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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What's Your Take on Smoking
dEHmom 10:22 AM 12-17-2010
I'm just curious what other peoples opinions are when they find out their daycare provider is a smoker!

Me personally I would find it alarming, and make me question not the quality of the care itself, nor the character of the provider, but the health of my child.

Are they smoking in the house?
Have my children seen them smoking?
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laundrymom 10:28 AM 12-17-2010
well Im not a smoker, so I cant answer that, however If I was taking my child to a provider, I would choose one who was NOT a smoker. Just a personal preferance,....

however,... I hate when people lie about it. Im not dumb, I can smell, I know some of the parents smoke. They lie. lol

Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
I'm just curious what other peoples opinions are when they find out their daycare provider is a smoker!

Me personally I would find it alarming, and make me question not the quality of the care itself, nor the character of the provider, but the health of my child.

Are they smoking in the house?
Have my children seen them smoking?

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dEHmom 10:33 AM 12-17-2010
exactly!

I mean I used to once upon a time be a smoke. But I grew up, had kids, and truth is, if your children see you smoke they are much more likely to begin smoking. My uncle died a year ago from lung cancer. My dad is having an angiogram today, he had a heartattack on the surgery table for his gall bladder a few months ago. And they've decided to schedule a bypass for him. SCARY.

I'm not saying smokers are bad people, or can't take care of children. But it just bothers me to see smoke butts outside because I don't know if they are leaving kids unattended while they smoke. Or if they smoke inside when kids are there.
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dEHmom 10:33 AM 12-17-2010
p.s. sorry I am a daycare provider. Once upon a time my kids went to daycare. Changed my mind, and decided to do it myself.
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safechner 10:36 AM 12-17-2010
I will ask providers if she is a smoker or not before I put my kids in their daycare. I will choose non smoker daycare provider because I CANNOT STAND of smell. I do not want around my girls because it is gross.

I know it sounds mean but every time I passed people who are smoking and I cover my nose or hold my breath. My husband knows I hate it. One of my parent do smoke but I have to be patient whatever I can, lol..
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Live and Learn 10:45 AM 12-17-2010
I am not a smoker.
I think that it is 100% personal choice if any adult wants to smoke.
Just like it is 100% personal choice if a parent wants to leave their child with a smoker dc provider.

I was fortunate enough to stay home with all of my own kids before I started daycare birth to first grade.....if I had needed daycare there is just no way at all ever I would have used a daycare provider who smoked. I have a very sensitive nose and to be honest I can pick up THAT smell a mile away.....Give me the smell of diapers over cigarette smoke any day!
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DCMomOf3 10:48 AM 12-17-2010
I am a former smoker (before I had kids or a daycare). I would not want my kids at a home with a smoker. In a center where they take smoke breaks outside/off site, I can't control, but if I could I wouldn't want it. I think it's bad for the kids to see it, and breathe it.
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dEHmom 10:49 AM 12-17-2010
agree totally.

i think if my kids were in daycare, and i found out the daycare provider was smoking and lied about it, i would pull the kids out.

but at the same time, to be fair, my father smokes, step father smokes, father in law used to, sister smokes, etc, and i wouldnt' think twice about leaving my kids in their care. I know they don't smoke in the house though, so i don't know, maybe thats an important factor.
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MyAngels 10:52 AM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
agree totally.

i think if my kids were in daycare, and i found out the daycare provider was smoking and lied about it, i would pull the kids out.

but at the same time, to be fair, my father smokes, step father smokes, father in law used to, sister smokes, etc, and i wouldnt' think twice about leaving my kids in their care. I know they don't smoke in the house though, so i don't know, maybe thats an important factor.
It's a little different when it's your family, though. You can't choose family , but you can choose a daycare provider. My FIL smokes, too, and I would never have hesitated to leave my kids with him in a million years. His smoking was a non-issue. He would never have smoked around his grandchildren when they were small. Come to think of it, he doesn't smoke around them even now.
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dEHmom 11:28 AM 12-17-2010
Very true, but essentially if you are trusting some person to care for your child, they sort of become like family. You wouldn't leave your child with just anybody. You wouldn't think twice about the majority of your family members, and you shouldn't think twice about your daycare provider. So that's the only reason I really brought up this issues as it has been on my mind several times. I mean being a former smoker, i can see how smoking is a choice any adult has. It doesn't make you a bad person, irresponsible, or incompetent of caring for children. It's a bad habit, and smells bad. And maybe you're just a casual smoker, or you have designated smoke breaks when lets say children are napping, or you only have before and after your work day. There's a lot to think about.
If I was still a smoker, I can understand and respect a parents choice not to choose me as a provider, but it would always bother me because it's discrimination in a sense. Assuming I do not smoke in my home, or around the kids.
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nikia 12:24 PM 12-17-2010
I think as long as it is not done in the home, or in the car that they are transporting kids, done while kids are at their house then what do I care. So if they only smoke before kids get there and after kids leave its really none of my business.
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dEHmom 12:35 PM 12-17-2010
Thanks Nikia.

Maybe my whole reason for posting was to prove a point? OR maybe I'm just that bored on my day off. LOL.

Basically, if it doesn't involve your child (no smoking around them, in front of them, in the home,etc) what they do on their time is their business and not mine.

Don't know, don't see, don't care?!
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KEG123 12:37 PM 12-17-2010
I don't smoke anymore. However, my boyfriend does smoke but would never smoke near daycare kids.
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DanceMom 12:38 PM 12-17-2010
What a person does OUTSIDE of daycare is their choice. As long as the provider is not smoking during daycare hours ( or in their house ever ) I could care less.

I actually had a parent ask me if I smoked ( which I dont ) but there was a receipt for cigarettes in a grocery bag I sent poopy clothes home in...It was my mom's as she is a smoker - when she is here she will smoke outside ( not during daycare hours though as she lives in another town and is here on weekends only )

Im pretty sure they think Im lying, but oh well.
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dEHmom 12:41 PM 12-17-2010
my sister in law lived with us for a few months in the summer with her newborn, and she was a smoker. I constantly had to give her heck for flicking her butts on the walkway. I even put out a tin for her to butt into. I'd say " i don't want daycare parents, or prospective clients seeing that". I had to constantly go out and pick up the butts.

