my friend liked, so she baked him a cake. The cake fell down when opening the front door and he laughed at her. So accordingly the evening didn't go at all as hoped for her and heartbroken she drank more than she should. I was that evening in the position that Feli also described: I took responsibility, kept her from kissing a guy she doesn't like and spent 2 hours with her in the bathroom next to the toilet bowl, constantly offering her water. after she threw up the third time, the question was how to get home, since we were of course on bikes. So I called her mother. I told her what happenend and helped her to heave my friend into the car and she asked me if she should bring me home aswell. I said yes, so I didn't have to cycle home alone at night and we could pick up our bikes together the next day. She was a single parent and lived in a 2nd floor appartement, so in the car she asked me if I could help her put "her little drunk" to bed. Of course I went along. When we arrived, she didn't put her daughter to bed, but on the sofa and put her own mattress right next to it in the living room. "That way I'll know if she chokes on her vomit and when she wakes up tomorrow with a hangover and a broken heart there are Disney movies and ice cream for breakfast anyway." Then she put a bucket next to her and drove me the 5 min home. I'm shocked every time by American teen movies where the parents are completely ungrateful, partly pissed off at the friends who bring the drunk home. Definitely never experienced so myself here in Germany, quite the opposite! "Watch out for each other" is preached even by the strictest parents. I believe that you will not be able to avoid your children growing up in the German drinking culture, because a large part of it is not the parental home but the environment they live in. Teachers, parents of friends and of course friends play an increasingly important role. One's own parents and their parental styles become less and less important in the teenage years, as most of the kids are raised to be independent from an early age.

My little brother and I got to try hard liquor at the age of 15 I think from our mother and with 16 we coul basically drink whatever we wanted, she even bought us liquor. Most of our early alcohol experiences were together with our mum and she always said that she rather wants us to make all that experiences in her presence while she can watch and protect us instead of us lying somewhere passed out without her knowing anything. My grandparents had the same mindset and so we never felt like we had to hide anything or do something secretly and there was never any rebellion from our side. I always thought that my mum was pretty cool even with 15 or 16, like she has a Harley, listens to rock music, we have a similar style in clothes (with 16 I wore clothes from my mum regularly) and always had a very good relationship. There never were big fights or anything and I'm very grateful for that and her way to handling us start drinking. My brother and I never drank much, I even never was drunk in my life so I personally think this open talking and guiding your kids through their first experiences rather than forcing them to hide or have secrets is very helpful for the kids to grow and learn safely and for the parent-kid relationship to remain good and strong

German experiences are somewhat similar, when I read the comments. I believe that has mostly to do with the drinking culture at your home. My parents did drink a beer for dinner, or a glass of wine, sometimes had a Cognac or such in the evening -- and I never have seen them inebriated. I think that this is a good sign. As an adolescent I was also drinking at home or with my parents in a restaurant, never as much as to really affect me. Yes, eventually I got drunk several times, I but I never drank to get drunk, it always just happened in good company, good mood, and a bright atmosphere, always unintentionally and always with the unpleasant side effects the next day. These were the best motivator to stop drinking before I get drunk. Something that we always did: get some foam of the beer or we were allowed to drink the last sip, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon full of beer -- even as little children. Maybe, if your parents are drinking too much at home, or you see the effects, and if you're kept on a short leash at home -- then there is a good chance for you to become an excessive drinker, at least for a while.

Hi McFalls Great video! I can remember starting to drink around 14, which is the same age a lot of kids go to "Tanzschule" (where you learn ballroom dancing). Not sure how regional that is or if it's even still a thing, but it's definitely another rite of passage in Germany you may not be familiar with yet.

I think the biggest difference is what society as a whole finds acceptable regarding alcohol. In Italy, drinking moderately is considered to be normal, but to be drunk, especially in public, is a big nono. In Germany, people find being drunk more acceptable, and in America, it is the thing to do. I am half Italian and half German, by the way. My personal impression regarding alcohol consumption growing up in Germany is that most Germans get drinking out of their systems by the time they are 20.

Another great video. I’m in the UK and your video reminded me that I had a German pen friend when I was at school, many years ago! I remember vividly that she wrote to tell me some friends went camping and they had slept together and it was very beautiful. I was shocked, not that they had done it but that there was no need to keep it a secret. I think that’s so healthy when I think back. Thanks for sharing another interesting video.

