After a talk in New York recently, a father leaned toward me as if about to confess something alarming. He had discovered that his teenage son had “done a little drinking” in college. Not reckless drinking. Not blackouts. Just the ordinary experimentation that has historically accompanied adolescence.
He waited for my reaction. I surprised him saying, “Honestly, that may not be the worst sign.”
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© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
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