Beer in a sippy cup?

So, you're at a restaurant and you let your baby have a sip or two of wine or beer. Are you in trouble?

Well, a mother in Phoenix was at a pizza joint last Tuesday. Her 2-year-old son kept reaching for the group's pitcher of beer. So, she poured a smidge into the kid's sippy cup and the kid drank some of it.

Someone saw it and called the police. The mom was arrested on suspicion of child abuse and authorities took the toddler away from her and to the hospital.

Wow. Talk about a bad night out. I feel pretty comfortable in saying that a good number of parents have given their kids sips of alcoholic beverages in public restaurants, not to mention in the privacy of their own homes. Can you imagine being arrested for it and having your kid taken away from you?

(As an aside, how many parents give their children over-the-counter legal drugs to calm them on a long air flight? Same issues, no?)

Obviously, there's fine lines between responsible parents, unwise parents, reckless parents and abusive parents.

For me, it would take a lot of clear evidence that the child is in imminent danger before I'd arrest a mother and take her child. How about you?

PS -- If you're interested in modern ethical questions, may I recommend "The Ethicist" for periodic reading. It's like a thinking person's "Dear Abby." In this edition, the writer deals with questions about drinking in the exit-row of an airplane and smoking neighbors in an apartment building. You might find it interesting.