Saw a DCProvider Smoking

So I am at the park today with my group, its a small area through a treeded park. I pull up and see there is 2 adults, male and female and 5 little kids. I have seen them here before and I know she runs a daycare as she has asked me where i got my Choo-Choo Wagon and we talked about daycare etc.
So today we are playing about, have our lunch, and start packing up to head back. As I am pulling my kids though the path, I see the woman who runs the other daycare sitting on a bench looking at her cell phone enjoying a ciggarette!!!!!
Her husband is with all the daycare kids back at the playground. (this is not within eye-sight of the woman smoking, its down the path a bit)
I was quite stunned to see this knowing she is taking care of these kids and she is a smoker. Like, what does she do if her husband is not around to watch dcks while she smokes??
She looked embarassed when she saw me and just kept her eyes on her phone.
Anyways, I just dont know what to think. Is this a reason to report her- probably not as she wasnt smoking around the kids or where they can see her, but still, its not like she can wash her hands before she goes back to the kids. I just dont know what to think of this. :no:

hmmmm....I don't think being a smoker and being a daycare provider are mutually exclusive. She was smoking while she was NOT in charge of the children. How is this a big deal?

Unfortunately while it is not prudent practice given all the information we now have about smoking and second and third hand smoke dangers ~ but at this point she was not doing anything illegal ~ the children were being well cared for by a relief person and perhaps she carries some hand sanitizer with her to wash up afterwards?

Who knows at home maybe she refrains and only smokes before or after daycare hours or nips out to the porch while they are all sleeping with a monitor in hand.

Ultimately it is up to the PARENTS to be asking if the environment is a smoke free one ~ who knows maybe all her clients smoke at home too so do not care?

I will admit that I am now an avid 'anti smoking' advocate and wish that they would just make the things 'illegal' and get it over with .... after all they are WORSE for your health and addictiveness than marijuana is and yet that is illegal .... but the fact remains that I am a hypocrite when it comes to smoking cause I started smoking at 10 and was a pack and half smoker for almost 2 decades before I wised up and quit just before my 30th birthday ... it is a nasty addictive habit for sure and while I have never smoked 'in front' of children I am ashamed to admit that for over a decade I worked in centre care and would nip out and have a smoke on my break and lunch hours and return to work and while I could brush my teeth and wash my hands that second hand smoke was on my hair and clothes :(

Back than though the concept of 'third hand' smoke being 'dangerous' as well to children was not known and I had no clue I was putting kids at risk ~ that is just something I will have to live with now.

I know of a daycare provider in my area that has her husband watch the kids at points through the day ~ the parents are very much aware of it too.
I'm not a smoker but I also don't see this as a reason to get upset and or report her. She might have looked embarassed as you might have shot her a look not realizing as your feeling strong enough to post if you should report her.
She may have hand sanitizer?? Also, you don't know if she smokes around the kids if her husband isn't there.
I wouldn't think the worse

You're all right, it was just shocking to see from someone who cares for young children. Obviously if she looked embarassed when she saw me, she must have known it was 'frowned upon' to be a daycare provider/smoker. And at least she had the decency to get out of the children's sight before lighting up. I just wonder what she does when hubby isnt around to cover for her.
Anyways, I suppose its none of my business what she does.

I agree with Alpha...I wouldn't think this is cause for concern really. she obviously took the precautions of smoking away from the kids and outside. As long as she isn't smoking around the kids or inside her home, I don't think it would be a huge issue. I guess it also depends on whether or not the parents know in case there is anyone with sensitivies etc. As long as she cleans herself up at home, I am not sure it is a big deal.

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Originally Posted by KingstonMom

You're all right, it was just shocking to see from someone who cares for young children.....

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I hear ya ~ provider or not it still shocks me to see people smoking around children knowing what we know now about second hand smoke.

We do not have any bilaws in our city yet to prohibit smoking near playgrounds and it drives me nuts to see 'parents/caregivers' at the park smoking 5 feet from children and than tossing the stinky buts into the sand or mulch or stomping them out on the ground 'beside' where they kids play ... I mean SERIOUSLY how can they not see how RUDE and UNSAFE that is?

