Ford admits to smoking crack cocaine: How to tell your kids

TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford admitted Tuesday he smoke crack cocaine, setting off an inescapable storm of media coverage that blanketed not only Toronto but much of the world.

Now, parents are wondering how to talk to their children about his confession and what it means.

Dr. Karyn Gordon said it’s important to answer all the questions your children ask, but you don’t have to elaborate.

“There’s a lot of confusion and a lot of parents are unsure about what is appropriate to tell,” Gordon told CityNews on Wedensday.

Watch the full video interview below:

“From my perspective …use it as an amazing opportunity to talk with your kids.”

Gordon said there are many different ways to have the conversation: you can talk about leadership, you can talk about what constitutes a good apology, and you can talk about drugs.

“Parents need to be willing to have the conversation but allow your kids to take the lead.”

Gordon added that, depending on the age of your children and what they may have already heard, a simple answer is often the best one.

“If they ask a simple question, answer the simple question. Don’t give more than they’re actually asking — you don’t have to go into the details,” she advised.

The larger message, she said, is to convey to your children that everyone makes mistakes — it’s how you take responsibility and move forward that matters.

Meanwhile, one mother wrote to CityNews, Wednesday morning, saying “we teach our kids to say no to drugs and as mayor he should set an example. I hope he does not walk in this year’s Santa Claus Parade.”

In another e-mail, one viewer suggests Mayor Ford shouldn’t take part in the city’s Remembrance Day ceremony.

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