Life has changed. When we were in our teens and twenties, how often did we watch our moms go out with a group of girlfriends and come home a little worse for wear? It just didn’t happen.
I am not a particularly heavy drinker and I don’t get out-of-control drunk, but I can’t say my fifties have been immune to me arriving home and struggling to get my key in the front door. Recently a friend dropped by one Sunday afternoon. After several bottles of wine we turned the kitchen into a dance floor, resulting in a sprained ankle for her, hysterical laughter from me, and my 20-year old son looking on, horrified. And I won’t even mention the singing.
If I think back to my mom, much of her socialising was based on coffee mornings, cake, and hobbies like flower arranging or playing cards. As anybody who knows me will confirm, while I enjoy copious amounts of coffee and cake, the flower-arranging gene passed me by, and I enjoy meeting friends for a drink. I can happily remain alcohol-free for weeks, even months, but if I have a glass it can easily become a bottle.
If I kept a drink diary, I fear the facts would have medics branding me a binge drinker. Just writing that down is quite a sobering experience. But I’m not alone. It has become part of our everyday culture, with many women drinking more than recommended. According to a 2015 UK survey, ‘empty nester’ moms were at the forefront of middle-aged drinking, with 28% of women over 45 admitting they drink as much as or more than their grown-up children. As they don’t get drunk, they often don’t see it as a problem. Yet every glass of wine or draft glass of beer over the recommended limit will cut half an hour from the expected lifespan of a 40-year-old.* And, alarmingly, according to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), there’s been a marked increase in the number of women over 40 attending AA meetings.
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av woman & home South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av woman & home South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Used car SCAMS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
Whether you're buying or selling, here are the dodgy deals to watch out for
Bliss in the BUSH
Not even the rain could dampen the spirit and beauty of a visit to Lalibela Game Reserve
Caramel CREATIONS
Three classic French sweets to round off dinner with friends
WINTER houseplant care
Bring extra greenery and life into your home when it's grey and gloomy outside
10 ways to LIVE WELL UNTIL...
It's the little lifestyle changes that can make a big difference
THE DESPAIR Of WINTER
Winter does sap one’s energy, to be sure, and you want to snuggle on the couch with a good book, but for some people, winter brings serious mental health issues
IT'S CRUNCH TIME
Noisy eaters, beware: Christabel Smith has had and heard! - enough
Pillars OF SUPPORT
We should all be paying it forward, and these women are helping to set an example
Gracefully COMMITTED
Anne Hathaway has shaken off her princess crown and is showing the world that she is more than capable of being the queen of the screen through hard work, commitment and being authentically herself
Till death do us part
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages, said Nietzsche. He may be on to something, says Lorraine Kearney