Just seeing them puts suspicion in their eyes, and I don't like that.
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misol 12:55 PM 12-17-2010
As a parent I would immediately pull my children from an in-home provider who was a smoker or had smokers in the home. I would also make certain to ask if there were any smokers in the home before enrolling there. Even if they didn't smoke inside the house I wouldn't want any parts of it. I don't want me or my children to have to walk through the "cloud" every time we enter and exit the home. I wouldn't want a provider whose hair and clothes reek of smoke snuggling my child. I wouldn't want a smoking provider hacking and coughing up their left lung around my child every day. and I wouldn't want my child to see this person smoking every day as children are very impressionable.

I am a provider who does not smoke. In my initial interviews I ask parents if they smoke or if there are any smokers in the home. I will not knowingly accept a child who comes from a smoking household (even if the smoker doesn't smoke inside the house). I would not want to snuggle or have much physical contact with a child whose hair and clothes reeked of smoke. In addition, I would not want my home smelling like smoke as a result of this child and his belongings being there.

I don't think that smokers are bad people - they just have a disgusting habit that negatively affects their own health and the health of others. Smoking is a personal decision but it's a public problem.

IMHO, I think that the quality of care children receive from a smoking provider can be affected if a provider smokes. Breathing issues may limit the persons physical ability to engage in certain activities with the kids, they are likely to need more sick time than a healthy, non-smoking provider, and frequent smoke breaks may mean that they children are left unattended more often than a parent would like. Not saying that this is the case for all smoking providers - just giving examples. I know that plenty of other situations/conditions/habits/illnesses can fall under this unmbrella but this thread is specifically about smoking.
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dEHmom 01:00 PM 12-17-2010
Great points Misol.

I agree as a parent, if you are asking questions like what are your rates, hours etc, you should also be asking about the smoking aspect. Maybe it slips the mind of parents, but that's like forgetting to ask if they have any experience in child care...
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Abigail 01:45 PM 12-17-2010
Is choosing a smoke-free home really discrimination? I don't think so, but I haven't actually checked. I'm allergic to smoke and can't be near anyone who does smoke. My mom smoked in our house growing up until the end of elementary school, then she went to stinkin up the garage in the next houses we lived in. I agree that kids are more likely to smoke if they grow up watching someone smoke. Both of my sisters started smoking in middle school and both STILL DO. They both have kids and smoke around them and I absolutely find it nasty! I'm the only one allergic to the smoke itself and whenever I visit them they ask if they can stop someone (gas station or stand outside of walmart) to lite up for a minute. It's just gross. The other sad issue is that one of their kids wasn't even in elementary school and I asked where is mom and they responded "She's outside having a cancer stick"!

I would never want my kids around someone who smokes. It's the choice of health. Who wants rotten cigarette fingers rocking your child to sleep? If a child came from a smoking home, I would just let them know that the child can not arrive everyday smelling of smoke. I would only have issues if they smoke in the house, but I would still take a child from a smoking family--at least it gives them those hours during the day to be smoke free.
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dEHmom 02:02 PM 12-17-2010
I think what I meant by the discrimination is very hard to describe. I don't mean just choosing not to use someone because they smoke. I meant it in a way like, if they are very responsible about it, and basically if they hid it so well, that you NEVER would have known, other than one day lets say you saw them outside a mall and they were having a smoke or something. Just hypothetically speaking, if I was a casual smoker, having the odd one if I'm out drinking or something. And you saw that, it wouldn't be fair to pull your child out of care just because. But at the same time, I would never place my child in a dayhome/daycare if I knew that person smokes regularly, in front of children, in the home, etc etc. If they never smelt of it, and I had no idea, and the kids were none the wiser, then it's a different story.
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Abigail 02:05 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
I think what I meant by the discrimination is very hard to describe. I don't mean just choosing not to use someone because they smoke. I meant it in a way like, if they are very responsible about it, and basically if they hid it so well, that you NEVER would have known, other than one day lets say you saw them outside a mall and they were having a smoke or something. Just hypothetically speaking, if I was a casual smoker, having the odd one if I'm out drinking or something. And you saw that, it wouldn't be fair to pull your child out of care just because. But at the same time, I would never place my child in a dayhome/daycare if I knew that person smokes regularly, in front of children, in the home, etc etc. If they never smelt of it, and I had no idea, and the kids were none the wiser, then it's a different story.
I totally agree. I'm not a drinker or smoker. Never even tried anything. (Sure hope my kids --when they are born--choose the same!)
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marniewon 02:50 PM 12-17-2010
I'm really trying not to be offended here, and I know most (if not all) are trying really hard to NOT be offensive, but I guess I really am.

I'm a smoker. I'm also a professional daycare provider. The people making comments about pulling their kids immediately if they knew their provider smoked - what do you think we do? Light up in the playroom during circle time?!? I do not smoke in the house. I never smoke anywhere the kids could see me. I always use a strong mint and wash my hands after. There are no cigarette butts laying around my yard. I never leave the kids unattended, my breaks are only when my "assistants" are here and helping. The care I give my dck's is never compromised because I smoke. I've missed ONE day since starting daycare, and that was from the stomach flu I caught from one of the kids. My dckids are way sicker than I ever am. We take walks, I chase them around outside, I play on the floor occasionally with them. I don't have a problem keeping up with the kids. I would bet that none of my parents know I smoke, and I interact with them and their children every day. If they were to ask me point blank, I would tell them yes. I would not lie, have never lied about it, it has just never come up. I do not smell like smoke, my kids do not go home smelling like smoke.
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QualiTcare 04:51 PM 12-17-2010
i'm not "a smoker" but i have been known to smoke when i'm drinking - and i smoked sometimes when i was in college. there was a time when i was smoking a cig. on the way to work and again on a break between classes.

this girl that we liked to call a "goody goody" was a friend of mine and we sat next to each other in 2-3 classes. one day she was like "i didn't know u smoked" and i said, yeah, i shouldn't but i guess im bored on my break blah blah. she said, "hmm, i've never smelled it. i always smell smoke." i always washed my hands when i came inside/before i went to class and had a mint or gum out of courtesy to others and i didn't want to smell - plus, it's not really something people approve of from ppl in the teaching program and i wasn't proud of it. i can safely say she was one of those "i can smell smoke from a mile away people" and may have not even been my friend had she known i smoked beforehand. she only found out bc she saw me standing outside when she was walking to class. i was also working at a daycare where my director was shocked to find out i was smoking because she was another "i can smell smoke from a mile away person" and she found out bc she pulled into the parking lot one day and saw me standing by my car. her 11 year old son was with her and she said he was like "i didn't know she smoked!" and i worked with him every day. the only reason he saw me is bc he was the director's son bc i hid it from the kids. they would even say things like "smoking is bad, i know you'd never smoke" and of course i'd agree. so, the only ppl in my professional life who ever knew i smoked were people who physically saw me doing it - and they were shocked.

