Xmas gift for the fam...ideas needed

[mm2002]

I want to give my wife and the girls something really cool this Christmas.....ME, laying down the cigs for good. I need to stop the smoking insanity, but I've tried everything in the book and nothing works. I've made up my mind I want to do it for THEM. If I make a big deal out of it and present it as a gift, I know I can stick to it. So....what would be a good way to do this? I've thought about a pack of smokes cut in half, and wrapped up in a package. Yeah, that's cheezy. I dunno, I'm at a loss. I only know that if I don't qut smoking these motherfuckers, I'll likely not see my youngest daughter reach 20. The older I get, the more that just scares the fuck outa me. For those that don't know me, I'm 43, and have smoked heavily since I was 14. My wife is 26, never smoked a cig in her life, and my daughters are 6 and "almost" 2. My "almost" 2 year old has been really watching me light up, and asking me for one. It's getting fucking scary. She points at the cig like it's a piece of candy and says "bease?". My 6 year old, well hell, she's already preaching to me about quitting so she's not a problem (kindergarten already has her trained...thank god!). If I can pull this off it'll be the best thing I've ever done for my girls.
Any ideas? Help?

[dg]

Mark, your idea sounds great! However you do it will be fine. It's very cool that you want to do this. That's the key. You absolutely have to want to quit deep down or it won't work, and wanting to be there for your wife & the girls is a great motivator. My wife's dad died from lung cancer at 40, when she was just 11. She came through it pretty well, but her Mom & sister didn't. Not by a long shot. By all accounts, he was one hell of a guy & I really wish I could've met him. You're a great guy too, & whatever it takes to keep you around for your family is well worth it!

[HuntinDoug]

Way to go Mark! I quit for the sake of my family over a decade ago...never looked back. It's not as hard when you're doing it for someone else. That's a great gift for sure. Get the Mrs. a frozen turkey for Christmas. Put in the card:

"Cold Turkey tastes better at Christmas than kissing an ashtray"

See if she gets it....

[yard dawg]

Well tell them they can kick ya in the nuts if they catch ya smoking

Seriously though,you should go to a cancer treatment center and talk with the lung cancer sufferers or maybe finding someone with emphasema. Ive seen both and its so sad. I would almost bet you thinking about your little girls seeing you that way suffereing on deaths door will be enough to make you stop. They will cry and cry and you will not get to be a grand papa if you dont stop smoking. If you die before they are teenagers there wont be anyone to protect them from the horny guys chasing there virtue. If you die to soon you wont see them drive,graduate hs or college, over spend at the mall, run up a huge cell phone bill, and you wont hear them say Daddy Im so glad you quit smoking in 2006.

Dude im in the same boat with junk food. I already am free from a 2 can a day copenhagen habit and now I need to start eating less junk food and fried foods and start thinking about my heart and arteries. If I dont I can die from a heart attack or stroke at any time and I want to see my boy graduate and become a daddy (after hes married of course). If you need help let me know. I will offer ya my number and you can call anytime you feel the urge. AA does this I think.

[stevieb91]

MM...How about a small box with a note in it that pledges your life and health to your family(perhaps leaning on a more poetic approach)....

::::EDIT::::

For the record,I have tried everything to quit as well(Zyban is a joke),so when you are successful,how about posting a few tips.....

[Firebird V]

I quit for my kids a few years ago. But I was down to a few a week... Then a few a month....I agree that when you are quitting for someone else it is easier. You can do it!

[Shotgun]

I quit when my father in law's cancer was so bad he couldn't walk (the tumors had spread, and the ones in his brain were why he couldn't walk).

So I guess that's quitting for someone else, huh?

I gave myself two months, and I gradually cut back day by day from a pack and a half (or two) down to just one cigerette a day: 1/2 of it in the morning, 1/2 of that nasty burnt fugger at night.

This is cheesy, too, but how about wrapping a 8x10 color picture of healthy lungs? Tell them that is what you're giving them. Or what the hell to smokes cost these days, $50 a friggin carton? Add up all you'd spend on cigs from now till next christmas, and give them an IOU for a gift (trip or something for all of you) for that amount, payable 12/25/07. That would be kickass.

If you want to do it, good for you, bro. You'll feel better after a while, I promise.

Keith

[guitarsjb]

I did it 4 years ago. You can do it bro!! I know you can. When it gets too rough pick up the phone and holler at me.

[heartfielder]

Very nice to hear it Mark !! I know I'd like to see you around a long time .... Like she said, if you ever need a shoulder to bitch at, I'm here too !!!

Merry Christmas !!! Great gift for the Family !!!

[quakana]

A guy once said to me....your letting a plant rule your life! I smoked for 18 years and have given it up. Lung cancer from smoking is a reality. You keep smoking....you die from it.. period. That should motivate you a little
Seriously, you do a lot of painting as well and that combined with smoking puts you a little more of a risk. Hopefully you wear a resperator when you paint. You owe it to your kids. I used the patch and that seemed to help. Now a days you can get pills to help with the withdrawls too. Talk to your doctor they will help. Good luck man

[mm2002]

Thank you all, you people rock. None of you even have a clue how much I truly appreciate your input here. This isn't the easiest thing 've ever done, and without your help I'm not sure i could pull this off. It's going to happen though!

[St.James]

I quit cold turkey about 9 years ago. I don't know if I could recommend doing that. Remember, smoking cigs is an addiction that's been compared to cocaine. Suddenly stopping can cause your system to go ape shit.

When I quit I suddenly lost strength in my hands. I can't say for sure it's related, but I'm betting it is. Turning a doorknob or even turning the A/C on in my car was very difficult. Playing guitar like hammer-on and pull-offs and string bending was out of the question.

Everything Quakana said sounds like a good plan!

Good luck, fella!!

[toejam]

I'm 43, and have smoked heavily since I was 14. My wife is 26, never smoked a cig in her life

Well, with a 26-year-old wife, you're never gonna keep up with her if you keep smoking cigarettes.

[wulfe13]

My problem is that every time I try to quit, I turn into such an asshole.

I know I'm opening my self up to some serouis shots here.... so fire away....

[Norton]

"Cold Turkey tastes better at Christmas than kissing an ashtray"

Turkey is cold nowadays