Overcoming Intolerance
Posted
December 14, 2008 at
7:47 pm by
Rita
I have an issue with drinking alcohol when very small children are in my care. Babies. I don’t have a problem if my husband drinks, but I just can’t enjoy myself until the kids get to a certain age.
Part of it is fear that something bad will happen and one of us might need to react quickly, which you can’t really do if you’re drunk. The rogue accident could pop up at any time, but the kids just feel more vulnerable to the kind of emergencies that happen after bedtime when they’re babies. I also am afraid that one of those incidents would happen and we’ll need to drive the kid to the hospital, or call an ambulance and if we’re both be slightly intoxicated, that would look really bad. Again, of course, those things could happen anyway, but for some reason I’d feel less negligent about us both sporting a buzz at midnight while in the care of a seven-year-old than a seven-month-old.
The other problem is sleep. I cannot submit myself to the full somniferous effects of the wine or Baileys until the kids are routinely sleeping through the night. Otherwise, it’s just a bummer to get lulled into that dozy state of being, knowing that it’s likely you’re going to be roused soon to change a diaper or do a feeding or talk a little one down from a nightmare.
Usually, this means that I re-introduce alcohol to my system when the child is around three, and it’s a bumpy process.
“Hey, pssst…” I’ll whisper to my husband.
“Did you just say, ‘Psst’?” He’ll ask in a normal voice.
“Yeah, uh… I’m drunk,” I’ll say.
He’ll look uncomfortably at the people milling about, since this scenario inevitably happens at some public function, like a party.
“How many glasses have you had?” He’ll ask.
“Just this one,” I’ll say.
“But, it’s still a quarter full!” He’ll say.
“I know. I know. But, I’m drunk. You gotta take this. Cut me off. Don’t let me drink any more.” I’ll hand him my unfinished glass of whatever.
“Okaaaay,” He’ll say. “I can’t take you anywhere can I?”
“No, and, uh… don’t let me talk to anyone. I can’t be trusted to talk to people like this. I’m just going to sit in the corner over there and wait it out, cover for me.” Then I stumble over to some secluded place in the room to privately sober up.
Rebuilding alcohol tolerance after years of teetotaling takes some effort and diligence. You have to work at it over time, so that you can have the glass or two of spirits at a festive gathering and not make an ass out of yourself.
After the kids go to bed, I watch a little television and then read for a while. Having a glass of wine is pleasant during the television watching part, but when my threshold is that low, the reading is impossible. I have my drink, I enjoy the show and then I have to go right to bed. But, after a while, I build it up so that the one glass doesn’t hit me as hard. That’s when I need to amp it up. I need to keep pushing that limit to break through the inebriation barrier. I increase it to two glasses and then to three. After I get to the point where I can regularly drink three consecutive beverages and still focus on my book, I know I have conquered the demon. I have reached my goal of being able to manage two drinks in public and not suffer the urge to ask the hostess to borrow a guest bedroom to take a nap.
This, my friends is the success I have recently tasted. It’s been a long haul, I’ve given up a lot of precious reading time and invested in a lot of Three Buck Chuck, but I’m there. It’s a relatively secret win though, as there’s no prize or token given for climbing on this wagon and becoming a grown-up social drinker again. Which is why I thought I’d share it here. Somehow, I think some of you will relate and appreciate my achievement and join me in a well deserved toast.
Tags: drinking with small children, increasing alcohol tolerance, social drinking |
5 Responses to “Overcoming Intolerance”
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1. mully
December 14, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
A few years ago, probably more like 4-5 years ago actually, my husband and I were babysitting our then only grandson, Josh while his parents were out for some sort of event.
My son and daughter in law are social drinkers, meaning they rarely drink at home and if they do its an occasional drink and on a special occasion. That said, when the do drink, theyve been known to do it up right.
This particular night, they had all arrangements preset for a DD so that they could both have a good time and not have to worry. Since they had no babysitter issues per se, I am sure they threw caution to the winds and let er rip so to speak.
The plan was that the DD would drop them off at our house when the party was over and they would all just spend the night with us.
Best laid plans………unfortunately, Josh developed what I was sure was croup much later that night and we decided that he should probably be at the ER, so we called my son and told him that we felt that Joshie needed to be seen by a doctor and that we would either take him and pick them up on the way or that they could meet us at the hospital. Either way they HAD to be present for all the legal and insurance ramifications.
It was decided that the DD would take them to the Children’s Hospital and we met them there.
I have NEVER been so embarrassed in my entire life. They were both well on their way to hammered heaven when they arrived at the emergency room and while they were coherent, they smelled like a distillery. There was no mistaking that they were drunk and when it came time to fill out paperwork etc. I did it and had my son sign. Walking a straight line wasnt easy and no matter how hard they tried to hide their conditions, they couldnt.
ER’s being what they tend to be, we had a loooong wait. Little baby Josh was miserable and lying in bed crying and tossing and turning and barking like a dog, while both his parents were fighting to stay awake. When the doctor finally came in to look at Josh, it took him all of about a second to realize the state of things and while I think he thought it was kinda funny, I was not amused. All was fine and after treating Josh, we all went home.
I knew that they didnt have any way of knowing that Josh would end up in the hospital that night and they had done everything to cover their bases so that they COULD have a fun night out and enjoy themselves, but when all is said and done, I think I agree that when you have little children with all the possibilities that go with it, it might be better to forego the alcohol induced stupor for some time in the future.
P.S. 3 children later and a bit older, they dont do aa much social drinking. Kathleen says its just not worth it the next morning when 3 little boys want breakfast at 7:30 in the morning…ahhhhh I remember those days well.
2. Rita
December 14, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
Yeah, I can’t imagine getting drunk to the point of having a hangover. I don’t even know if two glasses of wine would take me to the legal limit in blood alcohol level, you know? But, it is nice to be able to go out with dh and have a glass or two of champagne and not have to go sleep it off, lol.
3. lora
December 14, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
We are pretty good about one of us staying sober. I have the same issues you do. Last night all caution flew out the window and we both ended up accidentally drunk. I tossed and turned all night, just in case. It was awful.
And oh, god. Hangovers with a baby? They are the worst. Especially if they are still in diapers.
4. Stacey S_MOD
December 15, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
I understand COMPLETELY! Even when my husband and I entertained at our house, one of us would ALWAYS stay sober JIC…and our son was 10 at the time.
You just never know, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Ann Marie
December 21, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
Interesting! I thought I was the only person like this. I feel the same way, Just In Case…you never know what could happen. One of us always has to be sober and well…that’s me. I just chalked it up to not being able to cut loose or let go but I guess I’m normal. Plus the hangover is so not worth it. Alcohol stimulates me too, I can’t sleep when I’ve had a few.