btw, i don't smoke now unless i've had one too many drinks which isn't often.
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Lucy 05:12 PM 12-17-2010
In my state we must be a non-smoking household to be licensed. If your state is the same, you just call licensing and report her.
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QualiTcare 05:20 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by misol:
I would not want to snuggle or have much physical contact with a child whose hair and clothes reeked of smoke. In addition, I would not want my home smelling like smoke as a result of this child and his belongings being there.
if someone doesn't smoke in the home or around their children then their child/belongings wouldn't smell like smoke and certainly couldn't make your house smell.
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marniewon 05:41 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by Joyce:
In my state we must be a non-smoking household to be licensed. If your state is the same, you just call licensing and report her.
Yes, that only applies to the HOUSE. In MI you can't smoke in any public building/business (this includes daycare) during business hours. But they can't tell you that if you EVER smoke ANYWHERE or a member of your household EVER smokes ANYWHERE that you can't be licensed. IF you (or a member of your household) smokes inside the house, outside of business hours, you can STILL be licensed, you just have to disclose that info to all interviewing families.
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Lucy 05:44 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
Yes, that only applies to the HOUSE. In MI you can't smoke in any public building/business (this includes daycare) during business hours. But they can't tell you that if you EVER smoke ANYWHERE or a member of your household EVER smokes ANYWHERE that you can't be licensed. IF you (or a member of your household) smokes inside the house, outside of business hours, you can STILL be licensed, you just have to disclose that info to all interviewing families.
Yes, I wasn't clear. During business hours is what I meant. Here, it includes within 15 ft. of the house even if outside. It's the same way for businesses... if you go outside to smoke, you must stay at least 15 ft. away from the establishment.
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marniewon 06:07 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by Joyce:
Yes, I wasn't clear. During business hours is what I meant. Here, it includes within 15 ft. of the house even if outside. It's the same way for businesses... if you go outside to smoke, you must stay at least 15 ft. away from the establishment.
Here, it used to be that we couldn't smoke within 25-50 feet of a business or public building. Then, last spring they passed the law of no smoking IN any business (including restaurants and bars), and the first law went away. Ashtrays are now right outside the doors of buildings. My way of thinking (and I'm thinking specifically of our local bowling alley) if I was a non-smoker, I would much rather have the smokers smoking in the bar (away from everyone else and the kids) than standing right outside the only door that people enter, and have to walk through the "white cloud" of smoke. In fact, as a smoker, I would much rather be IN the bar than right outside the door, as I'm very conscious of and respectful to the non-smokers.

Anyway, back on topic - for daycares here in MI, we cannot smoke on our property during business hours. However, if you have a property of several acres, you can go out an acre (or however many feet it is) and still smoke on your own property.
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nikia 06:48 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
I'm really trying not to be offended here, and I know most (if not all) are trying really hard to NOT be offensive, but I guess I really am.

I'm a smoker. I'm also a professional daycare provider. The people making comments about pulling their kids immediately if they knew their provider smoked - what do you think we do? Light up in the playroom during circle time?!? I do not smoke in the house. I never smoke anywhere the kids could see me. I always use a strong mint and wash my hands after. There are no cigarette butts laying around my yard. I never leave the kids unattended, my breaks are only when my "assistants" are here and helping. The care I give my dck's is never compromised because I smoke. I've missed ONE day since starting daycare, and that was from the stomach flu I caught from one of the kids. My dckids are way sicker than I ever am. We take walks, I chase them around outside, I play on the floor occasionally with them. I don't have a problem keeping up with the kids. I would bet that none of my parents know I smoke, and I interact with them and their children every day. If they were to ask me point blank, I would tell them yes. I would not lie, have never lied about it, it has just never come up. I do not smell like smoke, my kids do not go home smelling like smoke.
I agree as I am a smoker. I NEVER smoke in my home or cars and NEVER during daycare hours. In the morning before they get here and then shower and change and then after they leave. They do not know I smoke except for the family that asked and I told them yes but never in my home or cars and never during daycare hours. They still brought they child to me, I dont feel it is anyones business what I do on my own time as long as its not hurting my families. I know that noone has a clue because one family saw me out and I was smoking and they said they never would have guessed that I smoked. I dont think this makes me a worst provider than anyone who doesnt smoke. I dont smoke around the kids or my own. Im a closet smoker or was till I put it on here
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e.j. 07:04 PM 12-17-2010
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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nikia 07:09 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by e.j.:
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.
Even as a smoker I would not send my children to a daycare where smoking is in their home. I do not smoke around my children. When I took my kids to a daycare, my daycare provider said she never knew I smoked till she saw me out because my kids didnt smell like it and other parents that smoked she said their kids smelled horrible like smoke, best compliment I ever got as weird as that is. Its a hard habit to break and I wish I didnt do it. I am sorry that you lost your mom to such a horrible disease.

I wonder if being hypnotized works? Anyone ever tried it for anything?
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e.j. 07:58 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by nikia:
Its a hard habit to break and I wish I didnt do it. I am sorry that you lost your mom to such a horrible disease.

I wonder if being hypnotized works? Anyone ever tried it for anything?
Thanks, Nikia. It really can be a hard habit to break. As we were growing up, I remember my mother telling me and my brothers and sister, "I wish I had never started. Please don't ever start because it's so hard to stop." Even after watching all she went through, my father, who was also a heavy smoker, had a very difficult time breaking the habit but finally did after 4 or 5 attempts.
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Daycare_Mama 08:57 PM 12-17-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
I'm really trying not to be offended here, and I know most (if not all) are trying really hard to NOT be offensive, but I guess I really am.

