Son Has A Hookah

[SuburbanSmoker]

I would advise you embrace this as long as it is tobacco and not nht. I speak from experience, when i was 16 my older brother got a hookah and my dad thought it was cool. Soon i was joining him and his friends when they would hang out and it got to the point where my pops wanted to be involved and bought one of his own. We would have family sessions and it was really a good way to be able to communicate with him and spend time with him due to his job takening him away most the time. Im 19 now, and still to this day when i come back for a weekend from school my dad will crack a beer with me and fire up one of my hookahs.

Hookah is more then just some fad. Its different from drinking, or smoking NHT or anything else because the whole appeal is the social aspect. It allows for people to spend time relax and enjoy the company of others. I am completely for embracing your son and teaching him to do it right. Only got one life... enjoy it!

Ultimately it comes down to you of course and your values so do what you feel is the correct thing to do.

It had a positive effect on my life....why cant it with your son....Just my .02 cents

[liquidglass]

I agree with everyone and I think you're handling it great. Since you smoke hookah, it's not that odd that he wants to try it. In fact psychologically it's most likely some deluded form of "wanting to be like dad" that all boys experience when they're little (watching you shave etc).

So as that then yes I would let him smoke WITH you on occasion and that way he can learn and respect hookah more. Who knows it might keep him off the more illegal stuff and it would provide some quality time between you too. If you chose to hold onto the hookah and only let him use it around the house, then you can simply tell him you just don't want him getting caught with it and getting in legal trouble.

As far as how he got it, just casually ask him, tell him you're not mad at him because you can understand the fascination and you're just wondering if he got it from the local hookah place, because it was irresponsible of them. You can even throw in a little, if you were curious you could have talked to me about it, and I would have been happy to explain it, because I didn't want you getting any bad info about it.

Of course discuss the health risks and mention to him that he's getting older and he can make his own choices and you're not trying to stop him, just give him some advice, that way he'll feel like you respect him and that he's more grown up, so he'll probably be more responsible knowing you have confidence in him.


Now just like anything you tell him will be advice for the most part, this is just my 2 cents to you, spend it however you want.

[Victim026]

I think the big concern should be if he bought a decent hookah... Is it at least a MZ?

[benton]

I wish my parents would have posted on online forums about things they found in my room. I find this to be absolutely hillarious haha. But on a serious note, definitely smoke with him. That is about the best quality bonding time I could imagine. Plus, in most places, including where I live, you are allowed to legally smoke at 16 so it is not as if you are supporting criminal mischief.

[hookah hippie]

Definitely go for the bonding wish I could bond with my old man like that

[chromecarz00]

I started smoking at 14. Ocassionaly of course but still. He is old enough but do give him the talk.

[jezter6]

I was 25 and smoking and still hid it from my parents because they were asses about it. Personally, treat him like an adult. Don't get deep and give one of those "sex talk" style speeches where it sounds like you're talking down to him and lecturing him about the "evil empire" of big tobacco.

Talk to him like he's an adult, even if he's not. Tell him you'd either like him to stop until he's 18, or at least only do it with dad on special occasions so at least you can keep an eye on how much he smokes. If you 'forbid' him to do it, you'll just have a rebellion on your hand.

I see no problem smoking with your 16 year old son if both of you are responsible enough to keep it to hookah and only once in a while. He obviously wants to be like you since he sees you do it, so you might as well use it as a great bonding tool to hang out together. Otherwise he's going to do it with his friends and maybe some not-so-good friends who bring over the NHT.

Would I have stopped smoking if my dad and I had a quality talk like that? No - but at least I'd respect him for it, and I wish I could smoke hookah with him....maybe some day.

[Snoopy1966]

I have said it before. My children are 18, 16 and 15. They love the smell of the Hookah tobacco and I will let them take a few pulls. Better with me then someone else and not cigarettes also. They take a few pulls, give me back the hose and enjoy the taste and it is even Tangiers!

[Raziel510]

I'm not a parent but I would say that you need to have a talk with him. In this instance, since you smoke hookah you obviously can't tell him not to smoke without looking like a giant hypocrite. Use this opportunity to explain how and what hookah is used for and make sure explain the consequences of using it. He may (like many others) be under the impression that hookah smoking is completely harmless. Make sure you tell him that smoking is smoking and that he is damaging his body by using it. Like you said you'll want to make sure he's not doing anything stupid with it like useing BBQ coals or smoking NHT with it. After that, you can go into the history, cultural, and social aspects of hookah or you can just say screw it and light up a bowl with him. Like others have said, don't talk down to him talk to him like an adult.


Let us know how it goes!

