Hi there
Thank you for sending your letter to me. You’ve told me about two very important things that are on your mind, and I’m really glad that you decided to write to me.
You sounded angry and upset, when you wrote your letter, at the way your parents treat you differently from your sister. It’s normal for families to disagree sometimes, but arguing can make you feel angry and upset, and it may be that your parents feel upset too. It sounds as though things have become worse at home since your sister hurt her shoulder. Perhaps you could think about how your relationship with your parents was before this happened, and how you would like things to be.
It sounds like you care about your parents and are worried about them smoking.
You’ve tried to talk to them about how you feel but it seems like they are not ready to hear what you want to say to them, and things escalate until your dad gets angry and shouts at you. I imagine this is frustrating too. It may be helpful to try to talk to your parents when you are feeling calm and try to let them know the reasons why you want them to stop. It is up to them to make the decision to stop themselves.
How would you feel if you talk to a ChildLine counsellor directly? You would be able to get a better understanding of how things are for you and begin to think of ways that you can support yourself. You can ring for free 0800 1111, or sign up for an account and use the online 1-2-1 chat or ChildLine email. There is also some useful information on the Home and family relationships message board, it can be helpful to read posts from other young people with similar experiences.
Take care,
Sam