How do you educate your children about your cannibis habits???

[1Maconheiro]

Hello,

I just remarried and my wife has a 8 year old daughter from a previous marriage and we are expecting one of our own in 6 months. My wife supports me growing and smokes as well. I don't want to hide the fact that I grow and smoke from her daughter or my soon to be child. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this subject, I am new to being a parent and want to make sure i start things off on a right......


Do your kids know your growing and smoking habits?

How do you educate them on cannabis?

How do you educate them so they don't go telling their friends, teachers, etc about the the plants that grow in a special room in your house with all the pretty lights?

Do you smoke in front of your kids?

 

[Gifstah]

Well I don't have kids but I would suggest that you just told them the truth about it. That way they would also understand the importance of not telling anyone.

 

[TheNewGuy2012]

there is a book called "It's just a plant"... check out - http://www.justaplant.com/

 

[idiit]

when you have to connect thru them to get your shit!

 

[SeaMaiden]

I can speak well to this. I have two boys, now grown, with whom I did not discuss my cannabis use. I wish I had treated it like the discussions about sex, very frank and open and honest.

I have a granddaughter and she is very familiar with my smoking flowers. She knows that they are for my pain, that they are just like cigarettes and alcohol and sex--FOR ADULTS ONLY. She likes the smell of some of my smoking flowers and doesn't like the smell of others, but mostly she likes the smell of them.

The child has never come to any harm by touching a cannabis plant, or touching a smoking flower, or seeing me smoke my flowers. This is the biggest issue facing patients and recreational users at this time, the notion so often bandied about that children are truly harmed by merely being exposed to a plant.

However! I live in California and am a legal medical patient and advocate. My granddaughter is too young to really understand the importance of keeping secrets. So if I were in a place where it's not legal, my answer as to how to deal with the kids would be, It depends. Depends on the age and maturity of the child in question. If you think the 8yo is old enough to understand consequences and keeping family secrets, then tell that child. I would be absolutely certain to include in that discussion the concept of bad law and how just because 'there is a law' doesn't automatically make something wrong, i.e. cultivation and consumption of cannabis.

 

[SeaMaiden]

there is a book called "It's just a plant"... check out - http://www.justaplant.com/

I'm on the site, and I'm loving it. Shared!

 

[resinryder]

Was up front and honest with my daughter. No problems with her. She and her friends grew up seeing my plants and not a one of them touches the stuff. Kinda took the mystery out of it I guess.

 

[1Maconheiro]

there is a book called "It's just a plant"... check out - http://www.justaplant.com/

Newguy excellent link.... thanks

 

[1Maconheiro]

I can speak well to this. I have two boys, now grown, with whom I did not discuss my cannabis use. I wish I had treated it like the discussions about sex, very frank and open and honest.

I have a granddaughter and she is very familiar with my smoking flowers. She knows that they are for my pain, that they are just like cigarettes and alcohol and sex--FOR ADULTS ONLY. She likes the smell of some of my smoking flowers and doesn't like the smell of others, but mostly she likes the smell of them.

The child has never come to any harm by touching a cannabis plant, or touching a smoking flower, or seeing me smoke my flowers. This is the biggest issue facing patients and recreational users at this time, the notion so often bandied about that children are truly harmed by merely being exposed to a plant.

However! I live in California and am a legal medical patient and advocate. My granddaughter is too young to really understand the importance of keeping secrets. So if I were in a place where it's not legal, my answer as to how to deal with the kids would be, It depends. Depends on the age and maturity of the child in question. If you think the 8yo is old enough to understand consequences and keeping family secrets, then tell that child. I would be absolutely certain to include in that discussion the concept of bad law and how just because 'there is a law' doesn't automatically make something wrong, i.e. cultivation and consumption of cannabis.

Seamaiden thanks for your input as always... I think educating on how to use cannabis correctly, how it effects people, the many uses and that it's a plant I think she will understand, but the fact that I live in country that hangs you for cultivating cannabis and explaining to her the legalities and laws of cannabis is going to be a challenge...

 

[headband 707]

Hummm well cannabis is something that is age appropriate so she is too young for it and I would NOT smoke around her or get into talking about it unless I got caught then we would have a chat . That being said kids are not stupid don't think for one second your fooling them with sprays or whatever you think to hide it. If they happen to figure things out and confront you then be honest don't hide it honesty is always the best policy.Kids have a very bad view of drugs from teachers and friends and thats okay you don't want your kids thinking drugs are good. Always be honest to kids if they ask tell them then you don't have to lie about anything. Lieing is what gets ppl into trouble. Kids aren't stupid but perception is headband 707

 

[FirstTracks]

Be careful about saying things until you know that your stepdaughter is not her daddy's little ear in the house. Some parents will do anything to regain custody, even if its sending you to jail.

You can be honest about your use without smoking in front of them too. Just think if it were cigs, would you really want that smoke going in your child's lungs? You can be honest, but still responsible.

 

[johnnybravo]

when you have to connect thru them to get your shit!

that's funny. i've had to do just that before!

 

[Sat X RB]

Be careful about saying things until you know that your stepdaughter is not her daddy's little ear in the house. Some parents will do anything to regain custody, even if its sending you to jail.

the above is the issue UNDER the issue, is it not? I mean the child's resentment at having her parents and YOU turn her world upside down.

if yr growing in yr house you will need to be sure you have yr step daughter's trust. she's pretty well old enuf to be reasoned with at an adult level but I think there is no formula for gaining trust. the way you achieve it will be different to the way others achieve it. and you have to think you may NEVER achieve it completely.

seems to me only the passage of time will supply the correct answer ...

