While I don't have anything against smokers personally, I would not have knowingly sent my children to a provider who smoked. For me, it was an emotional decision because my mother had been a smoker who died of lung cancer when I was a teen. I think kids are very impressionable and I just felt very strongly about having role models around my kids who did not smoke. Before I became a provider, I did have my son in child care. During the interview, I asked if the provider smoked and she told me she did not. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask if anyone in her house did and she didn't bother to tell me her husband was a smoker. He did it outside and while I was uncomfortable about it, I didn't remove my son from her care. One morning, I dropped my son off at her house and she had guests that were staying the week. They were all smokers and you could cut the smoke in her kitchen with a knife! I was very upset but didn't feel I could say anything to her since it was her house. I knew I was going to start my own day care soon after so I never said anything to her about the smoking but I wasn't happy that she allowed it around my son and the other kids.

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