Question for teachers...smoking at home

[Ripeberry]

Not the child, but the parents.
One child from my DD's school comes to our house regularly (9yrs old)and to be honest he stinks of cigarettes
It is so bad, that if he is in a room, it takes ages to get rid of the smell.

He is at school all day as well, surely the school must notice. Do they ever approach heavy smoking parents about their children's cleanliness?
Just feel so sorry for the child as other kids are teasing him about it

You want the teacher to tell his parents that he smells? Why don't you tell them?

I don't think a teacher can say anything TBH.
There is woman at school who stinks of fags and fried food. But not much you can say without causing massive offence.

Well the teacher has him all day at school, she must notice that no-one wants to sit next to him

If a child looks beglected - dirty clothes, now washed, ragged or damaged clothes, smell of urine/bo (if older) - then schools will take action and investigate further, speak to parents, etc.

But smelling of cigarettes - on its own I doubt. Unless it was bad enough to cause problems socially for the child such as children in class shudding them, not wanting to sit next to them, etc.

If there are bullying and teasing issues then the school do need to take action - they do needto speak to the parents to make them aware and to tell them that they are doing everything they can to stop any bullying.nastiness and that they are speaking with the children involved. But the schoola lso need to be addressing the other cildren's behaviours in a much bigger way than they do the young child's parents.

Whilt it is horrd for the poor child and having to live in such close quarters with smoke pervading his space and clothes, it is not illegal.

'It is so bad, that if he is in a room, it takes ages to get rid of the smell'

Rubbish, do you not think you are being over the top? I would be v surprised if children didn't want to sit next to him because he smells of smoke

Have to disagree sherby. The smell of cigarettes on a child's clothes can be every strong and it can have an affect on how other children are towards them. I have had children's school books handed in before that have smelled so stringly I have struggled to have them out at home - as the smell then lingers there too. And others have commented.

Especially to non smokers the lingering stale cigarette smoke on clothes can be very overpowering, especially wen a child comes from a family were smoking occurs in the house and around where the children live, eat and sleep.

Have seen it on more than one or two occassons sadly.

As a teacher it isn't just the clothes that smell, some exercise books also reek of fags. I hate to think what the inside of these children's lungs look like

I agree Hulababy, we've accidentally had books belonging to other children come home to us that smell very strongly of smoke. It is awful. There are also children that I have walked past outside and the smell of smoke is incredibly strong on them. I'm sure the other children have noticed.

My Gran smokes heavily and her house reeks.
When we have visited everything smells of smoke clothes reek and I can smell it in the dc hair.
If she sends anything up from her house it stinks of smoke too. DP always knows when we have been because of the smell.
It is one of the reasons we don't visit a lot because the smell is so bad but she is almost 90 and I can't really get her to stand outside.

I'm not a smoker by the way and I feel bad for this boy as it's made me realise how horrible my childhood was with my mum chain smoking.
I used to not notice it, but when I came down with a cold, the smell would make me feel ten times worse
I think years ago people did not notice it so much, but with more people giving up smoking the ones that have to live in a smoking household are sticking out like sore 'stinking' thumbs and through no choice of their own.

I think it's probably worth a quiet word with the teacher but agree it's not really in the teacher's domain.

The teacher could possibly put it to the parents in a "there are friendship problems because of the smell of cigarettes and can we think of any way to resolve it?" way, although short of telling them to quit/do the laundry more often, I can't see a solution. But it could nudge them towards smoking outside.

I agree Ripeberry. A real shame for the child. I'm an ex smoker, but if I did still smoke I would never do it in the home where I bring up my children. I'd feel dreadful sending them in smelling of smoke. I think it is a very tricky situation for the teacher, but actually think it is there place to bring it up with the parents.

It is a child welfare issue imo. I have seen a teacher tackle the issue of a young child smelling of urine and being generally unclean in a very tactful way so it can be done.

I really wish we could say something to those parents but we would be shot down in flames for daring to mention smoking in a negative way. I have had children whose bookbags absolutely stank of smoke and as mnistooaddictive says -I hate to think what those poor childrens health is like.

Talking to parents about their smoking habits is really over stepping the mark as a teacher. If it isn't directly affecting the child's education, then TBH it isn't our business. If they have alot of time off for chest infections,are asthmatic etc, I'd possibly ask our Home Support Worker to have a word. But thanks to the fact that HV are almost non-existant these days, as a teacher I can do very little.

sorry but teachers cannot possible tell a parent what they should or shouldn't do in their own home. We are well used to children who stink of smoke or cats!! but cannot bring this up at parent's evening unless it is affecting the child's personal or educational development. Children, to be honest, are fairly disgusting creatures and will happily work/play in an environment that smells of farts, smoke and all manner of awful smells etc. I would suggest outdoor play dates!