To The Father: Stop Smoking (A Child's Plea) 🚭

The Context: A child told me, "Thank you for saying that," after I encouraged him to tell his father to stop smoking.

Here is the hard truth we discussed on why the father must stop, and the strategy the child can use.

1. The Financial Reality Check

It is not just about lungs; it is about survival.

• The Burden: The family consists of below-minimum wage earners, and life is already difficult.
• The Waste: Instead of buying cigarettes, the money should be spent on household necessities.
• The Risk: If the father gets sick and hospitalized, who will pay the bills? If the family has no work or income, the financial ruin is guaranteed.

2. The Failure of Responsibility

This was the harshest point:

• Passing the Buck: If you abuse your body now, you are essentially passing the responsibility of your hospital bills to your child in the future.
• The Verdict: Doing that is "very, very wrong." It means you failed as a father. It is unbelievable that a father would even send his own child to buy cigarettes for him.

3. The Strategy: How the Child Can Fight Back

I gave the child three specific instructions to handle his father:

1. The Direct Confrontation: Simply tell him, "Dad, stop smoking."
2. The "Out of Stock" Tactic: If he orders you to buy cigarettes, go to the store, come back, and lie. Tell him, "Dad, there are no cigarettes available."
3. The Power of Repetition:
   • He will not stop within one week.
   • But you must keep repeating it.
   • Eventually, the repetition will make him realize that his smoking is affecting his son.

Conclusion

Repetition has an impact, no matter how small. Hopefully, the father realizes that he needs to stop or at least cut back for the sake of his child.

We'll see if the child shares an update in the future.