I'm a smoker. I'm also a professional daycare provider. The people making comments about pulling their kids immediately if they knew their provider smoked - what do you think we do? Light up in the playroom during circle time?!? I do not smoke in the house. I never smoke anywhere the kids could see me. I always use a strong mint and wash my hands after. There are no cigarette butts laying around my yard. I never leave the kids unattended, my breaks are only when my "assistants" are here and helping. The care I give my dck's is never compromised because I smoke. I've missed ONE day since starting daycare, and that was from the stomach flu I caught from one of the kids. My dckids are way sicker than I ever am. We take walks, I chase them around outside, I play on the floor occasionally with them. I don't have a problem keeping up with the kids. I would bet that none of my parents know I smoke, and I interact with them and their children every day. If they were to ask me point blank, I would tell them yes. I would not lie, have never lied about it, it has just never come up. I do not smell like smoke, my kids do not go home smelling like smoke.
I'm a provider and also one of those parents who would pull their kid out immediately if I found out my provider smoked. And it has nothing to do with thinking the person isn't capable of taking care of kids. I would believe them if they said they never smoked during daycare hours, but that doesn't matter one bit.

It's the whole logic of something as basic as the way a person's home smells. Everyone's home has a smell of some sort that is their home, good, bad, neutral. It has some sort of smell unique to that house. You know how you've gone to someone's house before and it smelled bad repeatedly.. animals, or whatever it may be. That person lives in that house everyday and doesn't notice the smell. It's the same for smoking. As a smoker, you can say that you don't smell it on yourself or your stuff, but nonsmokers CAN smell it. It smells in your hair, on your shirt, etc. I've walked into a friend's house for 10-15 minutes at a party where someone was smoking and when I went home later that night, my shirt reeked. Unless, you are smoking, going inside taking off your clothes you were just in, throwing them in the wash right away, showering/washing your hair, and putting on new clothes, you are going to have some smoke smell on you and/or in your home. That's just a fact.

So, while a smoker is perfectly capable of being an excellent care giver of children, I personally would never send my child to one and would pull them out right away if I found out they were a smoker. For one, my daughter was born 3 months early and has bad asthma - I don't want her around any sort of smell of it, even after the cigarette is long gone. That's toxic to her already scarred lungs. But even if my daughter had perfectly normal full term lungs, I still wouldn't send her to a provider who was a smoker. I think that may be hard for a smoker to understand, but it's absolutely nothing personal or offensive.. just a fact that there's no way to get rid of every single lingering smell after someone smokes.
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dEHmom 05:43 AM 12-18-2010
Here's where I am at on this subject...

AGREE-
being a smoker does not impact the quality or value of care, it does not make the person a bad person, and I wouldn't pull my child out just because they smoked, if I was assured and felt comfortable in the fact that they are outside smokers, the kids will NEVER see them smoking or find out they are.
I would pull my child out if the provider stated they did not smoke period, but find out they actually do (that means they lied, and i would have to question their character).
I always just considered asking if they smoke was mainly related to issues of asthma. If your child is allergic to smoke or anything it would be no different than if they were allergic to pets and they wanted to know if you had pets in the house.

DISAGREE-
that everything will smell of smoke. I know many people who smoke and their own husband/wife doesn't know.




EJ that is awful about that womans house. Everyone who comes to my house has never had to be told to smoke outside. They just automatically do it. I think as a courtesy, you just assume as a smoker, that you smoke outside unless they say "hey it's ok, here's an ashtray".

As for a stop smoking aid, I have to admit my husband and I tried many times cold turkey, patches, gum nothing worked. 10 days on champix and we were done smoking. Still had to continue for the duration of the treatment. I think in USA it's chantix? I would definitely recommend this product to anyone trying to quit. Even I had a history of depression and it didn't make me depressed. Although that is one side affect to watch for. It makes you a little upset in the tummy for about 1/2 hr after you take it.

As for the points about people smoking at the doorways, even when I was a smoker, I couldn't stand walking into places where people were smoking at the door. Even at the hospitals when the patients and visitors stood in the doorways. Now you have to be ridiculously far away from the entrances/exits of businesses to smoke. The hospitals you have to be way out on the public sidewalks, etc. I'm not sure of the actual distance but I figure it to be about 200ft. Although you still see those jackasses smoking at the hospital entrance because they either don't read, can't read or don't care.
You can actually get slapped with a big ticket if caught smoking in a doorway or near an entrance to a business.
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Former Teacher 06:02 AM 12-18-2010
My mother and father both smoked for 50 odd years. My father quit cold turkey because he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Thank God we got in time and it was just a small patch. He had the surgery and is doing awesome almost 8 years later.

My mother, too, quit cold turkey because she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again, it was caught in time. She asked the doctor if she can continue to smoke. The doctor said Sure! Up until you have the surgery. Then NO MORE. She too has been cancer free for almost 6 years.

My husband smokes. I do not let smoke in my house or car. He has tried (just not hard enough) several things, nothing has worked. According to him, he says its just a habit that he never finishes them. Well then to me that's a waste of money then.

It's sad to say but sometimes it takes a heart wrenching moment in life for people to wake up.
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dEHmom 06:07 AM 12-18-2010
ask him to talk to his doctor about Chantix or Zyban or something. It's a shot, if it doesn't work, then tell him he can smoke for the rest of his life if he wants. But if it works, he owes you a massage everyday for the rest of your life!
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Former Teacher 06:11 AM 12-18-2010
Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
ask him to talk to his doctor about Chantix or Zyban or something. It's a shot, if it doesn't work, then tell him he can smoke for the rest of his life if he wants. But if it works, he owes you a massage everyday for the rest of your life!
Sounds like a plan!!!!!
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countrymom 12:35 PM 12-18-2010
in ontario, we have a no smoking policy in alot of places, like restaurants and public places. Right now they are in the process of making sporting events smoke free (doesn't it make sense) and they acually polled highschool kids and they all said the same thing, that smoking at sporting events was ridiculous. Also you can not smoke with your children in the vehicle. I don't care, I'm not a smoker.

so my back up provider hired an assistant who didn't tell her that she was a smoker. Well one day I show up and the assistant is outside smoking, so I ask C, what is she doing outside smoking (C's house is smoke free) and she told me that the assistant never told her that she smoked. Well it was the kids who started to complain that she smelled and that she was outside way too much on a smoke break, the assistant lasted one week and she was let go.
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jen 06:45 PM 12-18-2010
Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
ask him to talk to his doctor about Chantix or Zyban or something. It's a shot, if it doesn't work, then tell him he can smoke for the rest of his life if he wants. But if it works, he owes you a massage everyday for the rest of your life!
Welbutrin combined with a nicorette patch does wonders.
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misol 08:34 PM 12-18-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
I'm really trying not to be offended here, and I know most (if not all) are trying really hard to NOT be offensive, but I guess I really am.

