Lockable liquor cabinets? (1 Viewer)

[joseywales]

Any suggestions? My kids are entering their teens. I trust the older one, the younger likes to mix things, so only a matter of time there! Plus, they have friends and I allow them to use the game room, where play poker and have a nice server with liquor and glasses.

I'm tempted to just put a lock on it, but there seems to be no easy way to do that. Plus, it's a better server than it is a cabinet (I have to bend or kneel to see the bottles).

Looking for a nice cabinet. Doesn't have to be huge.

Preferences:
- access to bottles while standing
- lockable or ability to install a lock
- no glass doors

 

[Jeff]

I dont have a solution but you're on the right track. Trust your kids or not, if you have other kids in the basement trust no one. Too big a responsibility. Liquor disappeared and my kids always swore it wasn't them, leaving friends as suspects. I had to put away the liquor on the shelves and keep minimal beer in my fridge.

 

[mummel]

if you have other kids in the basement trust no one

Good point, never thought of that, liability issue. However, sending your kids to college at 18 without knowing how to drink is bad idea. In Germany, kids can drink beer at 16 and look at what a successful nation they are (they also have a lower alcoholic rate according to the WHO, like 20% less). No drinking till 21 is the dumbest sht Ive ever heard.

 

[Trihonda]

Trust, but verify. Reagan said it best!

But seriously, my kids have known for a long time, that I've pre-wired my basement with cable for hidden cameras. I haven't installed any yet, but it's an easy job... especially with all the new hidden camera tech out there... like this WALL CLOCK from Walmart.

My kids know that they will have all the freedom in the world, so long as they don't violate my trust, or lie, etc...

But ya, their friends? Trust none of them for sure... but I can see my daughter telling her teen friends, "dude, my dad has this entire basement wired for cameras..."

 

[mummel]

Whats interesting is that Spain has one of the lowest alcoholic rates in the western world according to the WHO. What age can you consume wine and beer there? Big surprise, 16...... Seriously, a 21 drinking age limit is the dumbest sht Ive ever heard of. I dont understand why prohibition has been such a big part of our culture. Time to grow up USA and put on your big boy pants.

 

[joseywales]

Trust, but verify. Reagan said it best!

But seriously, my kids have known for a long time, that I've pre-wired my basement with cable for hidden cameras. I haven't installed any yet, but it's an easy job... especially with all the new hidden camera tech out there... like this WALL CLOCK from Walmart.

My kids know that they will have all the freedom in the world, so long as they don't violate my trust, or lie, etc...

But ya, their friends? Trust none of them for sure... but I can see my daughter telling her teen friends, "dude, my dad has this entire basement wired for cameras..."

Actually, the camera idea might be easier. What it does is gives my kids an excuse to stop the others. My kids aren't perfect, but I see some brats in our house at times. They do stuff they would never do at home. If anything, my kids are better behaved at other people's houses!!

"You can't take that bottle, our alarm has a camera. See? It's just above his gun safe..."

 

[Trihonda]

Whats interesting is that Spain has one of the lowest alcoholic rates in the western world according to the WHO. What age can you consume wine and beer there? Big surprise, 16...... Seriously, a 21 drinking age limit is the dumbest sht Ive ever heard of. I dont understand why prohibition has been such a big part of our culture. Time to grow up USA and put on your big boy pants.

I deal with alcohol abuse from kids from HS to college age on a daily basis. They're all a bunch of drunks who can't be trusted. There seems to be a culture of drinking so much, so fast, to purposely get blitzed. We can't trust any of them... I vote for making the drinking age 26. ...maaaaabe 24...

 

[Mental Nomad]

Locks don't really stop thieves.

Locks keep honest people honest... especially where there's a little temptation.

We can't trust any of them... I vote for making the drinking age 26. ...maaaaabe 24...

Someone addicted to alcohol has very different behavior than someone who is not. I'm not sure you're thinking about the best approach to dealing with the young population as a whole... are you really helping them learn to be responsible with alcohol by not letting them start learning to be responsible until they're 24? or 26?

How about if we didn't let them try to tie their shoes until after they already knew how to tie their shoes. Would that work out?

 

[Trihonda]

MN, I was being facetious...

I've been to so many meetings on how to curb alcohol abuse, my head starts to spin when I think about it. Serious issue, I shouldn't make light of, but when you live in a world of two-story (eight headed) beer bongs, it's hard not to make light of things, simply as a coping mechanism.

 

[mummel]

You guys should watch a movie called Captain Fantastic. There's a fine line between raising snowflakes and teaching your kid to eat a deer heart.

 

[Mental Nomad]

MN, I was being facetious...

Sorry, went right over my head. (y) :thumbsup:

I deal with alcohol abuse from kids from HS to college age on a daily basis.

I took this very literally, since I just spent a year working with a mental health organization, most of which is focused on addiction & recovery. So I heard that statement, in all seriousness, very often.

They're all a bunch of drunks who can't be trusted.

Anyone who works with addicts of any kind knows that this statement is fundamentally true. They usually have a hard hill to climb before they can be trusted - or before they can even trust themselves.

 

[Jeff]

Good point, never thought of that, liability issue. However, sending your kids to college at 18 without knowing how to drink is bad idea. In Germany, kids can drink beer at 16 and look at what a successful nation they are (they also have a lower alcoholic rate according to the WHO, like 20% less). No drinking till 21 is the dumbest sht Ive ever heard.