Even as a smoker for 20 years I would NEVER have done anything like that ~ when my dad found out I smoked after the initial smack down to try to knock some sense into me and failed attempt to get me to quit by forcing me to smoke an entire pack while he watched hoping it would make me puke and get turned off he finally told me that if I was going to do it A) a lady should not smoke in public but if she needs to she does not walk around smoking a lady 'sits' to smoke and B) a lady does not flick ashes around a lady uses an ashtray and than he gave me a 'portable ashtray' of my stepmothers which held 3 butts at a time before needing to be emptied closed securly and fit into my purse ~ I had that thing the entire time I smoked.

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Originally Posted by KingstonMom

Obviously if she looked embarassed when she saw me, she must have known it was 'frowned upon' to be a daycare provider/smoker.

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Never judge a book by it's cover. I smoked for years and LOVED my cigarettes but, gave them up for health reasons. Everyone who finds out that I smoked and a pack a day are surprised as they couldn't picture me smoking.

Now I'm an anal retentive non smoker :laugh: but, don't understand why some still smoke with all of those horrible pictures on the packages now and the very public health risks of them :blink:. It's a horrible addiction :(:(

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Originally Posted by KingstonMom

I just wonder what she does when hubby isnt around to cover for her.

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Although I feel it's NOT something to report on - I do wonder what she does when she's alone with the kids....

I have to be honest here.

I worked in lic care for almost 3 years and the only staff member who did not smoke in all three centre's that I worked at was me. (Even the director smoked in some cases) Would you report a lic facility because they took a break for a smoke, leaving someone else in the charge of the kids?


Maybe she has a baby monitor and smokes during nap? If hubby isnt there?

I think the parents are likely aware that she is a smoker. It's a rather difficult thing to cover up (smell, stained fingers/teeth). And if she smokes in her home, the parents would definitely know from the smell!

While I think smoking is disgusting and unattractive, I do believe that if one chooses to pollute their lungs and end their life early, this is their personal decision. If she is not smoking around the children ie: in the house with the children, or directly beside the children, I really don't see why this is an issues - let alone report her. Should you really report her, risk her losing her business, over a cigarette? I don't think it's worth it. And I really don't think it's a big deal. Don't get me wrong, I hate smoking, if one of my parent smokes, they aren't allowed on my property with a cigarette, whether or not we're outside. But seeing as how this is the first time you've seen her smoking, maybe she was taking a stress releif while her husband took care of the kids. I highly doubt it's an issue.

Although I think smoking is a nasty and disgusting habit...alot of people do it. If they choose to harm their body that is their choice, nothing we can do about it. now if she was smoking in front of the children or blowing it in their face, well yuck!!!! and shame on her! we are to set a GOOD EXAMPLE for all the little ones we care for, however if I read correctly, the kids were in good care of someone else and she was around the corner out of their sight? well, I wouldnt say or do anything, at least she had enough decency to leave the view of the kids. Smokers have an addiction and unfortunately their body craves what they are addicted to. :( Not a whole lot you can do.

I think smoking is disgusting too, but I agree that it isn't a reportable offence. If the parents don't mind picking up their children stinking of cigarette smoke every day then it's up to them. I consider it child abuse when people smoke in the room with children and I wouldn't let my child be in that daycare but cigarette smoke makes me sick to my stomach if I just walk by one on the street.

I think it is important to be careful what conclusions we jump to about others. When I first opened my daycare I was a smoker. I did NOT smoke at all during daycare hours even if it was naptime and I have never smoked indoors (always grossed me out even when I did smoke lol). But I remember feeling as though I couldn't smoke after work on my deck because a parent could be out for a walk and would pass judgement-and that's not really fair now is it? I don't smoke anymore :) and I generally try not draw conclusions on the character of others based on one action that may have been taken out of context.

When I interviewed my first child care provider for my son I had a ton of questions ready. Not one of them was "Do you smoke". Surprising as no one smokes in my family and it's really important to me to not expose my kids to the hazards of it. Driving by her house one month into care (this was during non daycare hours) & there she was on her front porch having a cigarette. I was really torn after that & actually did confront her on it in what I thought were polite, honest questions. She was really offended by that and things were just never the same after (2 months later I ended up opening my own home daycare). But I have to say that never once in that time did I smell smoke in her home, on her, on my child or see any evidence of it outside. I just feel bad that I should have asked the question in the first place.