I'm a smoker. I'm also a professional daycare provider. The people making comments about pulling their kids immediately if they knew their provider smoked - what do you think we do? Light up in the playroom during circle time?!? I do not smoke in the house. I never smoke anywhere the kids could see me. I always use a strong mint and wash my hands after. There are no cigarette butts laying around my yard. I never leave the kids unattended, my breaks are only when my "assistants" are here and helping. The care I give my dck's is never compromised because I smoke. I've missed ONE day since starting daycare, and that was from the stomach flu I caught from one of the kids. My dckids are way sicker than I ever am. We take walks, I chase them around outside, I play on the floor occasionally with them. I don't have a problem keeping up with the kids. I would bet that none of my parents know I smoke, and I interact with them and their children every day. If they were to ask me point blank, I would tell them yes. I would not lie, have never lied about it, it has just never come up. I do not smell like smoke, my kids do not go home smelling like smoke.
marniewon, I was not trying to offend - I was just stating my personal opinion about smoking and what I would and wouldn't do when dealing with a provider who smokes or knowingly accepting a child from a smoking household. I personally wouldn't want to deal with either.

I'm not around smokers so I have no idea what smokers do or how they handle their addiction. Some may be able to control themselves enough not to ever smoke around their kids or in their houses or in their cars - but some may not. As a parent I would not have the time nor the desire to try and determine whether my provider was a heavy smoker, or just a social smoker, or only smokes when drinking, etc. All I want to know is if she smokes AT ALL and that would be all I needed to make my decision.

I wasn't trying to attack YOUR professionalism as a smoking provider. I was just throwing a few things out there to consider. As far as being more likely to get sick and having health issues - just take a look at what health insurance premiums are for a smoker versus a nonsmoker. There are plenty of studies out there documenting smoking and it's effects on productivity and absenteeism in the workplace. Even though the studies don't mention specific industries, I would assume that daycare would not be exempt especially since it's a pretty physical job. Even some employment applications now ask whether or not you are a smoker. If you have only had to close one day then you should consider yourself lucky and so should your dc parents. I am asthmatic and even though I haven't had to close, there have been 2 or 3 days where I had to limit my physical activity with the kids because of breathing problems on a certain day. So, any and all health related issues have the potential to affect your performance at work - not just smoking.

Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
if someone doesn't smoke in the home or around their children then their child/belongings wouldn't smell like smoke and certainly couldn't make your house smell.
This may be true. Like i said, I wouldn't knowingly accept a child into care that comes from a smoking household. If I unknowingly took a child from a smoking home and the kid or their belongings did not smell of smoke then there wouldn't be a problem. As long as I can't tell (which is unlikely for me) then I guess we can do business together and if the odor ever became an issue then I would look for new clients.

Originally Posted by Daycare_Mama:
I'm a provider and also one of those parents who would pull their kid out immediately if I found out my provider smoked. And it has nothing to do with thinking the person isn't capable of taking care of kids. I would believe them if they said they never smoked during daycare hours, but that doesn't matter one bit.

It's the whole logic of something as basic as the way a person's home smells. Everyone's home has a smell of some sort that is their home, good, bad, neutral. It has some sort of smell unique to that house. You know how you've gone to someone's house before and it smelled bad repeatedly.. animals, or whatever it may be. That person lives in that house everyday and doesn't notice the smell. It's the same for smoking. As a smoker, you can say that you don't smell it on yourself or your stuff, but nonsmokers CAN smell it. It smells in your hair, on your shirt, etc. I've walked into a friend's house for 10-15 minutes at a party where someone was smoking and when I went home later that night, my shirt reeked. Unless, you are smoking, going inside taking off your clothes you were just in, throwing them in the wash right away, showering/washing your hair, and putting on new clothes, you are going to have some smoke smell on you and/or in your home. That's just a fact.

So, while a smoker is perfectly capable of being an excellent care giver of children, I personally would never send my child to one and would pull them out right away if I found out they were a smoker. For one, my daughter was born 3 months early and has bad asthma - I don't want her around any sort of smell of it, even after the cigarette is long gone. That's toxic to her already scarred lungs. But even if my daughter had perfectly normal full term lungs, I still wouldn't send her to a provider who was a smoker. I think that may be hard for a smoker to understand, but it's absolutely nothing personal or offensive.. just a fact that there's no way to get rid of every single lingering smell after someone smokes.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO true. I was thinking all of this but my original post was already too long so I left it out I am allergic to cigarette smoke and I am also an asthmatic so I am sure that this is probably the root of my repulsion toward smoking. I have a very keen sense of smell. I consider myself one of those people who can smell a smoker a mile away and I haven't been wrong yet. Regular smokers who think that they are fooling people by only smoking outside, washing hands or eating mints after, etc. are only fooling themselves. It's kind of like putting on perfume or deodorant without taking a shower - we can still smell you. It's in your hair, on your skin, your clothes, your undergarments. The same is true with people who have pets that claim no one would ever be able to tell they have a dog, a cat, a baboon, or whatever. Even if your house doesn't "stink", there is still a distinctive smell that you/your home has - unless maybe you are one of the rare people these days who has an "outside" dog or something.

Smokers and pet owners - please keep in mind that just because someone doesn't mention anything about you having a pet or being a smoker doesn't mean that they cannot smell cigarette smoke or your pet's scent on you.

Question: Do any of you that smoke volunteer this information to parents without them having to ask?
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dEHmom 05:29 AM 12-19-2010
Misol....Are you referring to the information about being a smoker/pet owner?

In my ad, I state the animals that I do own. But I also state this in my emails/phone calls again when I speak to a family. Part of the interview process is to see how the child/ren are with the animals. So far every parents has said having the dogs and cat are not an issue, and they actually come in and pet the dogs. But I understand for various reasons, pets can be an issue. For the most part my dogs are outside, unless the weather is bad (too cold, raining etc).