Tru dat. I let my kids have drinks with the family so it's not a mystery. However not every parent would appreciate my world view (nor would the law). A full cabinet of good liquor and a gaggle of 10 high school kids downstairs doesn't make for a good situation.

 

[pltrgyst]

Any suggestions?

Roughly how many bottles?

And, out of curiosity, why no glass doors?

 

[Trihonda]

Sorry, went right over my head. (y) :thumbsup:

.

I also work with a large section of mentally ill people, and find a big correlation between MI and alcohol abuse. Sad cycle.

It's a tough stressful job, and I tried self medicating with alcohol, but eventually found my sarcastic sense of humor and witty comebacks tends to help me cope with my life better than beer. Besides, I could never afford to be an alcoholic, I'm a beer snob, and can't stand the cheep stuff.

 

[joseywales]

Roughly how many bottles?

And, out of curiosity, why no glass doors?

Meh...maybe 24 bottles. That will reduce, once I weed out some of the bourbons and scotches that were gifted.

No glass, mostly because I allow the room to be used as a family gameroom at times. I don't feel the need to advertise, plus there's always a chance of glass getting broken.

 

[mike32]

I am dealing with the same issue at home, and I used to pinch beers off my old man when I was a kid as well. I do let all our boys drink at home a little bit, but I also try to put alot of emphasis on the downside. Currently I have booze unlocked but in an off limits room when they have basement parties and sleepovers. We are on our third boy with this system, but he is probably the one who will test us. Not that he is a bad kid or anything, but I think he has a PARTY! personality.

 

[DJ Mack]

My old man used to mark his bottles to indicate the level. Of course, certain kids realized that water and a bit of food coloring can be used to raise the level back to where it had been after uh, evaporation took place.

It went well until one day dad had some of his buddies over to play poker (I sense a theme here) and they started doing shots. One guy remarked how smooth they were going down. Another guy drank a quarter bottle and barely felt anything. Yeah, the jig was up.

 

[joseywales]

My old man used to mark his bottles to indicate the level. Of course, certain kids realized that water and a bit of food coloring can be used to raise the level back to where it had been after uh, evaporation took place.

It went well until one day dad had some of his buddies over to play poker (I sense a theme here) and they started doing shots. One guy remarked how smooth they were going down. Another guy drank a quarter bottle and barely felt anything. Yeah, the jig was up.

Too funny! Some guys hit the note above. I'm not so much worried about losing the whiskey, but if some kids gets sick or worse, it's my ass right. I do have some beer in the small fridge. I thought about a lock for that, but that seems institutional to me.

 

[slisk250]

...and a gratuitous "college" drinking clip

 

[DJ Mack]

Too funny! Some guys hit the note above. I'm not so much worried about losing the whiskey, but if some kids gets sick or worse, it's my ass right. I do have some beer in the small fridge. I thought about a lock for that, but that seems institutional to me.

Beer is easy to address because you either have six unopened cans in the fridge or you don't. Kids know that.

Look, bars are full of employees of legal drinking age and yet the booze is almost always kept in a locked room that only the manager has a key for. I agree that locking it up or removing it entirely is your best bet. My kids are not of the age where I have to deal with this yet but we have neighbors in that demographic. They hardly drink so keeping the one dusty bottle of 1982 Smirnoff up in the kitchen isn't a huge deal. But this gets into the broader discussion of how to properly supervise an event without totally killing your kid's social status. So much of it is optics.

One thing they found works really well is to adopt a small bowls and small pans policy with respect to party food. When the girls have friends over mom serves buffet food that has a lots of pieces and parts. She uses slightly undersized serving bowls and pans. That translates to mom having an excuse to trudge down to the basement every 15 or 20 minutes to check on the food situation, replenish things, bring the next course, etc. It's very unobtrusive and the kids don't think they're being checked up on; they think they're being waited on. Sometimes dad will engage himself in a small home repair project upstairs that requires a few visits to his workshop to get the right tool, get more screws, etc. He doesn't say a word, just goes down the stairs, roots around in the utility room for a minute and goes back up with whatever he pretextually came down for.

 

[mummel]

Kids surveillance = recipe for rebellion and a bad relationship. Accept that they need to make their own mistakes and rather have them make those mistakes under your watch where you can still offer guidance. Once they're off to college, you will never hear about the stuff they get up to or the path they're on. Rather prepare them to be streetwise by the time you send them off into the world.

Drugs on the other hand. Absolute zero tolerance scorched earth policy. I've seen lives destroyed by it. There is no margin of error here or room for mistakes.

Guys watch Captain Fantastic! For reals.

 

[Trihonda]

Sometimes dad will engage himself in a small home repair project upstairs that requires a few visits to his workshop to get the right tool, get more screws, etc. He doesn't say a word, just goes down the stairs, roots around in the utility room for a minute and goes back up with whatever he pretextually came down for.

Sometimes dad will be in the living room when guests (or prospective boyfriends) arrive, cleaning my guns...

Once they're off to college, you will never hear about the stuff they get up to or the path they're on

You are incorrect sir... I will know. I'll have their dorm room bugged if need be, but I don't think it'll come to that...

 

[mummel]

(or prospective boyfriends) arrive, cleaning my guns...