How to Talk to Your Kids About Vaping

In this day and age, our kids often know more about things than adults, especially when it comes to technology and lifestyles. But there’s one area of life that has yet to be discussed…how to talk to your kids about vaping. 

Is it safe? Will other parents think I’m a bad mom if I let my kids vape? What if my kids want to vape because they see me do it and like the smell? 

There’s so many difficult questions that might seem daunting at first. But the honest truth is that if your kid wants to vape, there’s not much you can do to stop them. 

Rather than aggressively forbidding them from vaping, it’s best to sit them down and reasonably explain the pro’s and con’s of vaping. 

Do Moms Vape?

Vaping might be considered the hip, cool thing for young adults to do. The scents of freshly baked desserts and ripe fruits are mouthwatering to passerby and vaper alike. However, it’s not just something for the wild single adults with the party lifestyle…it can be for moms too! It might be odd to think of mothers puffing on a vape pen or mod, especially when you notice the common age of vapers is 18-29. But think of it this way…how many mothers do you know that smoke? That answer is WAY more common. 

Just like traditional smokers, moms are also looking for ways to kick the habit without descending into a nicotine withdrawal. And vaping has been proven to help smokers reduce or eliminate their nicotine consumption. But many moms are worried that the sweet scents of flavored vapor might entice their kids to pick up vaping, despite having no interest in smoking. So yes, moms do vape, but it’s much less common because they worry about sending the wrong message to their kids. While the exact percentage of moms who vape isn’t known, it’s important to note that moms do vape. Parents should express with their child from an early age that vaping is strictly for adults, and stems from a nicotine necessity rather than an extra hobby to pass the time. 

Dangers of Vaping for Kids

Vaping has exploded in popularity, unfortunately mostly for the underage teens. In 2018, a study concluded that over 37% of 12th graders had tried vaping, compared to only 28% in 2017. Thanks to peer pressure, a lot of young teens tried vaping, discovered they liked it, and are now hooked on nicotine. Even kids who have not smoked cigarettes before and have no need to quit smoking are eagerly puffing on vapes, either for the sweet flavor or just to appear cool to their friends. There’s a common phrase in the vaping world that is being overlooked by the younger generation, “If you’re smoking, you should try vaping. If you’re not smoking, don’t start vaping.” However, JUUL pods were made available in gas stations and convenience stores, places that kids are frequently in or around. Because of this, the national age required for purchasing nicotine products was raised from 18 to 21. While this was good in theory, young vapers who were previously able to purchase vape products were forced to get their nicotine fix from other sources. Young adults should not be addicted to nicotine so young, and it all stemmed from wanting to enjoy a JUUL pod with their friends. 

How to Talk to Your Kids About Vaping

Vaping is a vital tool for former smokers, moms included, to help them stay away from cigarettes and reduce their overall nicotine consumption. The sweet flavors were created to help entice smokers to smell better, improve their breath, and distract them from the smell of tobacco. However, kids can be drawn to the sweet scents and huge puffy clouds, neither of which are the true necessity of vaping. 

Explain this to your kids; let them know that nicotine addiction is a serious problem and vaping is how to improve their overall health. Most households completely forbid smoking and vaping in their own homes, in an effort to teach their child that clouds of any kind are not healthy. Instead of just enforcing a smoke-free home, ensure that your child understands why they shouldn’t get into vaping. 

Aside from spending a lot of money on a habit that is unnecessary unless you’re a hardcore smoking, very little is known about the long-term health effects. At one point, smoking was thought to be healthy, until that theory was vehemently disproved in 1960. Lastly, realize that your child has a free will, and it will ultimately be his/her decision to vape. Much like sex-ed, you should thoroughly explain to your child why they should not get into vaping, but be prepared that your child may do it anyway. 

Here’s a list of quotes from moms on Instagram who vape and are proud of it!

@magikal.peach said, “I smoked for 7 years. I quit using vanilla custard flavored vapor.”

@ohm_ma_ma said, “My #mipod [is]perfect for stealthy vaping.” 

@vapechick49ers said, “Hi, I’m Angel.” I love to drip yummy flavored nicotine in RDAs with rad coils in them. That’s my ADULT CHOICE! The end.” 

Final Thoughts

Being a mom is tough…being a mom who vapes is even tougher. How do you explain to your kid to, “Do what I say, not what I do” and not expect confusion? The balance is tricky, as you need nicotine to function, much like some adults need caffeine first thing in the morning. Your kids observe more than you realize, so hiding your habit is not a good example to set for your kids. 

Instead, sit them down and treat them like adults. Explain why you do it, why you need it, and how it helps you in your daily life. Encourage your kids to talk to you, express their feelings about you vaping, and ask questions. The worst thing you can do is forbid them from doing something, as that only spurs them to find ways to do it without you knowing. Communication solves all problems, and you should teach your kids at an early age how to communicate properly. And as a parent, if you’re looking to buy vape juice online, make sure you’re purchasing your vape juice from a reputable site with reviews and high quality ingredients!