As for being a smoker, when my husband was smoking, I did advise parents IF they were concerned and asked about smoking, that I am not a smoker, my husband smokes but he does so outside. But I also advised that he works all day, doesn't get home till such an such a time, and he would never smoke in front of the kids.
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MarinaVanessa 11:10 AM 12-20-2010
Im in Ca and when you have a daycare in your home you have to follow the same laws as anywhere else such as no smoking within a certain number of feet of any windows or doors , yes even in your home. so im assuming that if a daycare provider has a home daycare and smokes and needs to take a smoking break they have to have an assistant to watch the kids while they go out to do it. im not sure though as im not a smoker but i will say that a smoking daycare provider would probably be deal breaker for me.
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misol 12:13 PM 12-20-2010
Originally Posted by Baybee0585:
Misol....Are you referring to the information about being a smoker/pet owner?

In my ad, I state the animals that I do own. But I also state this in my emails/phone calls again when I speak to a family. Part of the interview process is to see how the child/ren are with the animals. So far every parents has said having the dogs and cat are not an issue, and they actually come in and pet the dogs. But I understand for various reasons, pets can be an issue. For the most part my dogs are outside, unless the weather is bad (too cold, raining etc).

As for being a smoker, when my husband was smoking, I did advise parents IF they were concerned and asked about smoking, that I am not a smoker, my husband smokes but he does so outside. But I also advised that he works all day, doesn't get home till such an such a time, and he would never smoke in front of the kids.
Yes, I was referring to volunteering the fact that you're a smoker without having the parents ask first.
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QualiTcare 08:48 PM 12-20-2010
Originally Posted by misol:
Smokers and pet owners - please keep in mind that just because someone doesn't mention anything about you having a pet or being a smoker doesn't mean that they cannot smell cigarette smoke or your pet's scent on you.
true, i wouldn't think everyone would be like, "man, you smell like smoke!"
but if people you are close with and are near every day (especially when they consider themself to be able to smell smoke a mile away) tell you they are shocked when they find out months later when you've been doing it all along -it's pretty safe to assume you don't smell.

my mother is one of those people who hates smoke and says she can smell it "a mile away" but she never said a word about being able to smell it UNTIL she "caught me" smoking one day. now, i was never what i would consider a regular smoker and def. not a heavy smoker. at one point, i was smoking regulary, but it was maybe 4 a day. anyhow, after she found out i had been smoking, every time i came around it was "ugh, u smell like an ashtray" even though she never noticed before she knew.

i think it has a bit of a placebo effect. there was one time i straight out told her, "you're full of crap!" because i went to the mall, bought my daughter an outfit, put it in the trunk of my car, and then took my daughter to my mother's house to stay the night. when i picked her up, she complained about how her outfit (that went from JCPenny's into a bag, into my trunk, and spent ten minutes there before going into her house) smelled like SMOKE! You should've seen her stutter when I told her I had just bought it and brought it over. Of course, she couldn't say she was wrong. Not to mention my daughter or her clothes had never smelled like smoke either before D-day (when she found out I had smoked).

I don't even smoke now. I just think it's funny how my experiences played out.
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misol 09:57 AM 12-21-2010
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
true, i wouldn't think everyone would be like, "man, you smell like smoke!"
but if people you are close with and are near every day (especially when they consider themself to be able to smell smoke a mile away) tell you they are shocked when they find out months later when you've been doing it all along -it's pretty safe to assume you don't smell.

my mother is one of those people who hates smoke and says she can smell it "a mile away" but she never said a word about being able to smell it UNTIL she "caught me" smoking one day. now, i was never what i would consider a regular smoker and def. not a heavy smoker. at one point, i was smoking regulary, but it was maybe 4 a day. anyhow, after she found out i had been smoking, every time i came around it was "ugh, u smell like an ashtray" even though she never noticed before she knew.

i think it has a bit of a placebo effect. there was one time i straight out told her, "you're full of crap!" because i went to the mall, bought my daughter an outfit, put it in the trunk of my car, and then took my daughter to my mother's house to stay the night. when i picked her up, she complained about how her outfit (that went from JCPenny's into a bag, into my trunk, and spent ten minutes there before going into her house) smelled like SMOKE! You should've seen her stutter when I told her I had just bought it and brought it over. Of course, she couldn't say she was wrong. Not to mention my daughter or her clothes had never smelled like smoke either before D-day (when she found out I had smoked).

I don't even smoke now. I just think it's funny how my experiences played out.
This is pretty funny. And you are probably so right about the placebo effect! There is a difference between hating the smell of something and being allergic to it though. With a person who is truly allergic, their body will react to it whether they can actually smell it or not.
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momofboys 10:26 AM 12-21-2010
Originally Posted by marniewon:
Here, it used to be that we couldn't smoke within 25-50 feet of a business or public building. Then, last spring they passed the law of no smoking IN any business (including restaurants and bars), and the first law went away. Ashtrays are now right outside the doors of buildings. My way of thinking (and I'm thinking specifically of our local bowling alley) if I was a non-smoker, I would much rather have the smokers smoking in the bar (away from everyone else and the kids) than standing right outside the only door that people enter, and have to walk through the "white cloud" of smoke. In fact, as a smoker, I would much rather be IN the bar than right outside the door, as I'm very conscious of and respectful to the non-smokers.

Anyway, back on topic - for daycares here in MI, we cannot smoke on our property during business hours. However, if you have a property of several acres, you can go out an acre (or however many feet it is) and still smoke on your own property.
The problem with this is that smoke does tend to drift. It doesn't just stay in one spot. So in the bowling alley you may think it is not affecting you b/c you didn't walk through it but then when you get home your clothes & hair stink even though you were not smoking or near any smokers. Some days when we are at the park there will be a parent smoking say 40-50 feet away from us & you would think yes they are being polite to not stand amongst the children but smoke drifts & typically we smell it regardless of where the smoker is standing.

I live in Ohio & we are smoke-free for any indoor business/restaurant/bowling alley etc. Even our local zoo (at least the one I go to) is smoke-free too. I now can enjoy going to the bowling alley without smelling like I've been in a bar all night!
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jerlin09 10:58 PM 05-27-2011
And maybe you're just a casual smoker, or you have designated smoke breaks when lets say children are napping, or you only have before and after your work day. There's a lot to think about.
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Sunshine44 04:08 AM 05-28-2011
If my childcare provider lied to me about smoking and I found out, I would be upset. I personally wouldn't choose a person who smokes, but not because they are a 'bad' person. I once was a smoker (before children) and I really do not want my children around it. I don't want them to see someone smoking, especially when I can control it. I may not be able to keep their uncle from smoking, but I can pick a childcare provider who doesn't. They will be with this person every day and they have a big impact on my child.
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PitterPatter 05:25 AM 05-28-2011
Originally Posted by dEHmom:
I'm just curious what other peoples opinions are when they find out their daycare provider is a smoker!

