Smoking Baby's Lessons for Parents

A two-year-old Indonesian boy, ldi Suganda Rizal, chain-smokes cigarettes.

Disturbing video of him doing it taken by CBS News and shown on "The Early Show" Thursday sparked shock and outrage from viewers.

He was seen blowing smoke rings and puffing one cigarette after another.

Pictures: Smoking Baby
Smoking Baby Still Smoking, on Tape

In fact, it's received an overwhelming response.

One viewer who commented within our story said, "The picture of this kid smoking is deeply disturbing."

Another reader responded, "Whatever happened to parental responsibility not to buy your kids things that are bad for them? You don't have to give in to kids' tantrums. Be adults!"

Another said, "This is just ridiculous. Whatever happened to parental control?"

The baby, CBS News learned, began to smoke when he was left to play alone in a marketplace where his parents sell fish. His mother, Dinai, told CBS News she found him in a cigarette stall smoking, puffing like a pro.

Diana said, "He already knew how to do it very well, like an adult. ... It was actually his own wish."

Before long, Aldi was smoking more than 40 cigarettes a day. In fact, his mother says he often uses one cigarette to light the next.

Diana also told CBS News, "Nowadays, he smokes one pack a day, two packs at most. ... We surely hope he will quit, that he will be like any other kid, not smoking. ... But I can't stand seeing him hurting himself. What can we do but to accept it is as it is?"

Aldi, his mother says, throws tantrums, sometimes even hitting his head on the floor. His mother says he becomes sick from withdrawal when he can't smoke.

Aldi still smokes one to two packs of cigarettes a day.

Aldi and his family are now in a rehabilitation program sponsored by Indonesia's National Commission for Child Protection, his parents told CBS News.

But what can Aldi teach parents?

On the broadcast Friday "Early Show" contributor Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, a child and adolescent psychologist, said parents can learn how to deal -- and even prevent -- their kids' tantrums.

When your child has a tantrum, Hartstein said there methods to deal with the behavior. Hartstein adds, however, tantrums can't necessarily be avoided completely.

So if they do occur, Hartstein says parents have to think about their responses.

"If possible, ignore the child as they tantrum," she says. "If he isn't getting your attention, he may stop on his own. If you pay too much attention to the tantrum, or give in to the demands, you are reinforcing the behavior you are trying to change. (This is) not going to work!"

She continued, "(Tantrums are) exhausting, and if it's in public, it's embarrassing. So there are important things to do. If you get angry in reaction to your child's tantrum, it will only make things worse. If you take a breath and remove yourself and them from the situation, that's helpful."

Hartstein explained tantrums are a process.

"Any time you take something away, they'll tantrum," she said. "If (Aldi's) tantruming, he's going through withdrawal, and you're taking away what he wants, and she says he's banging his head and hurting himself. So, put something under his head, but you can't give something back that's harming him."

She continued, "Be consistent with your child. Start there and really set the rules. Make sure they know what to expect. Start with that. The more consistent you are, the better. You then really want to plan ahead. Kids get tantrumy when they are tired, when they are hungry, when they're bored. So, bring a treat, bring a snack, bring a something if you're running errands. Do errands in the morning to avoid being tired. We want to make sure we do that."

Hartstein also suggests parents try to communicate with their young children as best they can.

"It's a time of language development," she said. "So, 2-year-olds are learning how to talk and they're going to be frustrated. Think about yourself if you're doing something you can't figure out. You get frustrated. He's going to, too."

Another way to help prevent tantrums is to praise good behavior. In the case of Aldi, Hartstein says his parents should catch him child doing something good. For every time Aldi doesn't smoke, Hartstein says, he should be praised and encouraged.

"That will motivate him to do it more," she said.

Another way to avoid tantrum behavior is to give children choices. Choices increase a sense of control, Hartstein said.

"Maybe Aldi can be offered alternatives to smoking as he learns to stop." She suggested an alternative, such as a lollipop.

Distractions are another way to change your child's fussy actions.

Hartstein said, "Something you can do to change track is great."

But can the track be shifted for Aldi? Will he be affected by smoking for the rest of his life? Will he be further addicted to other things?

Hartstein said, "His lungs are still developing. It's going to be a hard sell to say you're really healthy when your lungs aren't going to develop because they're filled with smoke. ... For adolescents, starting then leads to addiction in adulthood. It's harder to stop later."