Smoking

What is odd about parents smoking resulting in their children smoking - did not happen in my family. Both of our parents were smokers (they quit when I had my first child because they knew I would not let them babysit if they smoked around her). As a child I hated smoking. Car rides and in the house with all that smoke made me feel sick. Also the occassional cigarette burn - not to punish or on purpose. I would run to my mom and the cigarette would be lit and I'd hit with my arm or something. I especially hated it because then my mom would get mad at me.

Both parents especially my mom would say how bad smoking was - while they were puffing away. They explaned that they would never had started if they knew how bad it was for them - now they are hooked.

Of the four of us kids - none of us smoke.

I agree JPB. My husband never once picked up a cigarette. He hated that his Mom and Dad smoked. My Mom and Dad never smoked...well Dad smoked a pipe...we never really considered that smoking - though it is.

In 9th grade I changed schools. I was in the bathroom with some of my new friends and they offered me one. Not wanting to say no to these kids I accepted. I loved it. I loved the way the nicotine made me feel. I did not do it all the time. Just when I was out with my friends.

I still will when I am out with my girlfriends, I love a beer and a ciggy on the backporch. Though I would never do it consistently. I don't like the taste in my mouth afterwards. And my husband abhors it. He gets annoyed with me when I tell him what we have been up to! Oh well...

I do believe it has a lot to do with personality. Whether that first cigarette is accepted might have to do with whether you are a people pleaser or not. My husband is not. I am. I just got lucky I guess in that I don't crave it at all. My husband is also a control freak. Will not let anything rule him. Whereas - I am not a control freak - as much anyway.... hmmm

Soz...thanks for the link. I am starting to read as much as I can to help my boys.

My parents were, and my Mother still is, smokers. My brothers smoke.
As a child I hated smoking and gave my Mom endless grief for doing it.

Then as a lame-ass 16 year old, I started smoking.
Since I came from a family of alcoholics and drug users, I didn't want to experiment along those lines like the rest of my friends, but I didn't want to look like I was totally uncool, so I smoked.
And then I liked smoking.
And I continued to smoke until 2 months ago.
21 years I smoked.

Sad.

'course I'm proud of myself for quitting.
But, yeah, I was a loser there for a long time.
Not that I would have listened to anyone tell me differently as a teenager.

Hey! caribou is back! Good to see you!

It really is weird that different kids pick up different messages from parent's smoking. It is obviously influential but the influence runs both ways.

That's interesting about the smoke for earaches. Wish I would have known that a month ago -- we were on the first day of our vacation in a sleepy little coastal town, off season, without a store around for miles when Mo woke up with a raging earache. He was howling it hurt so bad. I found a water bottle with a sports cap and started flushing out his ear, which made him howl louder. Finally a little chunk of something washed out and everything was fine. Something, anything, to dull the pain would have been well received.



This made me smile. You're so right.

Second-hand smoke is a major risk factor for causing ear infections, too...

Still like the picture, that's sweet.


Hey Caribou! Good to see ya.

<waves back to boom and soz>