My husbands Uncle fell on hard times, so we let him move in with us (when I say Uncle, he's only 4 years older than my husband). It was only suppose to be for a few months, that was 2 years ago. He's a fantastic guy! He works, helps around the house, etc. Unfortunately, he smokes cigarettes. NEVER EVER in the house. My husband nor I smoke. We don't ever let our son hang outside while the Uncle is outside smoking.
My son used to say " you shouldn't smoke, gross, don't smoke anymore, etc etc etc"......... Last night my son went outside to say goodnight to his Uncle and put his nose up in the air like he liked smelling the smoke... I said, "what are you doing" and long story short, he admitted that he likes the smell of smoke. I told him NUMEROUS times how bad smoking is, how much it can hurt your body and eventually make you sick, etc etc....... I'm a little concerned that he liked the "smell" of it all of a sudden....
My question is: would it be appropriate to show him a actual video of what smoking can do to you? I can "tell" him all I want, but actually showing him might be more of an impact. I just don't know if he's too young...
Suggestions????
Thanks in advance!
I like the smell of pipe tobacco, but smoking disgusts me.
I like the smell of brandy. It reminds me of my grandpa. I don't like drinking brandy.
I also like the smell of gasoline but don't want to take a bath in it.
I think you are reading way too much into it and should let it go.
you're confusing actions with emotions.
there's no need to make a 6 year old feel bad for liking what he likes. it's nice that he still feels safe enough with you to tell you. don't violate that trust by shaming him for it.
he's not smoking. he's heard you when you've discussed the dangers with him. he's just come to associate that particular smell with his uncle whom he's fond of.
stay calm. we can share our opinions with our kids without hammering them.
khairete
S.
Might be a little early for a video. Teenagers need in-your-face videos. Six-year-olds can get nightmares instead.
I'd probably say, "Yes, the smoke sometimes smells good, doesn't it? But I'm worried that it'll make Uncle Joe really sick one day, however it smells. Time for bed now!"
You don't want to overdo with the "lectures." Your son will still learn more from you than from any video. Let him learn compassion for his uncle, while he also realizes that his uncle needs to make a better choice.
P.S. If your son asks you about Uncle Joe's having to smoke outside you can say, "The smoky, campfire smell you like outdoors is yucky when it's in a house. It gets inside you and you wouldn't think it smelled good at all."
I wouldn't at his age, it is scary as hell without any real knowledge. What I mean is he could flip out thinking just saying goodnight to his uncle will cause that, cars, you build a fire, one of my favorite was fear of steam from boiling water.
Just because he likes the smell outside doesn't mean he is going to want to smoke. Just keep an eye on him when he gets older.
Jill nailed it. Just because he likes the smell doesn't mean he's going to pick up the habit.
Why not ask his uncle to talk with him?
No - those videos are very harsh. If you can find one marketed to kids, that's fine. But he likes the smell because he likes his uncle. I think it's time to say to Uncle -- we love you, but either you stop smoking or move out.
First of all, your son probably like the smell because he associates it with his uncle, whom he loves. I wouldn't read more into it than that.
Maybe his uncle could talk to him about smoking - how he knows it's terribly bad for him, what it is doing to his body, but also how hard it is to quit, which is why he should never start. (My dad, who never did manage to quit, had similar chats with my brother and I when we were kids. Neither of us smoke.)
If you share this with the uncle, it might give him the motivation he needs to try to quit. If he loves his great-nephew, I doubt he'll be happy to discover that because of the association with him, your son now likes the smell of cigarette smoke. If he's careful enough not to smoke in your house or around your child, he'll probably be horrified.
I just Googled "anti smoking video's" and there are quite a few for children that you might check out.
I like the smell of a pack of cigarettes. But I don't smoke. And I hate cigarette smoke. No one is allowed to smoke in my house or vehicle.
I also enjoy the smell of gasoline. But I'm not huffing it.
I would talk to the uncle about smoking farther from the house and not allow your son to join him during smoking breaks. His uncle is a role model, so you and DH and uncle need to evaluate how this affects your son. I know that smoking is a huge habit to kick. I have a friend who will tell little kids, "I smoke but it's expensive and can make you sick and it is very hard to stop. So don't start."
And liking smells at 6 doesn't mean he will start smoking. My sks have been around a smoking parent their whole lives and neither one has any interest in smoking themselves. At this age, I'd just keep the discussion open.