Me personally I would find it alarming, and make me question not the quality of the care itself, nor the character of the provider, but the health of my child.

Are they smoking in the house?
Have my children seen them smoking?
Wow an old post but it's on top of the heap so here goes my entry.

I do not smoke. My home is smoke free. I have had guests come that smoke and the smoke outside. I do have a discreet ash tray type thing out there for that purpose. When my Mother comes for dinner she does smoke but outside where the kids are not around it. When my son was born I wouldn't allow any smoke around him. If u want us to visit u have to smoke outside or we will just opt not to visit, sorry. Same here as always, take it outside.

I wouldn't want to teach a child it is ok to smoke and I def wouldn't want them going home smelling of smoke. I have the reverse problem. I have 2 children that come and smell of smoke. Both parents smoke and I guess they have 2 other adults staying with them that also smoke so that's 4 smokers in the house. So when I hug her kids they smell of it and as much as I hate it I have to deal with it. In my 5 yrs of childcare I have only had 2 parents that didn't smoke. I haven't had many clients tho most usually stay for a long period of time. Shortest being 1 1/2 years, longest being 3 years.

I have actually had a parent that smoked 'funny cigaretts' before bringing the child to daycare. I could smell it and I addressed it. Excuses were made and I was mistaken but whatever I know what that is!

I also hate smokeless tobacco, the chew and rub or snuff whatever they call it. I actually made an entry into my handbook this yr because of it. I have had DCDs in the past that use it and of course they don't remove it and I never had a problem but a recent DCD is so messy with it! It fills in between his teeth and when he talks it's moving like it's going to pop right out onto my new carpet! I can't help but watch it instead of his eyes when we have discussions. I don't know how to tell him yet that I don't want it in my house or if I even can tell him. It's not polluting the air or harming the children but it could pop out or he could drool EEEW GAG sorry but u get my point here!
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PitterPatter 05:33 AM 05-28-2011
[quote=momofboys;65961]The problem with this is that smoke does tend to drift. It doesn't just stay in one spot. So in the bowling alley you may think it is not affecting you b/c you didn't walk through it but then when you get home your clothes & hair stink even though you were not smoking or near any smokers. Some days when we are at the park there will be a parent smoking say 40-50 feet away from us & you would think yes they are being polite to not stand amongst the children but smoke drifts & typically we smell it regardless of where the smoker is standing.

I live in Ohio & we are smoke-free for any indoor business/restaurant/bowling alley etc. Even our local zoo (at least the one I go to) is smoke-free too. I now can enjoy going to the bowling alley without smelling like I've been in a bar all night![/QUOTE]

Our town is smoke free in business also even the zoo. It is posted at hospitals that there is no smoking on any portion of hospital grounds but why is it I see workers sitting 6 ft from the door on a bench smoking? A guard actually told a DCM that she had to stop smoking in her car 1 day because the parking lot was still hospital property. Yet there at lunch 10-30 smokers on break. I don't get it.

Oh and as for our bowling alley I love that they have no smoking there but we still come home smelling funny. Maybe just the food at the little resteraunt, maybe the shoes who knows but I can tell when someone has been bowling for a few hours.
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dEHmom 06:51 AM 05-28-2011
[quote=PitterPatter;115387]
Originally Posted by momofboys:
The problem with this is that smoke does tend to drift. It doesn't just stay in one spot. So in the bowling alley you may think it is not affecting you b/c you didn't walk through it but then when you get home your clothes & hair stink even though you were not smoking or near any smokers. Some days when we are at the park there will be a parent smoking say 40-50 feet away from us & you would think yes they are being polite to not stand amongst the children but smoke drifts & typically we smell it regardless of where the smoker is standing.

I live in Ohio & we are smoke-free for any indoor business/restaurant/bowling alley etc. Even our local zoo (at least the one I go to) is smoke-free too. I now can enjoy going to the bowling alley without smelling like I've been in a bar all night![/QUOTE]

Our town is smoke free in business also even the zoo. It is posted at hospitals that there is no smoking on any portion of hospital grounds but why is it I see workers sitting 6 ft from the door on a bench smoking? A guard actually told a DCM that she had to stop smoking in her car 1 day because the parking lot was still hospital property. Yet there at lunch 10-30 smokers on break. I don't get it.

Oh and as for our bowling alley I love that they have no smoking there but we still come home smelling funny. Maybe just the food at the little resteraunt, maybe the shoes who knows but I can tell when someone has been bowling for a few hours.
we have the same laws here, no smoking within so many feet of a entry to any building etc. however, NO ONE enforces this rule. It's great that people aren't smoking in the restaurant that we're eating in, BUT they are standing 5 ft even 10 ft from the doorway, and you have to walk through them to enter or exit.

I used to be a smoker, and I was always courteous to others, especially those who are not. But I have to admit, that I never realized just how badly it still affects those who are not right beside it. And I truly cannot stand when people smoke in the cold, rain or winter, because it is like a nasty stale smoke aura around them when they come back in. YUCK!
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Kaddidle Care 11:39 AM 05-28-2011
Gosh, never really thought about it much as I've never been a smoker. In fact, in the Center I work at, I don't think any of us smoke (I've never seen any of my co-workers smoke, ever) and there's 9 of us!

We sure notice it when a child comes in with smoking parents/relatives though. Sometimes if seems like you open a little lunch box and a puff of smoke comes right out of it! One of the children is consistantly ill and we wonder if it's due to the exposure to all the smoke. Lots of upper respiratory type things.

