We can just chalk it up to her being ahead of her time but the daughter of actor David Schwimmer (who’s most popularly known for his role as Ross Geller on Friends) apparently prefers beer over milk.
The former “Friends” star turned director told “Late Night” host Seth Meyers about his 5-year-old daughter Cleo’s penchant for the alcoholic drink; he also says experts have advised him to cut her off.
The 49-year-old actor currently stars in the dramatic series “Feed the Beast”, in which he plays a sommelier who also struggles with alcoholism. Naturally, preparing for the role included consuming a lot of wine.
When his daughter wanted to have a taste, he gave her a few sips.
“I don’t know how the other parents are out there, but my thought when I pour myself a glass of wine that my wife (artist Zoe Buckman) and I have over dinner and my daughter says, ‘Can I try that?’ I thought, ‘Well, if you start saying no, then they’re just going to want it more,'” explained Schwimmer.
Turns out, wine wasn’t his little girl’s cup of tea.
“So, I thought ‘Yeah, all right. Go ahead, sweetie. Have a sip.’ And luckily she was like, ‘Blah! No!'”
Things changed, however, when she asked for a sip of beer.
“She loves it,” Schwimmer said in the interview.
He also shared how he catches Cleo stealing sips late at night: “I’m serious! If I have a beer out, I have to watch it, because if I turn my back, she’ll be chugging it.”
Find out what experts have to say about kids drinking beer on the next page
According to TODAY show parenting expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa, giving kids a taste of booze–even if it’s just in small amounts–is not harmless.
“It seems like common sense — you don’t make alcohol forbidden. Most of it tastes awful, so if you let your kid try it and you’re there, it seems like the right thing to do, and it’s what parents have done for generations,” explains Gilboa (who is part of the U.S. national advisory board for the Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility).
photo: Pixabay
According to previous studies, children who have been allowed to drink alcohol at a young age are more likely to be able to finish an entire drink all on their own by the time they reach 13 or 14 years old.
Some studies claim that early alcohol consumption leads to binge drinking once they reach high school.
“These studies are surprising and compelling,” explained Gilboa. She confesses to allowing her kids a few sips of wine prior to learning about the study.
But now, things have changed. She adds, “It’s actually a dangerous thing to do.”
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them with us!