just want to have a grumble!

[hayes]

Hi I am mum to 3 (2 with exh and one with dh) and have 2 sk. Been with dh for nearly 8 years so lots of water under the bridge but still have our moments with his ex (mines is usally ok we have a good friendship now). Anyway to cut a long story short, dh kids come every 2nd weekend this suits everyone as sd's mum has new partner who also has 2 kids, they have a weekend off and a weekend with all four. We never quite so lucky but ok with it as we rarely go out anyway!

My thing is this, when dh.s kids come they absolutely reek of smoke, it is overpowering. Each friday I wash my own kids jackets so its just a normal thing now when sd's come in on Friday they put their jackets at the washer..clean for Monday at school. I feel so sorry that they have to go around smelling like an ashtray....does anyone else have similar problems

Hi Hayes,

we used to have this problem with dh children when they used to come for the weekend. But i twasnt the smell of smoke - it was the smell of cats - or at least thtas all we could pin point it to as they had many cats locked in the house all day while they at work/ school.

Anyway it really was awful,as soon as they got in the car it would stink, and id have to discreetly open the windows. I think the bag they used to bring may have been used my the cats as a toilet or bed as that used to really smell too. Also I am allergic to cats and whenever they were here my eyes used to start.

But what can you do? You cant say anything,obviously. I used to wait until dh had taken them down the park, and i wuold hang there bag out of the window for an hour and then fabreeze it. When they stayed for a week id wait till they were in bed and iron all their clothes with fabreeze. But as for their coats , all i oculd do was put them on a seperate peg from all of ours.

Luckily , they havent smelled for over a year so I think the problem is solved. Which is a good job as dd can talk now and I cant imagine her being as discreet as me.

Thanks SWIFt glad its not just me that has this problem, my dd is 5 and unfortunately does comment to the point where I have had to explain that its not the girls fault they have been in a smokey room and thats how it happened.

I have clothes here for them so thats ok, and whatever they wear on Friday is washed and ready to wear back on SUnday..funny thing is its been going on for so long and all of a sudden its started to really bother me again...prob because dd has noticed really!

Yep, ds comes back from ex's house reeking of smoke, makes me feel ill.

Am also allergic to animal s, and ds's clothes are covered (and I mean covered) in animal hairs. Can't stop sneezing and wheezing when I shove them in washer. Horrid

poor things...I think the route of all my anger is that I deteste cigarette smoke and think its sad kids need to inhale it and stink of it. Sorry if I offend smokers here but I think most of you can agree with me that is smelly! lol

dOES THE bm REALISE that hert children stink of smoke? If she is a heavy smoker it may not have even registered on her radar. Maybe get your OH to have a word, can you do that? They are his kids too after all! He should be allowed some say.

If she knows and doesn't care.... well, poor kids. One of my schoolfriends, once she got to about 13, was permenantly accused of smoking, and she didn't. Her parents did. The house stank of smoke.

She (and most her family) are heavy smokers. DH can't say anything as things going smoothly at the mo so would be suicide to insinuate kids were smelly!

She smoke throughout pregnancy with both kids and I suppose they are used to it now. I suppose as long as they can't smell it themselves maybe I am fretting over nothing. I wish fags were never invented!