Alcohol's Effects on Parenting

Alcoholism has a host of negative effects on your body, but it also punishes those around you. This includes your children. When you drink in excess, your children see the toll it takes on you and they suffer the backlash. The damage inflicted to children by an alcoholic parent can haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Poor Supervision

• It becomes hard to focus most times when you are under the influence of alcohol. If you can hardly pay attention to where you are and what you are doing, it is going to be nearly impossible to keep track of your children. Without gentle guidance and supervision, children can start engaging in risky behaviors such as drug abuse, imbibing alcoholic beverages and unsafe sexual activity. Even if they don't participate in risky behaviors, it is emotionally damaging for a child to have a detached parent.

Handing Off Responsibilities

• Despite what you may think, children can be very observant and insightful. Witnessing a parent---someone who should be setting a positive example---constantly consuming spirits and participating in risky behavior will make a poor impression on the child. In some cases, the child may start acting out in retaliation against the irresponsible parent. In other cases, it may cause the child to take on a nurturing role---either caring for the parent or his siblings---that will make his childhood pass faster than it should.

Violence

• According to G. Berger, author of "Alcoholism and the Family," nearly 75 percent of domestic abuse has to do with an alcoholic family member. This creates a stressful situation for a child that will leave him feeling vulnerable. He can either become withdrawn and scared or start lashing out at other children. Some abuse problems go beyond simple violence, though. Alcoholism can lead to sexual exploitation of child by her parent, which is severely damaging to a child's emotional and mental development.

Neglect

• Lapses in supervision can turn into full-blown neglect when a parent drinks heavily. A heavily drinking parent can neglect their responsibilities ranging from teaching proper hygiene to providing square meals. Sometimes, all the income of a parent will go to support their habit, leaving the children without essential food and clothing. The child in this situation can either go hungry or resort to petty theft to get food. Getting caught stealing can provoke a strong negative reaction from the parents, causing them to punish the child for seeking something he needs.