It's very important to note that the alcoholism stats in Germany often don't include university students (in their early twenties) even though there are many that match the criteria of being an alcoholic. But since most of them just get back to a "normal level" of drinking when they graduate or get older they aren't included.

I remember my parents often (not always of course) havin a beer or wine with Abendbrot or later on while we were watching TV. Usually a bottle of wine would last them up to uwo or three nights, so you can tell they were having only a glas (maybe two) for the pure enjoyment of drinking a nice, tasty glas of wine ... So alcohol was not demonized in my house, it was not something that was done in secret. I had a friend whos parents would not drink before the children went to bed and she must have been under the impression, that they were doing something illegal. This was not the case in my family. What I do remember is, when we visited my grandparents every couple of weeks, everyone got a glas of champagne mixed with orange juice (it is a typical welcome-cocktail called "Mimosa" as far as I know). Of course, my sister and I wanted a welcome drink as well so we got one, but with one part champagne and nine parts juice (while the adults had about 50% juice and 50% Champagner). We always felt very grown up, standing there with our champagner flute among the adults, toasting and drinking :) As I grew older, I started drinking "Weinschorle" with my parents (which ist white wine mixed with sparkeling water). I´m not sure how old I was but definitly under 14 years. And it was totally normal und ok with them. Here is the thing : I think my parents were doing a smart move, allowing me (and my sister) to drink alcohol at a rather young. Of course, there was a line, that they would very carefully watch not to cross (unkown to me, of course). I don´t think they would have ever allowed us any hard liquor or a third (fourth or fifth) glas of "Weinschorle" at an evening. But they were able to let me and my sister believe that we could drink alcohol whenever we felt like doing so. And when the time came where our friends and classmates hide inside their parents garage with a stolen bottle of Whisky or Gin, neither me nor my sister would join them because it was not attractiv to us. We knew alcohol (or at least we thought so), our parents were cool with it (again, at least we thought so) and there was no need for us to try cheep Whisky from the gasstation in secret, sitting in an icecold garage, when we were allowed a nice glas of wine in the comford of our own living room. Today, my husband and I are doing the same thing with our sons. They are 13 and 15 years and they like to drink "Radler" (Beer mixed with Sprite or SevenUp). They also like "Weinschorle" when it is really hot outside. Our oldest was 13 years when we allowed him his first "Radler" at a family BBQ. To end this story: my olders son was at a summer camp this August. A few of the kids there needed to be picked up by their parents from the youth hostel they were staying at because they were TOTALLY drunk ... it was their first stay away from home and one of them got his hands on some hard alcohol. Our boy did not participate in this (even though he was sharing a room with some of them) because (quote) "...why should I ? I tried Vodka before and did not like it". And that is exactly what we tried to accomplish ... make something unattractiv by allowing it under parental supervion.

- I think the critical differences between the two "top ten" lists are the alcoholic beverages drunk in these different countries. In the top ten consumption countries alcohol is mostly consumed in the form of beer or wine, whereas in many countries of the top alcoholism list it is hard liquor (esp. Wodka) in all those eastern European countries. - Personal experiences with alcohol: My grandma tried to give me beer around the age of six, but i did not like the botterness of it. At home with my parents I think they gave me a small glass of wine at an age of about 14, when they drank themselves. I did not really appreciate it, but still I sipped. I started to drink beer as my standard alcoholic drink at an age of 17, when I joined the voluntary fire brigade of our village and I think at that time I also started to get intixicated occasionaly. From that ime on until about 30 I was drinking beer quite often, say on a daily basis. Since then, hiowever, my consumption of alcoholic drinks has been decreasing steadily and now I still do drink beer as my standard alcoholic, but maybe once in a fortnight, the occasional Schnaps and close to no wine at all - and only when I am going out or we have an invitation at our house. - How you call your parents is up to them. The usual thing is to call them Mama and Papa all your life, but in some - not really frequent - cases parents teach their little children to call them by their first names and this is what they do from then on. Even grandparents are called Oma and Opa as long as they live. Me and my siblings didn't even have to add their first names, since we close to never met all of them at once. Our grandchildren do add our first names to Oma and Opa, since we all four meet quite frequently in their presence. Thus, to attract the attention of the person they're meaning to talk to, they have to add the first names. A related topic is how you call your aunts and uncles and while writing the above sentences I remembered that I changed the way I called them when I was about 15 or 16 years old. Our parents tought us to say Tante or Onkel and then add the first name of the person. Even with some close friends of our parents we were tought to do the same. At a certain time I felt that it was not correct to do the latter and I started to leave away the Onkel and Tante addressing these couples. They all immediately agreed and a little later I started to do the same, addressing my true aunts and uncles. Neither of them objected. I felt that this was the right thing to do if I wanted to stop being the child to them, but become a serious partner for conversation and I think they all recognized this as a step in my development that was to be appreciated.

