Children and Smoking issue

[e]

what is the most effective way to teach children not to smoke?

i took this part out of an article:

"when i was 8, my parents- both non-smokers- had me try a cigarette they got from a friend. thier intent was to convince me that smoking is awful. i took one puff, and i choked and gagged. it was the worst thing id ever experienced! i told them id never smoke, and i havent."

"do you recommend this method for teaching children not to be smokers?"

it may help children to realize how awful it is, but not all of them would feel this way. some might feel this way to enjoy grown-up pretense, and some might like it as well.

ive never been a parent but if i was a parent, i would probably start off with a serious sit-down discuss about smoking and cancer. not only superficially, ill make go in depth about how people died from it, if my child doesnt get it i might as well bring him/her to some hospital and meet with patients who are dying from it (maybe this sounds too much, isnt it?) then i will ask my child if he/she wants to give a try to find out what it tastes like and how smoke effected down in throat and lungs.

also id like to hear from others point of view and ideas, or experienced something like this.

 

[Alex]

When I was a kid my brother and I found a cig laying around the house. Next thing we know we're sharing small puffs until we heard someone coming to the room, that's when we got rid of it. Our grandma decided to show up and she asked who has been smoking up in here. We lied and said our father did. She goes something like "Your father left to work a long time ago. Wait here, I'll be back!" She came back in a matter of minutes with a stick in her hand and gave both of us an ass whooping with it (just once each, by the way). It's something I'll never forget (obviously). I guess it worked cuz I haven't smoked cigs up to this day.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

Well isn't good idea let your child and try puff ciggy...

Still not good idea..

What more...
My eldest son kept doing smoking ciggy.. He is 13 yrs old.. I kept scolding him.. not good for you health... He kept ignore my advice... I tried tried... He is quite stubborn.. I keep contuine kept eye on him but unfortunally he going out w/his friends and will contuine smoking ciggy.. I knew all my guts because he kept denied and not taking smoking ciggy.. I'm not stupid.. I can smell his odors outfit clothes. I did ask him.. you did smoking today? He kept denied.. and just visiting my friend's place that where their parent are smoking.. (rolls my eyes up) Sound alike make an excuse...


My experience was first smoking puff when I was 16 yrs old and dislike it few days later, and keep trying it again again then hooked it.. Until I quit smoking ciggy when I was first pregnant. (my 1st son)

 

[Cheri]

No, I wouldn't let my boys puff a cigarette to teach them how bad smoking can be, The more you talk with your child, the better chance the child wouldn't smoke, I would talk to my children about the facts about tobacco's dangers, does not make it look cool. I am trying to quit smoking myself, I am doing better than I was and the more I slow down the more easy for me to quit faster.

 

[Banjo]

The best way to educate the kids is to practice what is preached.

 

[Beowulf]

Dang, I am just dying to hear their idea on how to teach their kids to wait till the age of consent for sex.

 

[Sexy Babe]

My son have already learn how to smoke cig at age almost 12. He learned that from my 14 yrs old oldest daughter.

My kids have gone through rough time with their dad abusing them, verbal abuse and all. My daughter confessed me that she tried to kill herself 3 months ago. I was pretty upset and scared of loosing her for what she went through.

My daughter wanted to move back and live with me and my husband. She confessed me that she started smoking 3 months ago, right after she tried to use the broken sharp plastic glass and cut her wrist several times. No one would notice it, not even my ex abusive husband nor his b*tch wife noticed it. But I do. I was pretty upset and stress, when I found out what have happened to her. My husband said to calm down and said he would rather let her smoking cig, instead of killing herself. But still she is too young and she have long way to live for her future.

She want to move in with me and live with me and I am trying to find a way to get her to move in with me, bec I have joint custody. She is scared to move in with me that her dad or her stepmom will hurt my son and their baby girl ( not my baby) This is soo much stresses for me and my husband and we are doing our best to find a right home and get my daughter to move in with us, so we can help her to quit smoking and all. She said that none of anyone knew that she is smoking, except me, my husband, my son and few of her friends. She seems more cut down on smoking cigs unless her baby brother start looking for problems and make her nervous. She would go outside and puff a cig. I went outside and watched her. Feel like my heart screaming out and crying that my daughter have gone through enough and I could not believe my baby girl is smoking at 14. I feel like I am more likely blame on her father for this crap.. for ruin her life and my son's. I am going to do my best to get help for her and try to get full custody of my son, too. But for the baby, there is nothing that I can do about it, except report to hotline to get baby a help and needing a good parents to love her. Not to abuse her.

