Monday, July 20, 2009

Withdrawal

Demi is having fits right now. Her mom has been letting her smoke for about a year, and now that she's out of cigarettes Richard and I refuse to buy any more for her. It's painful to watch somebody go through withdrawal, but I think for those who know me, it goes without saying that I do not supply children with cigarettes or anything more addictive than sugar. I even told Demi that she'd have to go down to the street by herself to smoke, and I usually don't like her to hang out on our street by herself (which makes her nervous). Hell, I wouldn't let her cross the street by herself until last year. But I told her that's the price smokers have to pay, hanging around outside with bums and weirdos while everybody else gets on with their lives. And woe betide her if she gets caught.

Richard is somewhat willing to compromise: $30 a pack. He offered to get the gum for her, but she can't stand it.

This is very sad. And infuriating.

5 comments:

Wandering Coyote said...

WTF? How old is the kid, anyways? I cannot believe the mother is complicit in this - that's just wrong and bad parenting. You guys stick to your guns.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

Absolutely, stand by your convictions. She must know that won't be tolerated.

Courtney said...

I found the lozenges to be more tolerable than the gum. The patch works if one can keep themselves busy, but the lozenges are better for the oral fixation part.

S.M. Elliott said...

I'll keep lozenges in mind for next time. I don't think she's tried them.

Demi's 15 and should definitely not, IMO, be allowed to smoke at home. But her mother has a very hands-off approach. Her usual reaction to such things is "What do you expect me to do?"

Wandering Coyote said...

Um, how about set boundaries, be consistent, and dole out consequences? For starters.

But who am I?