I am a 50yr old Brit living in Germany. In the UK you are legally allowed to buy alcohol and drink in a pub at 18yrs. We always used to start drinking in pubs at 16. Especially girls, because our boyfriends were older and bought the drinks. Now its harder to do that due to ID checks on the doors. We occasionally had a small glass of champagne or cherry at a special occasion at home from about 11yrs. My dad used to taxi me around to pubs and clubs and pick me and my friends up when we were drunk and bring us all home. He was brilliant. He always told my friends to call him, even if i wasn't out, because he didn't want them drunk trying to get home on public transport. I used to stay at my boyfriends house. We could sleep together in a bed from 16 at his parents house, but not at my parents house. My kids, growing up in Germany have tasted beer since 7yrs..but just a sip if they ask how it tastes. Now my oldest son is 17 and can drink beer, he rarely does eg. Just when out for a meal, or when having a BBQ on holiday. But he can "take it or leave it". When his school friends (age 17-21yrs) come over to BBQ, I ask if they want a beer. But they never do.. they prefer coke or some energy drink and still water. I am so happy that non of them are interested in "drinking" or "getting drunk".. I guess because its readily available, kids in Germany don't see it as something special. Its just normal to them. Maybe that is why they don't go crazy...or at least my sons circle of friends don't. I am open and have no problem if they want to drink, at least in the safety of the home, I can then monitor it. My son and his friends always invite me to stay and eat with them. Sometimes I do, but often I say "no, they should have fun on their own." If my sons bring girlfriends home, I will talk to the girls parents and come to an agreement as to whether they can sleep in a bed together etc. Being open and giving the teenagers the feeling home is safe for them to experiment is better. Kids will do it anyway, so its better to let them do these things in a safe environment, where you can give help/assistance if it is needed.

Great video and actually a very important one. I grew up in Germany and my Grandma gave me watered down wine when I was 7-8 years old. However, the important thing is in the US you have the problem that you cannot go to a club or bar before you are 21 years old. This is actually very wrong as I think it creates a strange environment for the teenagers were they have to try things somewhere else and they will kind of loose a lot of their youth. When I see my Grandkids in the US as well as friends and they have no real thing to do as a 18-19 year old, I think it hinders their education, their self awareness and find out what is wrong and right. If you have to do that in the dark or start at 21, it is already to late to learn because many might already get married and have jobs but never had a cool teenage life to grow up and learn. Going back to me growing up, I actually did NOT drink alcohol but still went to clubs or bars and hang out and enjoyed. The whole being 21 years old in the US just to go in an establishment like this is just ancient and in Germany it is way more relaxed. I would just be there for your kids and let them try and it will help them growing up and understand as they will become way more independent.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Loved reading about your experiences, thank you for sharing.

Nice to see you together in one video. I think that could leed to 2, 3 or more videos like this, because it is super interesting. Maybe you can also be guest at her podcast someday.

@kevinmcfall5285

Жыл бұрын

Feli is awesome!

I had the personal experience that being taught a healthy relationship with alcohol at a young age makes the mystery of it go poof gone. So I immediately thought that drink tastests like s*it so I didn't start drinking at all. I had one bad experience with alcohol at 16 and since then I've not drank more than 1 small glass of wine in some special occasion. If you don't know the healthy relationship with alcohol and it seems like a big mystery why you are not allowed to drink it makes a bad situation for kids. They are intrigued by things that are forbidden 🚫. If you tell your kids: "If you feel like drinking or even smoking seems interesting for you(bc of your friends or whatever) don't do it in secret, please. Just tell us we'll get it for you so you can try at home, you won't get in trouble but be safe at home." That takes all of the interest out of those things. My parents said this to me and so I never tired a smoke with friends or whatever. I knew if I'd really wanted to try it I could go to my parents and that's in my opinion why I never wanted to try it. There was nothing intriguing about it. You know what I mean ?

