This week I covered the first section of the book which included the first 4 chapters and the first 85 pages. What was surprising to me was that the author did not condemn girls who drink, she does not pass judgment, and she simply retells her experiences. Zailckas talks about the amazing parties she went to in high school and college she discusses the immense high she got from drinking and kissing boys, and she relates how freeing being drunk was to her. However, Zailckas makes the consequences of her actions painfully clear when she tells of how she ended up in a coma after a night of binge drinking, and how she lost a few good friends over drinking. Zailckas sites sources to astonishing facts like: “The girls from middle-class families indulge in binge drinking excessively in comparison to those from poor families. It is seen that girls consume alcohol in a greater proportion as compared to boys by the time they reach 14 years of age.” One piece of terminology that almost makes me sick when I think about is too much is the term “dead drunk” meaning dinking to the point of a comatose state.
When we think about the long-term affects of young females drinking this is a truly frightening situation. Many girls like Zailckas feel like a social outcast, they feel awkward and uncomfortable in social situations, so in order to cover that up, they drink. This has become a pretty common fix for being socially awkward but it has replaced “stepping out of your comfort zone” where many people grow the most. Girls miss out on meaningful friendships because, like Zailckas they seek out a bond that lasts only as long as the bottle. Zailckas stated that she felt like a whole part of her life was missing when she decided to stop drinking, she missed out on creating long-term friendships and relationships, and when it comes to a society that is like that it could mean kids without involved parents.
It is pretty clear after reading this that the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy should be banned from parenting when it comes to drinking. Parents should talk to their kids openly about drinking and be honest about long-term affects of drinking especially at an early age.
Molly I couldn't agree with you more when you say that the "don't ask don't tell" policy is not the best Idea. I think its great when parents have an open relationship with their kids about whats going on in their lives. I think that it leaves room for honesty and from personal experience it even makes kids feel comfortable asking advice. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteMolly I also agree that parents should be more proactive when it comes to talking to their kids about important issues such as drinking and drugs. Also I wasn't aware that girls consume more alcohol than boys at such a young age. Very informative post. Good job.
ReplyDeleteDrinking is becoming way too common among underage kids. Parents need to be concerned about this because kids do not know when to stop. This "don't ask, don't tell policy" is one of the worst things a parent could do. What if their child is drinking to cover up an underlying issue or is making poor decisions while drinking. Would they rather have that "ackward" talk or risk losing their child? That fact you quoted from her book did not surprise me. In my high school it was the popular, rich kids who threw the parties and drank the most which was weird because you think it would be the complete opposite.
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