ADVICE RATING |
  4.38 (Worth a try) from 12 votes (244 Visits) |
I'm a smoker. I have been for literally half of my life, now. (15 years) I have always smoked outside, away from my son, but I've never hidden it from him. Last week, they had a No Smoking seminar at school, and he came home and lectured me about it, lol.
This is the advice I gave to him:
It isn't smart to start smoking. Mommie has trouble Not smoking, now, because she started in the first place. It is harder to breathe, it makes my breath smell bad, it causes Cancer and Heart Attacks and Lung Disease and all sorts of horrible stuff, and it isn't good to put the smoke into other people's air. If someone offers you a cigarette, smile and politely tell them that you don't want to smoke. If ever you Do start smoking, don't hide it from me. Come to me, tell me you tried it, and we can talk about it and how it made you feel. I would rather you Not smoke, but I will never be upset that you have, unless you keep it hidden, because that is a form of lying.
He looked thoughtful for a moment, and he said, "Smoking is really yucky, Mama. I still love you, even if you smoke, but I don't want to." And that was that.
Basically put, let them know the dangers of it. Be really, really honest about the side effects, like Cancer and Lung Disease and Heart Attacks and so on. But be supportive of your child. If they know that you will love them regardless, it is less of a rebellious thing to start smoking in the first place. It leaves the choice up to them, ultimately, and that teaches them far more than saying, "Don't smoke!"
(September 2006) (
