To say school went too far suspending him for a vape

20 years ago when I was caught smoking on the field or girls toilets it was an hours detention If it had been a suspension everytime I would never been at school which I would of been happy about. Its the most bizarre punishment

I am sick to the back teeth of seeing and hearing about children vaping - as the parent of a 14yo who has been caught doing it. I fully support any and every method with which schools are attempting to get on top of this menace. Ds's school now also takes a zero tolerance approach to vaping, which I wholeheartedly support. It's not just those who are vaping, it's those children who are even profiting from selling vapes to younger children - or even coaching them into supporting selling them to their mates. Op, as a parent who has experienced this first hand, I would urge you to support the school in using any means necessary to stop children having access to very harmful substances. Your permissiveness is a huge part of the problem.

Many schools have the policy of suspension for vapes. How did they know he had one? He should be provided with work to do

Because parents are expected to parent and not allow a suspended child the option of sitting on an Xbox for the duration of the suspension

To me that's harsh. I mean if he was caught actually vaping, he should be disciplined. But not suspended. Especially If a first offence.

In my day it was smoking, and we weren't searched and punished if we had fags on us. I was allowed out of school on breaks when I smoked so I never needed to do it on school premises.

Yeah, it's a lot. But it's a horrible addiction. I hope you can try and get him to at least reduce the amount of nicotine in the vapes gradually?

I think vaping can be really bad as people can practically do it in their sleep. Consuming so much more nicotine than they would with a few fags.

You wouldn't spark up a fag if you woke up for two seconds, but you can easily just hit the vape.

Your son has clear behavioural issues, he vapes at 14 and has no discipline at home?

You realize he is a teacher's nightmare, don't you? I'm with the school.

& this ladies and gentlemen is exactly why children are being failed by their parents.

piss poor parenting.

It's only the same as children years ago being expelled for smoking! Good for the school.

I would be banning from Xbox for a month and blocking him from WiFi unless for school work. And would tell him expect worse if it happens again.

I'd be giving him his school work to do each day and checking he's done it. I would use the internet to mark his work (chat gpt) if I didn't know the answers. if he doesn't do his school work, I'd be adding on additional ban time from his Xbox.

It's your responsibility to parent your son.

He clearly thinks he can behave how he likes and that there will be no consequences for his behaviour. Being "a bit cheeky in class"= nightmare pupil who disrupts others' learning.

Own it OP. He's your son.

Given how many young people are not fond of school, I’ve always thought being sent home where they’d much rather be, is an odd choice of “punishment”.

Your son broke the rules. May I suggest you unplug the xbox and get him to do the work?? Or if he's struggling get some help for him?

Oh @Abdicanim really hoping this is a wind up and you do actually parent your child?! Jesus.

He's 14, he shouldn't be vaping! How is he even getting them? Stop giving him money so he can't buy them/get people to buy them for him.

He's actually breaking the law even having it so I think suspension is pretty fair tbh. I'd be mortified if it was my child, not bloody defending him!

And he still owns an Xbox? After being caught with a vape in school. Fucking stellar parenting right there.

It’s literally against the law. He broke the law.

Because they are the new smoking it is just bizarre, but these things are fruit flavoured and "everyone" Vapes.

I thought the single use .vapes were banned how are teenagers still using them.

Maybe look at some online work for him to do on BBC bitesize, give him subjects to write essays about or even ask the school to set him work. You don't have to do algebra but allowing him to have access to his console and phone wouldn't be teaching him anything, the 3 days suspension isn't meant to be fun that goes down to how you keep him busy at home during the day

Oh dear. What a shame. Never mind.

Yabu - totally appropriate and what we received if smoking 20+ years ago. In fact I think we got a week....🥴

If he is spending his 3 days suspension "sitting at home on his Xbox" it's worth self reflecting on your (poor) parenting choices.

Its a huge amount of teens do it but health will 💯 be a new wealth currency for the next generation. Poor health is also going to cost them £££ as the nhs collapses / privatisation comes in over the next 20 yrs. I would be strongly discouraging vaping - It's inhaled harder deeper and with much higher frequencies than cigarettes...long term effects will not be good.

You arent doing him any favours by dismissing the school and "backing" him

The boy stands no chance if you don’t parent him properly. A three day suspension seems a good idea and I would make sure he spends that time doing something productive for his community it.

You are being very very very unreasonable. Back the school up on this.

Drug use at school - yes, i would expect a suspension. same as if he had a bottle of booze on him!

Ah, I have just realised that you're the mum with the 2 year old still getting up 4 times per night for a bottle of milk. At least now we know how old one of the other kids are

What happens when it's joint, a baggie or a knife?

"It's not fair, it was only in his pocket...he didn't smoke, snort or stab in class or anything..."

Why do you seem surprised that they have a zero tolerance policy? Of course he's suspended and the only person to blame if he sits at home for 3 days on his xbox is you, his parent.

I agree to far. They seem to suspend kids over everything now years ago when I was at school hardly anyone got suspended it would have to be really bad. Things like smoking was a detention