 

[avant gardener]

i can think of no good reason to tell a child about a grow.
they are erratic, often selfish creatures who lack consistently sound judgment.
this goes double for someone else's kids.
that goes triple for someone else's kids whose ex i'm shacking up with.
four times for a kid who may see this as getback next time she gets grounded.

here's a simple standard i would suggest to determine if it's a good idea to tell this child that you cultivate: would you feel comfortable telling not only her, but any or all of the following: all her friends, her friends' parents, her teachers, your wife's ex husband, your employer, and the local law enforcement community that you grow cannabis? if you answered no to any of these, then you'd be pretty nearsighted to say a word about it to her. not saying she would necessarily say anything, but there's really no upside to it unless you plan on making her sweep floors and trim. the risk far outweighs the benefit.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Seamaiden thanks for your input as always... I think educating on how to use cannabis correctly, how it effects people, the many uses and that it's a plant I think she will understand, but the fact that I live in country that hangs you for cultivating cannabis and explaining to her the legalities and laws of cannabis is going to be a challenge...

Then if you're in a country like that, I would hesitate to present a 1st-2nd grader with those issues. Again, what's her maturity level? Some kids her age are frightened to the point of crying hysterically if they happen to see people having sex. Others, like one of my nephews and my granddaughter, are surprisingly mature for their age and not only have the ability to grasp injustice, but may develop strong feelings about it.

It's interesting, the timing of this discussion, because I had another opportunity with my youngest nephew yesterday. I was rolling a joint and he asked me why I smoke. So I asked him if he knew *what* I was smoking, or if he knew that it wasn't like cigarettes. He'd hadn't been told what cannabis or marijuana is, and so I simply explained it to him. He's 5yo, by the way, and has witnessed more injustice at the hands of government than any American child so raised should, including the fact that one of their dogs was shot in the street by LEO who'd let her out of their yard. A little 40lb border collie, Reba.

In any event, here in California we do have the death penalty, but you've got to do much worse than grow or smoke weed.

 

[huligun]

I told them the truth..... One puff and you become a sex crazed maniac.

 

[supermanlives]

i didnt tell my kid shit till he was 14. with all those dare classes and say no to drugs stuff. i didnt want a child to rat me out. he is now 23 and calls me for weed all the time.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I can speak well to this. I have two boys, now grown, with whom I did not discuss my cannabis use. I wish I had treated it like the discussions about sex, very frank and open and honest.

This is one reason why society is so damaging.

Cannabis is good. It's medicine. It's extremely valuable and helpful... and yet, society would have us lie to our children and hide our cannabis use from our children to "protect" them.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that children are out of control these days. Hell, throw most adults in that group to.

I don't have a solution that works for everyone, just one that works for the child. Total and complete honesty from day one. We don't lie in my house, we don't sneak off/around or anything. Smoking is done unobtrusively but not sneakily, switching to edibles while the child is still very young is the main goal.

Kids are extremely intelligent and they pick up on all that you do.

Stay Safe!

 

[headband 707]

This is one reason why society is so damaging.

Cannabis is good. It's medicine. It's extremely valuable and helpful... and yet, society would have us lie to our children and hide our cannabis use from our children to "protect" them.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that children are out of control these days. Hell, throw most adults in that group to.

I don't have a solution that works for everyone, just one that works for the child. Total and complete honesty from day one. We don't lie in my house, we don't sneak off/around or anything. Smoking is done unobtrusively but not sneakily, switching to edibles while the child is still very young is the main goal.

Kids are extremely intelligent and they pick up on all that you do.

Stay Safe!

I actually agree with this BUT again cannabis is age appropiate when your 5,6,7,8 you don't give two shits about things like this.. nore should you. Let kids be kids and stop sticking all our shit on them.. We understand all we understand because of where we are in life they do not need to yet let them enjoy the simpleness of the day headband 707

 

[SeaMaiden]

I actually agree with this BUT again cannabis is age appropiate when your 5,6,7,8 you don't give two shits about things like this.. nore should you. Let kids be kids and stop sticking all our shit on them.. We understand all we understand because of where we are in life they do not need to yet let them enjoy the simpleness of the day headband 707

Headband, on one hand I can see an agreement with the notion of what's age appropriate. On the other hand, I've all too often seen that very same notion be used as a reason to lie to them. For example, answering their very natural questions about their own bodies, gender and sex. I was raised by parents who told me, in very clinical terms, pretty much all I needed to know about the physical act of procreation. So when my granddaughter wants to know why she and I have vaginas and uteruses, but Daddy and Poppa have penises and testicles, there IS only one true answer--for making babies. Sexual reproduction.

So when we got into that aspect I did something I actually don't remember my parents doing, which was setting parameters around the act of making babies. She can make babies when she has fulfilled the following requirements:

1) Has finished her schooling.
2) Is over 18 or ideally is old enough to drink wine like Poppa.
3) HAS A JOB!
4) HAS HER OWN PLACE!
5) Is married (I don't care which sex, but this girl is decidedly into boys).

Then, once all those requirements have been addressed, she can have sex and make babies. This is important, because this little girl is all about babies, LITERALLY anything that she thinks is a baby.

You should have heard her croon to the eggs in the carton when I told her, "They can become baby chickens. They're pre-baby chicks!" Oh my God, it's hilarious. We planted seeds, the seedlings emerged. I say, "Baby plants!" and she starts crooning to them. I am not kidding when I say this girl is all about babies of all kinds.

When she is older, if she asks or the opportunity presents itself, then I will, very frankly, discuss issues like birth control, disease prevention, the differences between friendship, lust and love as they relate to sex, just like I did with my boys.

Everything that I say is age appropriate, and I don't think you're taking a kid's childhood away by answering their questions about their bodies. I don't agree with engendering this Puritan ideology that is *still* so pervasive in America, either, and I feel it strong within me and fight it all the time.