I just never thought it would happened to my kids, but knew it will happen one of the day. Sighssss.. I am doing my best to do what is the best for my kids. I feel like I am such a failure mother to them and not be able to get full custody of my kids in the first place, when I divorced my ex husband. He have been threaten me and black mail me in everyway to scare me to loose my kids or either one of them. But now I realized that he is playing games and I am not scared. I am going to do what I have to do for my babies and want them to have better life and not go through this situations.

 

[Brian]

Sexy Babe, I am so sorry for the situations you and your family are going through. I may be mistaken, but I believe children over the ages of 12 or 13 are old enough to decide which parent/guardian they want to live with. You may want to contact your attorney(s) about it and explain what your daughter have told you. Maybe they can get the children welfare people to check it out and possibly remove the children from the house and let them live with you and your husband.

 

[VamPyroX]

My son have already learn how to smoke cig at age almost 12. He learned that from my 14 yrs old oldest daughter.

My kids have gone through rough time with their dad abusing them, verbal abuse and all. My daughter confessed me that she tried to kill herself 3 months ago. I was pretty upset and scared of loosing her for what she went through.

My daughter wanted to move back and live with me and my husband. She confessed me that she started smoking 3 months ago, right after she tried to use the broken sharp plastic glass and cut her wrist several times. No one would notice it, not even my ex abusive husband nor his b*tch wife noticed it. But I do. I was pretty upset and stress, when I found out what have happened to her. My husband said to calm down and said he would rather let her smoking cig, instead of killing herself. But still she is too young and she have long way to live for her future.

She want to move in with me and live with me and I am trying to find a way to get her to move in with me, bec I have joint custody. She is scared to move in with me that her dad or her stepmom will hurt my son and their baby girl ( not my baby) This is soo much stresses for me and my husband and we are doing our best to find a right home and get my daughter to move in with us, so we can help her to quit smoking and all. She said that none of anyone knew that she is smoking, except me, my husband, my son and few of her friends. She seems more cut down on smoking cigs unless her baby brother start looking for problems and make her nervous. She would go outside and puff a cig. I went outside and watched her. Feel like my heart screaming out and crying that my daughter have gone through enough and I could not believe my baby girl is smoking at 14. I feel like I am more likely blame on her father for this crap.. for ruin her life and my son's. I am going to do my best to get help for her and try to get full custody of my son, too. But for the baby, there is nothing that I can do about it, except report to hotline to get baby a help and needing a good parents to love her. Not to abuse her.

I just never thought it would happened to my kids, but knew it will happen one of the day. Sighssss.. I am doing my best to do what is the best for my kids. I feel like I am such a failure mother to them and not be able to get full custody of my kids in the first place, when I divorced my ex husband. He have been threaten me and black mail me in everyway to scare me to loose my kids or either one of them. But now I realized that he is playing games and I am not scared. I am going to do what I have to do for my babies and want them to have better life and not go through this situations.

That sucks. It is a very dangerous and/or sticky situation when it comes to separated/divorced parents... and custody issues.

I used to have a friend who was going through the same thing, but with his ex-girlfriend... not ex-wife or anything. She was neglecting her kids. She only had one mattress on the floor that all 3 kids slept on. Every time the kids drew pictures for their him (their father; my friend), she would take the pictures and throw them away. Whenever their grandmother (my friend's mother) came over to visit, the kids would ask why my friend never said anything about the pictures. (She found the pictures in the trash and mailed them to my friend. My friend cried when he saw the pictures because they meant a lot to him.)

Whenever my friend sent his child support money, she would take it and host a huge party. During those parties, she would lock the kids in their room with nothing to do while she drinks away all night with everyone else. She didn't even have anything in the house to cook with. NOTHING.

My friend tried to get the kids away from her, but the courts wouldn't allow it unless he had evidence of what she was doing. Yet, he couldn't because he wasn't allowed near her.

One day, it was tax time. This was his first time to make a lot of money from his new job, so his tax return was BIG. Unfortunately, the courts ordered him to turn over all the money to his ex-girlfriend. As soon as she got the money, she gave the kids up and my friend never got the money back.

So, the legal system for custody isn't fun... it really does suck.