We have some very close friends from Germany visiting for a few weeks, and they have some interesting cultural practices.

No, not just eating vegetables, recycling and insisting we walk to the store instead of driving there.

They smoke.

Not indoors, of course, but a few cigarettes on an outside patio is considered an integral part of a pre-dinner ritual, along with a nice Campari and orange juice over ice.

I don't smoke, but I don't object to people who do outdoors with good ventilation.

(And I like a Campari and orange as much as anyone.)

But the sight of adults they know smoking cigarettes has understandably confounded Dennis and Lila, who like most American kids, have been blasted with anti-smoking propaganda since birth.

Our friends, who are more polite than Emily Post, asked if I'd prefer they hide their habit. They could wait until late at night to smoke, or walk down the street to do it.

But I didn't want Felix and Cecile to sneak off in the dark like criminals. I want them to feel comfortable in my home, as they have made us comfortable countless times in their home in Germany.

And I want the kids to understand that some adults behave differently than Mom and Dad. And that we make our friends from overseas comfortable in our home whenever possible.

And that smoking, for them, is still very Verboten until they are old enough to buy their own plane tickets.

Do you think this is a reasonable approach? What do you do with your kids when you have friends or family visiting who smoke? Leave a comment or email me at enoonan@globe.com