Would you hire a babysitter/nanny that smoked?

[hyde]

Assuming the smoking is during non-work hours. Why or why not?

[phathui5]

Not if I could help it. I wouldn't be able to be sure that it was during non-work hours. Also, I know that smokers use it as a coping mechanism, so how are they going to deal with the stresses of taking care of children?

[Quinalla]

Assuming they smoke only during non-working hours and their clothes (and vehicle if they will be driving the children) don't smell like smoke, I wouldn't care and probably wouldn't even know.

[ollyoxenfree]

I would have a couple of concerns. The person might be tempted to sneak a smoke while s/he was supposed to be looking after the children. It would mean that s/he wouldn't be supervising the children directly since s/he would have to hide behind a door or step outside. My second concern is general health. Smokers may have more trouble keeping up with active children and are more likely to get sick. A simple cold may last longer and symptoms may be more severe.

[k x s]

No because of concerns over third hand smoke and also not entirely sure how it would sound if I asked them to change their clothes every time they came to babysit.

[prosciencemum]

Absolutely not. I would worry a lot about residual smoke on their clothing when they hugged the kids. And they would smell bad.  And frankly I would be concerned that we wouldn't mesh well in other areas if they didn't think it was a good idea to stop smoking. 

[babibelli]

Nope. Children imitate what they see in their world.

[*bejeweled*]

No. I'd be concerened about the second hand smoke.

[greenemami]

If you are talking about an occasional cigarette while out on the weekend, that wouldn't bother me (how would I even know about it?!) but if you mean a babysitter who smoked immediately before and after babysitting and routinely outside of babysitting, then no, I wouldn't if I could help it.  I wouldn't trust that they wouldn't occasionally break the rules and sneak a cig during nap time or something, or that their vehicle and clothes were smoke free. 

Though I am a hypocrite because both dp and my mom smoke and it drives me crraaaazzzyyy (even as a former smoker myself pre-kids), but I try to use it as a teaching tool about the perils of addiction and the effects of smoking..hopefully it will sink in! I wouldn't intentionally surround my kids with people who smoked though, particularly if I am paying them :)

[lauranhc]

Absolutely not. I think smoking is so disgusting and should be illegal for starters. I also think it should be illegal to smoke in a car if children are present. Second hand smoke or third-hand smoke if they are not smoking around the child is so awful for the children. No way. I hate smoking. 

[nextcommercial]

Nope.  I'd put up with it if it were my child's grandparents, but I wouldn't intentionally hire anyone who smokes.  

[osker]

No way, never.  Ick.  

[cynthiamoon]

I think it's optimistic to think that someone who is a regular smoker would be able to quit for the day to care for your children. Everyone I know who smokes gets very, very cranky at their personal intervals, usually more like 1-3 hours between smokes. Then again, I guess someone could be a very light smoker and keep it to off-work hours. I would definitely never hire someone who would smoke right before work or with my kids. 

I'm torn about the "shared values" argument though. I mean, I would never say a teacher or camp counselor should be fired for smoking, for example, especially if they do keep it as much to themselves as possible. I think that would be crossing a boundary as to how much of a person's personal life an employer can control. 

[LLQ1011]

no i would not. Its in their clothes, their car. Second hand smoke lingers and can still cause damage.