My child is smoking what do I do?

Question

I caught my daughter smoking last year (when she was 8yrs old) and I have tried everything I can to get her to stop. I made her eat cigarettes and cigars, I have grounded her, and spanked her, but nothing is working. I do not know what else to do. I know it has been over a year and I have had no luck getting her to stop is it to late to help her by myself or do I need to see her doctor? I do not know if I can go to her doctor about it and if I do, will the state try to take her from me? Can I put the patch on her? I have read most of the questions about children smoking, but I do not know what to do.

Someone please help me!

Answer 1

It's a difficult situation. I don't think that showing pictures will do so much. She's developed a taste for smoking. (I hope you don't smoke or you didn't smoke while you were pregnant because then it would be YOUR fault for giving her a predisposition.) Don't ground her. She would feel distant from you and she wouldn't want to come to you when she needs to talk. You need to have one of those heart-to-heart moments. You need to start crying and have a break down because YOU are her mother. She knows that YOU took care of her and YOU are the one who still loves her. But you need to show her how much her doing this means to you. How it is ripping you apart inside. Like a puppy, a child doesn't want to feel like they have let their parent down. She knows you have done so much for her. Maybe if you have a breakdown, start the water works, and start with a plan then it might work. Show her that she isn't the BEST of who she CAN be when she does drugs. Kids who start at an early age don't get very far in life. It's your job to make sure she stops. Good Luck. I can't imagine how hard it is.

Answer 2

When my dad's mother caught my dad smoking as a child she made him sit on the back porch and smoke a whole pack one after another.  He said he threw up a couple times during, but she had no sympathy and didn't let him take a break.  Where is an eight year old getting cigarettes?  If you smoke quit - if someone else in your household smokes - they must quit also.  Set an example for your daughter.  You could also go to the hospital and ask if the two of you could visit the morgue - and see examples of organs of healthy people and smokers.  I also say she should be grounded from EVERYTHING until she quits and you know she has quit.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Where the heck is an 8 year old getting cigarettes from???? From you? EASY care about your daughter and stop smoking....Set a good example...(Don't smoke youreself.) Someone else in the house? KICK THEM OUT! Her friends? Tell the friends parents and ban them from her.

You should NOT have made her eat that, thats wrong, and childish on your part.!

Answer 4

How is she getting them in the first place? If you have smokes laying around your the influence. But if you have no idea how she is getting them, threaten home-school, or take her to a teens against tabacoo use and make her see a black lung from a pig..its scary enough to make her think about what's she's doing to her body...

Answer 5

Wow...you made her EAT tobacco products?? Anyways....

Make her volunteer in a hospital by visiting patients with lung cancer. Show her pictures of smoker's lungs (I've linked some below). Give her the list of cigarette ingredients. Also put her on www.thetruth.com.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

Figure out WHERE she gets the cigarettes first. (The Source) Then cut off the supply. Also, it would be a good idea to tell her how much you care about her and know this is not the path for her to take. I would also find some pics of people who started smoking at a young age and have turned out horribly. This matter should be handled delicatly and with discretion. Do not let this happen any longer! I can tell your trying your best to keep her from smoking and sooner or later, it has to pay off. By the way, have a meeting with your daughter's  friend's parents. Chances are, at least one of them are smoking too. Then as a group, you can come up with ways to stop this mess!

Hope she quits!

Answer 7

Where did she get cigarettes from??

Answer 8

stop at the hospital and ask for a couple of old xrays of cancerous lungs . bring them back and show her what will happen when you smoke .there are also sites of smoke problems like truth.com that can get the point accross .

i hope this helps

Answer 9

"I made her eat cigarettes and cigars"  You might not want to admit that in public because according to CPS that is child abuse and you could lose your daughter over that.  Hitting her isn't going to help either.  (why do parents think that hitting is going to make children behave?) NO you can not put her on the patch.  That is against the LAW.  There is a reson the Patch HAS to be prescribed and there is a reason it is for adults ONLY.  Yes you SHOULD go to her doctor and have him explain to YOU why he/she can NOT prescribe the patch for your daughter.  What you should do is keep a better eye on your daughter, take her to the library and BOTH of you do some research on the affects of smoking.  Have your doctor set you up appointments to visit lung cancer patients in hospitals.

