Smoking and children?

Question

We have a daycare in the home and some of the kids come to your house stinking of cigarette smoke. These parents smoke around their kids and I find it disgusting and at least they could smoke outside so their kids arent breathing it in What is your opinion?

Answer 1

I smoke and have 2 toddlers and one teenager. I smoke outside, never in the house or in the car. I walk away from people and go to the "smoking corner" so I don't bother anyone. I don't take my kids to friends houses who smoke, they come to our house and we go outside.

If you smoke and have kids in the house, you should smoke outside and never in the car.

Answer 2

I 100% agree with you.

The sad part is the only thing you can do is use frabreez or other spray to help mask it.

You can discuss this tenderly with parents (even though a few is bound to be offended) that the smell is abit too strong. Instead of giving them an option. Ask if they have any options to offer to help minimize the incoming order into your home. If they have nothing to offer, ask them if they would be offended if you would like them to not have smoke around them when they bring them over.

yet, if they smoke in the house, pretty much the smell is going to be there. If that is the case, all you can do is try to help mask it or request the parents to find another in home setting.

I know as I agree. Until law is passed in your area, you are going to have to accept it to a point and give out little conversations to parents you feel are least likely to be offensive.

Answer 3

I think it is so nasty for parents to smoke around their kids. My step sons mom does and he has chronic bronchitis and a lot of breathing problems. The doctor told her not to smoke around him and she replied to the doctor, " like that is going to happen" I don't understand some parents because my kids health and well being come before me and my wants and a lot of the time my needs. In the nursery at my church some people bring this sweet happy little baby 5 months old and the poor thing wreaks. Most of the time the nursery director has to call his parents because I have severe asthma and cannot be around smoke and I am unable to care for him.

Answer 4

I used to be a daycare provider. The only thing you can really do is maybe get pamplets on things that are harmful around them and slip the pamplet of smoking as well in it. Smoking around children can cause asthma, allergies, and breathing problems down the line to children. Talk to your outreach worker and see if they have anything that you can give the parents, without being completely rude to them.

Hope that helps alittle.

Answer 5

Two different things here. One is that you say you "find it disgusting." That's reasonable because I have no problem believing that the smell is gross to you.

The "breathing in" is another issue entirely, a spurious argument in light of the real respiratory culprit in today's world - motor exhaust. Anti-smoking zealotry is really about the fact that smoking is "disgusting." It's not about the kids.

There was a time when people were a bit more tolerant and I think socially we were better off for it.

Answer 6

I agree that it's terrible, but I'm not sure what you can do about it. Perhaps you could have some general health information available that included information about secondhand smoke. You could send the information home with each child (not just the stinky ones), and/or have a stack of brochures available in the daycare for when parents pick up and drop off. Unfortunately, though, they probably already know this stuff and either don't believe it or, sadly, don't care.

Answer 7

Personally, I am a smoker and it is not considered child abuse...if you reported it, they would laugh in your face. They disapprove of smoking in front of children but it is not illegal or child endangerment. Its like saying that if a woman was pregnant and she smoked that she should be put into jail and not allowed to keep her baby once it was born....ridiculous. Yes, it is a bad habit I know and I don't like myself even for it but sometimes you don't have a chance to just leave your children all alone to go outside to smoke...but non-smokers don't understand this. I'm not saying its good or right since they are too young to decide for themselves...but don't judge so harshly because people are addicted to something. It could be worse.

Answer 8

I absolutely agree. I think that parents that smoke around their children are very self centered and naive. They obviously ignore what the negative effects that smoking has on them, but they shouldn't subject their children to it too. I know that a lot of breathing problems can occur on TOP of all of the different types of cancers that second hand smoking causes. On top of that- It is really just embarrassing to smell like smoke. To go to school with that on your clothes must be awful.

Answer 9

My parents never smoked in the house. We smelled like smoke because they smelled like smoke when they washed our clothes, did our hair, or even sat on the couch. Smells rub off on people.

You don't know if these parents smoke in the home--don't report it. You don't know the whole story.

Smoking around kids is harmful. It's wrong and shouldn't be done. I personally do smoke--outside. Even on a 23 hour car trip I would only smoke when we stopped for gas. I also wash my hand after I get back in the house. I don't like germs and try to eliminate some of the smell. It's not hard.

Hopefully these parents are not smoking around their kids but again you don't know so I wouldn't get in the middle of it.

Answer 10

When I do have my occasional cigarette (usually 1 a month or if I have a drink--again, rare occasion) I smoke away from my kids (outside) or when they are not around. They don't need to be exposed to my bad habit or it's after effects.

Answer 11

smoking around kids is not considered child abuse. You'd be wasting your time reporting it. It is completely at a parents discretion to smoke around their own kids and their own home. YES, It stinks. Bring up the smell to the parents, not the habit. They will be more receptive.