I come from a small village in germany and for me it started with all that drinking stuff at 15. I would say we got drunk a lot until passing like 25 then it fell of. Getting hard liqueur was no problem at all on birthdays often the parents buying the stuff.

I think a big difference in parenting is also how parents deal with drunk kids. They wont get angry or scold you for it (mostly) but rather take the piss out of you when you get a hangover. You know your parents are german when they suddenly become drill instructors in the morning when you are hungover.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

😂😂

What a nice surprise, to see you two collaborating on a video. It appears though that Latvia which consumed so much alcohol to be listed 2 , also has an alcoholism problem as they are 4 on the alcoholism scale.

i'm a 24 year old german who grew up in hamburg and i started regularly drinking at 14 and within months it went from just beer to hard liquor, and while a few people definitely went overboard especially at house parties (sometimes weed was involved as well), most were careful enough and there were always a few people who took care of the ones who did go too far. in my case i overdid it once and my friends and my best friend's mum took care of me and after that i knew where my limit was and had learned my lesson. my parents never found out about that particular incident though. they started offering beer and wine etc to me at 15/almost 16 and at that age also told me to be careful with alcohol etc i think it's important as a parent to teach kids to be careful but to also make it clear that you'd be there for them if they needed your help bc of alcohol related issues instead of them being scared to be punished, bc for me personally i never told my parents about what i did at 14/15 bc i was worried about them getting mad, while some of my friends' parents would either drink with us or at least openly knew about it and offered help when needed so i'd go to them instead and i'm really grateful i could and regarding teachers, i remember in 12th grade we went on a school trip to portugal and most of the students were 17 or 18 and one evening the teachers went to a bar with us and we all drank together and it was really fun and no big deal at all and yes when we started 11th grade our teachers asked us if it was okay for us to use our first names or if someone would prefer our last name and some teachers started using Sie with us but i found that really weird personally but it definitely makes you feel like you're slowly becoming an adult

Hello, I have come from my favorite Kirsten and Joreg's channel and so look forward to learning about your family.

I may not be a typical example because (as a German) I probably drink around 0 05 litres of alcohol per year - or less. But I think children shouldn't drink too early and they should see at home that it is also possible to party and have fun without alcohol. In my opinion it is important that they learn that having fun and drinking alcohol are not synonymous for adults.

I remember 14 + allowance (at home or with your parents) was related to confirmation. After that you are considered an adult by the church and are allowed to drink alcohol accordingly.

@grandmak.

Жыл бұрын

Yes, as a teacher I often overheard conversations the day after confirmation Sundays about how drunk the confirmants had got and who had thrown up in somebody else's front yard. Schools even allowed them to skip the first two lessons on those Mondays.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

Ohhhh! Is that how it started?! That makes so much sense now.

@MyMerryMessyGermanLife

Жыл бұрын

@@grandmak. oh my!

@tnit7554

Жыл бұрын

This is a protestant thing i guess.

@doloresmey

Жыл бұрын

@@tnit7554 yes I‘m evangelical. Die Konfirmation bekommt man mit 14. Bei den Katholiken ist die Firmung ebenfalls mit 14. Ich weiß nicht, wie es in der katholischen Kirche gehandhabt wird. Und da Deutschland zu größeren Teilen evangelisch is, hat sich das wahrscheinlich verallgemeinert. Wenn man in der evangelischen Kirche zum Abendmahl gehen darf, gilt man als erwachsen.

Maybe to give you another / my personal experience with alcohol growing up as a kid in Germany: I think the best friend of my father (with him present of course) offered me my first sip of beer (more foam) at the age of 9. :) I was a kid, and beer is bitter, so of course I didn't like it. I started trying different kinds of alcohol that were on the table of family gatherings when I was 15-16, I believe, and only in sips, because I just never became a big fan. I was a late bloomer too and only went to parties when I was already 21 or so. I drank mixed drinks, but only ever one or two glasses, while some really went with the intention to get drunk. My mindset has not changed on that ever. I'm culturally advantorous, so I really like to try national beverages but I don't force myself. I'm quite happy with alcohol free cocktails when I go out with friends most of the time, because they just taste better to me. :)

@m2ukass

Жыл бұрын

One thing to consider is that it's much easier to hide or justify your alcohol dependency when daily drinking is normalized.

Very interesting to see your perspective on my home country. You are very nice people 😌

My teachers started using the Sie from 11th grade onwards, but in the combination of Sie + first name. There was no consultation or variation, all of them did it.