CAUGHT DRINKING BY MATE’S MUM

Dear Coleen

I’m a 16-year-old male and recently my mate’s mum caught us drinking at her house after she came back home early.

She went mad, threw me out and told me I wasn’t to be friends with her son any more as I’m a bad influence (not true – he’s as bad as me).

She’s friendly with my mum and I’m worried because my dad, who died several years ago, was an alcoholic and my mum is very sensitive about the subject of drinking. Her biggest fear is that I’ll go the same way as my dad.

I feel bad about what happened, but I’m just doing stuff that other lads my age do.

Should I tell her before my mate’s mum does?

Coleen says

In the eyes of the law you are too young to drink alcohol – I’m sure you know that, but thought I’d point it out!

Look, I think you need to sit with your mum and have a conversation about alcohol generally. Having been a teenager myself and as a mum of three grown-up kids, I know that as soon as you’re told you can’t have something, it becomes much more attractive.

So it’s important for you and your mum to have a sensible, balanced approach. It’s hard for her because she’s lived with an alcoholic and watched him destroy his life, and that’s a very tough thing to go through.

As for your mate’s mum, she might tell on you, so why not get in there first? Show her you’re grown up enough to accept responsibility and that you don’t want to lie to her. That will go a long way in terms of her trusting you in the future.