Answer 10

Tell her about everything that cigarettes  causes like cancer and take her to a child psychologist to give her some advice and talk to her

Answer 11

dont give her money hide the money and make her stay with you in the store... go to her doctor and just ask or go to your doctor and ask what to do for her... show her people that smoke that have holes in their necks... lungs from smokin... do stuff like that as well....

Answer 12

At this point, she has been smoking a long time, and is unlikely to be able to quit. Just accept it, but make sure she only smokes at home. That way you can keep an eye on her. Trying to put a limit on her smoking will make her start sneaking again, and that is what you want to stop.

Once you come to terms with her smoking, you will find that life is much better. And don't worry - years ago it was not unusual for kids her age and even younger to smoke, and guess what - it didn't kill them!

Answer 13

You must live in a state that has no law about underage smoking.  How does she buy cigarettes?  Who gets them for her? To get her to stop is to take the cigarettes away, don't give her money and supervise her better.

Answer 14

Seriously, who's the parent here?  How in the world does an 8 year old get hooked on cigarettes?  I'm guessing complete lack of supervision.  You should have done something about this back when it came up.  You've "had no luck getting her to stop"...this isn't thumb sucking ya know.  This is serious.  I just don't even know what to say to you.  But yeah, you definitely need to get that little girl some help.  This is pathetic.

Answer 15

Well you have to think of howww she got them?

You? Friends? Your spouse?

If its any of those, then you or your spouse needs to stop, or if its kids in school, then dont let her be with those kids.

I dont really agree with the way you discipline her either. Making her eat them does nothing. Sickk.

You may need to see a doctor though..shes already started, you probably cant make her stop by yourself.

Answer 16

Making her eat them obviously didn't teach her a lesson. Apparently you smoke, so she is seeing you -- her mother as a role model. If you do it, she thinks she can. All you can do is consult a doctor and ask them to pull out morbidly gross photos of cancerous patients, or better yet, tell the doctor to tell her, "when you go home today, call your grandparents, and anyone living out of state, and tell them goodbye, because at the rate you are going, you won't make it to see them again."

i heard it worked, and made them cry, but they'll go home and think about it.

hope you can help her out!

Answer 17

You need to take her to a doctor, perhaps an oncologist, who can talk to her and let her know what can happened when people smoke esp at that age. You will also need to monitor her very closely and her friends and talk to other moms and see if they have the same problem. If it is widespread throughout the school, you should contact the principal and suggest a program in the classroom to address the issues and have some guest speakers who can show and tell the consequences of smoking.

Answer 18

Have her doctor speak with her about it, and tell her really scary stuff about cancer, etc.  She's more likely to listen to a third party, and it will also seem very real coming from a medical professional.

Answer 19

Don't giver her money, don't let her go to the store.  I think your full of it.  If she can't get them, she can't smoke.  I'll bet your a great example. Do you smoke.

Answer 20

go to the school and ask the health teacher for the movie that shows what smokeing does to you, your lungs, your body, your teeth, your face, everything.

idk. that movie convinced me that i would NEVER smoke.

haha

i hope you can get her to stop

Answer 21

Keep grounding her and stick to it.  Grounding means no going anywhere, no friends over, no phone, no screens, no TV.

Mainly, it is the crowd she runs with that is facilitating this behavior.  You need to break up those "friendships" even if it means moving to another school district.

Answer 22

i think you should tell your daughter that it isnt normal to smoke at her age and i dont think you should ground her for it or tell her off. just tel her that if she wants to do the right thing wich is to stop i think she wil listen. if you tell her off for it she will carry on doing it . ask her why she started and be calm about it. if you need any more help talk to me. i went threw it when i was 7.

Answer 23

Where did she get the cigarettes from? 8 Years old?

She needs strict supervision!!!! Print out pictures of lungs from cancer etc and show them to her.

That child needs A LOT of supervision.