[Speak_In_Vowels]

I have said it before. My children are 18, 16 and 15. They love the smell of the Hookah tobacco and I will let them take a few pulls. Better with me then someone else and not cigarettes also. They take a few pulls, give me back the hose and enjoy the taste and it is even Tangiers!

wish my dad would have let me smoke tangiers with him lol, i did however smoke hookah a few times with my mom's new boy friend and he really likes it =p

[IamWhee]

So what did you end up doing?

[zachf88]

he's 16.... at least he's not smoking NHT... take advantage of this and bond with your son. He'll be off on his own soon in college or whatever his dream is.... one thing i regret the most is not spending enough time with my father (i'm in college) Edited July 24, 2008 by Snoopy1966
Snoopy Edit to make correction

[srawas89]

he's 16.... at least he's not smoking something thats very dangerous.... take advantage of this and bond with your son. He'll be off on his own soon in college or whatever his dream is.... one thing i regret the most is not spending enough time with my father (i'm in college)

Refer to that stuff as NHT (Non Hookah Tobacco).

Edit: man it was edited right before I posted haha Edited July 24, 2008 by srawas89

[glenh12]

So what did you end up doing?

today i approached him about it and asked him if he wanted to smoke some hookah with me. we sat down and started smoking(this was the first time we have smoked together). next thing i know he says "dad, i have something to tell u" . and i knew what it was right away. he told me that he had bought his friends hookah off him for 50 bucks or so. he swore he used it only for tobacco and not NHT. i was glad i didn't have to ask him about it and he just came out and told me. as for the tobacco and coals, he bought them at the local head shop, he said they didn't id him or anything. i told him he can smoke his hookah as long as its in the house and no friends are over. and he says " finally, now i dont have to sit outside alone and smoke, the wind would always knock my coals off" hahah so he was smoking alone after all and not with any of his friends. im glad i asked him to smoke with me and now dont have to worry about anything else.

[Speak_In_Vowels]

So what did you end up doing?

today i approached him about it and asked him if he wanted to smoke some hookah with me. we sat down and started smoking(this was the first time we have smoked together). next thing i know he says "dad, i have something to tell u" . and i knew what it was right away. he told me that he had bought his friends hookah off him for 50 bucks or so. he swore he used it only for tobacco and not NHT. i was glad i didn't have to ask him about it and he just came out and told me. as for the tobacco and coals, he bought them at the local head shop, he said they didn't id him or anything. i told him he can smoke his hookah as long as its in the house and no friends are over. and he says " finally, now i dont have to sit outside alone and smoke, the wind would always knock my coals off" hahah so he was smoking alone after all and not with any of his friends. im glad i asked him to smoke with me and now dont have to worry about anything else.

awesome man, im glad to hear it.i just wish more parents would take this route instead of screaming and yelling ya know?
its cool that now whenever you want you have something to bond over with your son =D

[DrShisha]

Cool Stuff! A Very heartwarming story! props to you for handling it so well.

[greeknate88]

So what did you end up doing?

today i approached him about it and asked him if he wanted to smoke some hookah with me. we sat down and started smoking(this was the first time we have smoked together). next thing i know he says "dad, i have something to tell u" . and i knew what it was right away. he told me that he had bought his friends hookah off him for 50 bucks or so. he swore he used it only for tobacco and not NHT. i was glad i didn't have to ask him about it and he just came out and told me. as for the tobacco and coals, he bought them at the local head shop, he said they didn't id him or anything. i told him he can smoke his hookah as long as its in the house and no friends are over. and he says " finally, now i dont have to sit outside alone and smoke, the wind would always knock my coals off" hahah so he was smoking alone after all and not with any of his friends. im glad i asked him to smoke with me and now dont have to worry about anything else.

I don't think that could have gone any bettr

[zachf88]

[Snoopy1966]

Very cool. Glad he came to you also and told you his story. Nice job.

[vin13]

Very nice indeed, what a badass bonding experience.

[Chiefin]

Christmas shopping just got easier for the both of you...

[momatik]

Why don't you want him to smoke with any of his friends?

[glenh12]

Why don't you want him to smoke with any of his friends?

because i dont want his friends to smoke with him, then go home and tell their parents and have them flip out and call the cops on me for letting minors smoke tobacco.

[Scoop]

his friends are 15? no way man, if my friends parents permitted me to smoke at 15 and my parents found out, all hell would break loose.

[Scoop]

Why don't you want him to smoke with any of his friends?

because i dont want his friends to smoke with him, then go home and tell their parents and have them flip out and call the cops on me for letting minors smoke tobacco.

hahah exactly!