One of the mothers complained to me saying, “I was so close to losing my mind when I found out that my son who is only 12 years old was smoking. I came to find that he is habitually participating in this filthy habit whenever I ask him to go buy us household needs. I’m really confused how to handle the situation, do you think I should tell his father?”
Motherhood is an instinctive nature that might control most situations when mothers deal with their children’s wrongdoings. No matter how bad or immorally wrong the son or daughter’s actions are; mothers try to look at the bright side by forgiving and not worrying. Sometimes, certain problems demand that mothers put their emotions aside and deal strictly and firmly with their children. Because of unnecessary emotions, we end up depriving our future generations of good manners and discipline.
Therefore, the best way to react to a child who behaves like this is to take an action that matches the principles and rules of the family. For instance, if the child was brought up among a family of smokers, then we should expect that the idea of smoking might cross our children’s minds. A parental reaction that is cruel and harsh and different to one of caring and understanding may lead to negative consequences. Cruelty in situations like this creates contradictions and conflicts within the child. Children know that they’re not the only smokers in the family and therefore question why they are being punished.
Rational intervention is the solution to such cases. Trying to explain the harm of smoking and admitting that smokers are not doing the right thing is being rational. Rationality might convince the child and make him willingly give up smoking and quit. He may not quit but delay the smoking trend until he becomes older especially if he continues to be surrounded by smokers.
On the other hand, if the child comes from a family who doesn’t smoke then chances of him quitting would be 70 percent. However, the family must be persuasive by advising and showing the hazardous effects of smoking to one’s health and future. The father, being the man of the house, has a bigger role in slightly disciplining the child.
Fear is something that helps children quit bad habits and discipline is something that creates bad memories of bad habits such as smoking. Having gone through some sort of punishment a child begins to think twice before repeating his actions in the future.
Last but not least, let us not forget that these moody customs are usually acquired from the surrounding environment. A British study clarified that a smoker living with a non-smoker jeopardizes the life of the non-smoker by making him or her addicted to nicotine through passive smoking. The continuous inhaling of nicotine affects and harms non-smokers. I wonder what the situation would be of a child who smokes and whose parents smoke as well.
