Most of us didn't grow up drinking beer—alcoholic or non-alcoholic—and it's not the first thing that comes to our minds when we think about parenting.
After hearing what Kristen Bell has to say about why she lets her kids drink non-alcoholic beer, though, it may enter our parenting lexicon.
Bell, on the Say Yes! with Carla Hall podcast, explained just why she let her daughters drink O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer.
Recognizing she'd face criticism, Bell said:
"I'm gonna get a lot of flak for this. And let me start by saying I don't care. You're allowed to give me any advice you guys want, any of these listeners. You're welcome to tell me I'm a terrible parent. I don't care. I'm a great parent, I think. I'm learning every day."
O'Doul's drinking was popular in the Bell/Shepard household even before Lincoln (7) or Delta (5) were cognizant of it:
"When we first had our child and my husband would put her in the Baby Björn and we'd walk around the neighborhood, he'd pop a non-alcoholic beer in his hand, and the baby would paw at it and put the rim in her mouth."
"It's a sentimental thing for my girls, right? It makes them feel close to their dad."
She added:
"There's nothing wrong with it. It's just essentially a bubbly juice. Right? There's nothing in it."
She continued that drinking the beverage has lead to productive conversations about her husband Dax Shepard's sobriety, "and the importance of it, and why Daddy can't drink."
Bell has said that her daughters will grab the beverage on their breaks during at-home school over Zoom.
"They're both just sipping their Doulies. And I'm like, 'What must these other parents and teachers think of me?!'"
Despite the flack she might get, Bell said she is thankful for the opportunities it presents to talk about what lead to Dax Shepard's sobriety.
"If anything, it opens up the discussion for why Daddy has to drink non-alcoholic beer, because some people lose their privileges with drinking. Drinking's not always safe."
Every family has its slightly unorthodox traditions that might raise a few eyebrows, but ultimately it is up to the parents to parent and keep their children safe.
Bell has accepted that, though she knows she will get some funny looks, ultimately this tradition does more good for their family than anything else.
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