Excuse Me, Please Don't Smoke Near My Kids.

The weather is warming up and as this happens many parents and care takers will be shuffling their kids from playground to playground allowing them run and be merry. When we plan these play days out we consider the location of park, time and what to bring. However, recently I have been thinking about the most polite way to tell other parents, not to smoke at the playground.

Personally, I do not understand why a parent would smoke around their child. Second hand smoke is harmful and why expose your child to toxins that you have control over. This is just as bad as allowing your child to eat only cookies and cakes. So far whenever, we come across a smoking parent I get my child and we leave and go to another park, but I am tired of accommodating to a smoker. I would hope that they would at least leave the area and go smoke in the restroom or in their car. So I have came up with a few ideas as to what to say or do at the playground when faced with a smoking parent.

#1 Be Polite

I could simply ask the person or persons not to smoke because we all have no clue if there is a child who has asthma playing. If the smoker still persists on with their own bad habits at the playground, then on to the next plan of action.

#2 Give the Evil Eye

If the person is still smoking, go directly to the opposite side of the playground so that the smoker can see you and give them the evil eye. If there are other nonsmoking parents around begin conversations with them and while staring at the smoker. Maybe the weirdness of your staring and conversation with others will make the person stop; because no one likes to be stared at. However, if the smoker is a talker to get ready for some immature words being thrown out.

#3 Try Getting Close

When other plans of action to stop the smoker have not worked out, try sitting near the smoker and coughing a little louder and harder every time they take a puff. You can even be a bit of a jerk and as you cough thrown in phrases like " oral cancer" and " smoker at the playground" Although this will show other parents how immature you both are some one will get the point and hopefully it will be the one puffing away.

#4 Bring out the Guns
After all other options have been used and the person is still smoking at the playground it is time to play with the kids. Bust out all types of water guns and super soakers. Have enough where plenty of kids will be spraying water everywhere. Try and play close to the smoker so that water will be shot their way. This will piss the person off and they will likely go away.

Although these ideas are generally immature and could lead to setting bad examples for our child's, I think the worst example that can be set is not respecting others by putting your own needs and habits first. There is no reason to smoke at the playground around children or anyone for that matter.

Yes, smoking is a personal choice and it is also a bad habit and addiction. The best way to deal with smoking at the playground would be to call up your parks and recreation and get them to enforce no smoking rules. This way no one has to be a jerk and everyone gets to breathe clear air.