Fire in the Mouth

Well you know how a 3 year old- excuse me a 3 and a half years old (he now corrects me anytime I call him 3) likes to ask questions??? Been there??
T has noticed Fire in peoples mouth?? SMOKERS!!!

He refers to call it "fire" because he doesn't know that they are called cigarettes. The other day he was playing and had something hanging out of his mouth, it fell out. He then said "oh man I dropped my fire." I sat down with him and we had a detailed conversation about "fire".

I really did not know what to say other than what the bible has to say?? I just told him that when you put things like "fire" in your mouth it hurts your body. Then I told him that God created our bodies and does not want us to hurt our bodies.

The next day we were driving through town and he said very upset "MAMA THOSE GIRLS IN THE CAR HAVE FIRE IN THEIR MOUTH!!!" Sitting at the Red light I just explained to him that just because we do something does not mean everyone believes the same. Then he told me it was OK if he had fire in his mouth when he grows up, because he wants to be a construction worker or a truck driver( the truck driver who lives at our house does not smoke??) and they have fire in their mouth. I once again told him how it harms our body and what God thinks about that.

I know that this is part of raising children and teaching them. I guess as an adult and knowing better I did not realize how many people in person and on t.v. smoke. Andy Griffith for Pete's sake was smoking on his black and white t.v. show the other day. I thought that show was as clean as it gets??

I feel like I am constantly having this conversation non-stop with him. Every time we turn around there is someone else who has fire in their mouth. If you find a big enough bubble to fit all of my family in- Please let me know! Otherwise do you have any suggestions to conversations about talking with you children about "things others may do, but we don't do in our lives."

Mollie