Please stub that cigarette!

Children of smokers want their parents to stub out their cigarettes as part of New Year resolutions, according to a survey commissioned by the Childline charity.

Children of smokers want their parents to stub out their cigarettes as part of New Year resolutions, according to a survey commissioned by the Childline charity.

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Giving up smoking was the single most popular pledge children picked for their parents in 2007 among 461 youngsters aged between 11 and 16 years. The poll also found that almost two-thirds wanted their parents to listen more and 61 per cent wanted to be consulted about decisions which affected their lives.

Smart Box
Resolutions 2007 Stop smoking Allow kids to stay up till late in the night Treat children like grown-ups Buy treats/presents Hand out fewer chores Listen to them more Work fewer hours Give children more responsibility Consult in making decisions

Over half of youngsters said they did not want their parents to shout at them. "Young people who took part in this poll have been clear that they are eager for their voices to be heard," Mary Marsh, director of the National Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) — which provides Childline — said.

"In the day to day stresses of life, it can be very difficult for parents to take time out to talk and really listen to their children, but it is vital," she said in a statement.