Loads of public places around here are smoke free - I think they were trying to outlaw it in public parks as well.
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broncomom1973 02:45 PM 05-28-2011
Growing up, I never realized how bad my clothing and hair smelled, but I remember one time in 8th grade health class, my teacher told us she could go around and tell us who came from a home with parents who smoked. I didnt think she would really be able to tell, but she smelled my hair and knew. My parents both smoked and my dad smoked ALOT. I will mention though that he was a business owner and worked from 7 a.m. until 8 or 9 p.m. or later during harvest (owned a grain company), so he wasnt doing all of his smoking at home. He smoked 1/2 carton of cigarettes per day from the time he was in his teens until last month (he's 61). He was dx with incurable follicular lymphoma 6 years ago, suffers from COPD (although he's never shared this dx with me, Im not dumb lol), had prostate cancer and a lung cancer scare. Most of my life to date, my dad has had a cigarette in his mouth. When I got married 10 years ago, he couldnt eat the meal with us because he has a cigarette while he eats- he ate his meal outside. I never knew how bad our house must have smelled growing up until I moved away. When I would go back to visit, I would literally take one step into the house and my hair, clothing, purse and whatever else I had with me would reek of smoke. It really started to bother my siblings and I (none of us smoke) once we had our own children. Everytime we would go to visit (they live out of state), our children would get sick with respiratory infections upon returning home and it finally got to the point that we refused to stay with he and my stepmom. We didnt like going for even brief family get togethers. I remember putting my kids in the bath at our motel room late at night because I didnt want them breathing in all of the smoke that was in their hair, on their little bodies and on their clothing. I really dont like them around it at all. My mom lives nearby and she still smokes. She smokes outside and tries not to let any of her grandchildren see what she's doing. I appreciate that she doesnt do it around them, but no matter how hard she tries to hide it, I can usually smell it on her when she comes back in (she always goes and washes her hands right away, but I can smell it). My sister and I are on her case alot to quit especially since my sister had a premature little girl this past February. She had some respiratory problems and was on oxygen for quite awhile after getting out of the NICU. I know my mom wants to quit and I hate badgering her to do it, but it's for her own good (she has hypertension) and for the well-being of those around her. I hope she can finally do it someday. She is my daycare fill in sometimes when dh isnt able to help, and I dont know if my daycare parents know that she smokes or not, but they have never asked and she is honestly here maybe 1 time every 3-4 months. If they had a problem with it, I would totally understand and I wouldnt have my mom help me anymore. As far as my own children, I dont intend on having them at a daycare again, but if for some reason they have to go to a daycare, that would be one of the questions on mine and dh's lists. That's not to say I would make a decision based soley on the smoking issue, but if it was apparent in any way- smelled in the house, or if the provider smelled like smoke or cigarette butts were evident, I would pass on that provider.
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PitterPatter 08:17 PM 05-28-2011
Originally Posted by nikia:
Even as a smoker I would not send my children to a daycare where smoking is in their home. I do not smoke around my children. When I took my kids to a daycare, my daycare provider said she never knew I smoked till she saw me out because my kids didnt smell like it and other parents that smoked she said their kids smelled horrible like smoke, best compliment I ever got as weird as that is. Its a hard habit to break and I wish I didnt do it. I am sorry that you lost your mom to such a horrible disease.

I wonder if being hypnotized works? Anyone ever tried it for anything?
I wanted to do that for weight loss years ago and my Mother said no and was firm. She said our neighbor lady did that when I was a kid and she shot herself in the head. Everyone says it was due to the hypno because she was happy and had a family. I played with her daughter. Could be false but u never know
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jojosmommy 10:21 AM 05-31-2011
I would never send my kid to a Dcp who smoked. I think its disgusting. I also will never believe that a smoker can go the whole day without one just b/c they are working. I quarantee that person can't go from 7-5 or longer without a smoke on the days they do not have an assistant or helper.

Where I live we have to notify parents (in writing- in our policies) if people smoke in our home before/after daycare hours and must be smoke free during care hours. I even have it in my policies that if parents picking up kids smoke they need to be finished and extinguished BEFORE entering my driveway. I don't want my kids seeing it or parents leaving it around my home.

BTW, my husband smoked in the marine corp and quit when he returned using Welbutrin. A neighbor used Chantix and hasnt smoked in 3 yrs. I think if you want to quit there are ways to make it happen.
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dEHmom 10:41 AM 05-31-2011
Originally Posted by jojosmommy:
I would never send my kid to a Dcp who smoked. I think its disgusting. I also will never believe that a smoker can go the whole day without one just b/c they are working. I quarantee that person can't go from 7-5 or longer without a smoke on the days they do not have an assistant or helper.

Where I live we have to notify parents (in writing- in our policies) if people smoke in our home before/after daycare hours and must be smoke free during care hours. I even have it in my policies that if parents picking up kids smoke they need to be finished and extinguished BEFORE entering my driveway. I don't want my kids seeing it or parents leaving it around my home.

BTW, my husband smoked in the marine corp and quit when he returned using Welbutrin. A neighbor used Chantix and hasnt smoked in 3 yrs. I think if you want to quit there are ways to make it happen.
I know that most people couldn't be casual smokers, but I know MANY people, who can go a week without one, casually smoke on the weekends here and there etc.

I myself used champix (canadian version of chantix) and quit without even doing the full 12 weeks. BUT I also have the occassional smoke here and there. Not even my DH knows that I smoke. I know it's dumb, why would I even have that 1 or 2 smokes? It's an occassional smoke, maybe when I'm drinking at a friends, or when I can't sleep.

So I disagree with the someone cannot go a whole day without one. Some people CAN, and most people probably can't.
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jen 10:47 AM 05-31-2011
Originally Posted by jojosmommy:
I would never send my kid to a Dcp who smoked. I think its disgusting. I also will never believe that a smoker can go the whole day without one just b/c they are working. I quarantee that person can't go from 7-5 or longer without a smoke on the days they do not have an assistant or helper.

Where I live we have to notify parents (in writing- in our policies) if people smoke in our home before/after daycare hours and must be smoke free during care hours. I even have it in my policies that if parents picking up kids smoke they need to be finished and extinguished BEFORE entering my driveway. I don't want my kids seeing it or parents leaving it around my home.

BTW, my husband smoked in the marine corp and quit when he returned using Welbutrin. A neighbor used Chantix and hasnt smoked in 3 yrs. I think if you want to quit there are ways to make it happen.
I don't really think you can make a generalization about how long a person can go without a cigarette. It really depends on the person. I haven't smoked in 10 years, but when I did, I often went the whole day without smoking. I worked at a private school and smoking wasn't allowed on campus...we ate lunch for free in the cafeteria so I rarely had a reason to leave, so no smoke. Lots of people "only smoke when they drink," don't smoke when they are pregnant but strart up again afterward, and people who only smoke after dinner or in the car. It really isn't fair to lump people up in such a broad generalization.
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Unregistered 11:56 AM 05-31-2011
Why would you ever subject your children's little lungs to nicotene? I would never use a provider that smokes, ever.
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