So how about this then...cigarettes and primary school...

[marthamoo]

Ds1 came home from school very upset. I knew he was really upset as he told me straight away (things usually come out about 2 years later with ds1)...

The scenario:

Ds1 (year 5, aged 9) is getting changed for PE. He lifts his pumps out of his pump-bag (off one side of a communal corridor, access from all the school) and four cigarettes fall out of his pump bag on the floor.

Immediately, the other children gather round him, jeering..."X smokes! X smokes!"

His from teacher intervenes immediately, removes cigarettes, disperses jeering children, tells X not to worry.

X (ds1, if you're not following) comes home from school - very upset.

What do you do?

I'd want to know where the cigarettes came from. And why the teacher just said not to worry without finding out who put them there, or how they got in his bag!

Poor ds1.

Do you think the mum just packed them in his p.e. bag by accident?

I gave up years ago, fairyfly

Good guess, cat. I went in today (this was yesterday) - teacher said he knew instantly they were nothing to do with ds1 (that's ma boy!), could see ds1 was very upset at the teasing, so destroyed the cigarettes and hoped it was forgotten about...but I don't think he was too surprised to see me today.

Basically he reckoned 2 scenarios:

1. Someone deliberately trying to make mischief

1. Someone in a panic, ditching the evidence in the first available receptacle

I don't know why it's shocked me so much - I smoked my first cigarette aged about 8 - I just thought kids were more clued up today and with less availability of fags.

Ds1 said "I don't smoke, Mum..."

As holier-than-thou ex smoker I would know if he did...can smell it at twenty paces