PeacefulChaos Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Like, B.O. type stink. Not the really nasty smell yet. BUT it's definitely not the 'sweaty/outdoor playing' smell that we've had up until now. It's that wild-onion-y smell (that's what my grandma always called it, though whether or not it ACTUALLY smells like wild onions is up for debate). I'm really surprised. I figured that Link, being older, would be the one to smell first lol. :) I feel like 8.5 is kind of young!!! But there's no mistaking it - I got a whiff of the smell the other night when I was giving him a hug before bed, but then it was so quick and I didn't smell it again that I thought it was nothing. But then today when he sat down next to me to read a book, it was noticeable, especially when he moved his arms. I finally just lifted an arm and sniffed his armpit lol :ack2: ... So my question is - do I have to get him deodorant? I've got some 'powder' type deodorant that I got from Virginia Soaps and Scents that I'd bought with Link in mind, thinking he'd need it sooner. But now, I don't know, should I just go for regular deodorant? Something like Toms of Maine or similar would be my preference at this age. OR is this something we could manage just by making sure to shower every night? Right now they take showers every other night or so. ??? If he does have to start wearing deodorant, should I just go ahead and make Link start wearing it, too? I don't want Astro to feel weird having to wear it by himself... or Link to feel weird because Astro has to wear it and he doesn't. Most likely I'm overthinking it. :lol: But like I said, I'm just really, really surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Great success here with Crystal deodorants. It's just natural mineral salts. I like the roll-on ones. I use the scented ones, but they make unscented too. http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Deodorant-Roll-On-Unscented-Ounce/dp/B00028QFAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Neighbors down the road had their then 8 year old son start wearing deodorant because he had that odor. He is now 11. His younger brother is 9 now and still doesn't need it. Every child is different. You might try just having them bathe every single day (and confirm that they really know how to use soap effectively). I have a friend with twin boys that get pretty stinky. She has them shower every morning before school, just a real quicky, then a longer true shower/bath when they get in from school. She tried to avoid deodorant and the chemicals until they were older (they are 14 now, use deodorant and still shower twice a day but they also play and compete at tennis...). In your situation though, if showering every day doesn't work, you might have both start using deodorant but approach it as something exciting. like a rite of passage, not a negative that might hurt their feelings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 I tried one of the crystals once and I didn't like it much... I do still have it, though... and it may work fine for a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I found it a pain to have to wet the crystal, plus, I didn't feel like it was so easy to get it on effectively, kwim? The roll on one solved that for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 DS9 started wearing deodorant last fall (?). I noticed he was starting to smell a bit stronger than normal, and we had already had a talk about BO before that. DH took him shopping, he found one he liked. I don't think he uses it every day. But after sports day, or soccer, I've heard him say how glad he was he wore deodorant that day! :) It's not a big deal, just a fact of life. You put it on so you're not stinky.... Nobody wants to be the stinky one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occasionally Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Even my DS6 gets that BO stink sometimes, despite showering (my older two need it, too!) I get them all the Tom's of Maine deodorant without antiperspirant. So far it seems to work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Heavens! My DS8.5 stinks like the rotting of many onions. It's wretched. And of course, me telling him that he needs to put deodorant on made him feel as though I didn't like him (because I said he had body odor, even if I did say it nicely)... I think puberty is touching down early here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypatia. Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 DS1 has been wearing deodorant for a year or so, though it's taking some experimenting to find one that works well but doesn't smell like a teenage locker room. DD1 wears it also because she wants to, I haven't really noticed her needing it yet though. I recently switched to the roll on crystal deodorant (by Kiss My Face) and it works much better than what I was using previously, so I may buy some unscented for the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I would try the shower every day route, first. And honestly, I like the "quick shower" in the am, "long shower" in the pm. But that may seem excessive to some. Just another little tip--make sure he doesn't wear sneakers w/o socks--foot odor can ramp up as hormones change. Isn't that an exciting possibility... :laugh: :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Mainly, just don't make them feel like they have to wear it because they are flawed or disgusting. DD was very sensitive about odor and hated ANY implication that she might smell. Thankfully, she was the one who suggested deodorant and started showering daily. DS10 doesn't need to wear deodorant yet but I know when he does it will go much better if he sees it as a right of passage, something big kids do, not because I find his body odor offensive. He is even more sensitive about personal comments than DD.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer132 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Mine just turned nine and he needs deodorant. I think in the winter it won't be an issue anymore, but with the heat of summer, he is sweating more. It wasn't weird for him at all. He showers every morning, and one evening I noticed he had mild BO. I had him wash his underarms. The next time he had it, he noticed it. So we started the deodorant routine in the mornings after his shower. No biggie! :) He knows adults wear it, and he knows one day he'll be and adult, and so it was just one more part of growing older, like getting adult teeth, or only needing a booster in the car, rather than a carseat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stages Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 My daughter started needing deodorant at 5. I asked her pediatrician and he assured me that she was still within the realm of "normal." We use Tom's deodorant, mostly because I don't want to put an anti-antiperspirant on a kid that young. Some of the scents are kind of girly, but the unscented roll-on kind is nice. Edit: I first noticed it after she got really upset about something and got all sweaty from that. If she sweats, even right after a shower, it stinks. She doesn't want her friends to know she uses deodorant, but she's not embarrassed about it around family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfrumpable. Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 My 8 year old definitely stinks! And has for the last year. He has always had daily baths or showers too. Now I have to give him a sniff when he gets out of the shower to make sure he scrubbed his pits good. He doesn't seem to mind and often runs over to stick his armpit right in my face to smell without even asking. ;) However, my sister was going to give him some natural kid's deodorant for Christmas! She was well meaning, but enough people told her that would be rude so she just gave it to me. I haven't used it on him. I use the crystal myself and have thought about using it on him too, but making sure he scrubs well seems to help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfrumpable. Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 See, I just checked him now and he forgot to scrub, so back in he goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I also told DS9 he didn't need to advertise at school - after all, not everyone gets to wear it. And really, no one needs to know why you *don't* smell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Like, B.O. type stink. Not the really nasty smell yet. BUT it's definitely not the 'sweaty/outdoor playing' smell that we've had up until now. It's that wild-onion-y smell (that's what my grandma always called it, though whether or not it ACTUALLY smells like wild onions is up for debate). When my youngest was about 11-12 and was just really starting to smell 'ripe', he would strike a 'manly' pose, sniff and armpit and declare to the world, "Ahhhh, smells just like onions!" Does life get any better than the moment a young boy discovers that his pits stink? :ack2: Look at it as a rite of passage - and pass the deodorant. Chances are, he'll think it's pretty cool! :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 One of mine started having actual real BO before age 5. Since starting 1st grade, I made it a part of our daily morning routine to wash the pits and put on deo - for both girls, so one doesn't feel funny about it. They use the same thing I use, which is Toms unscented deodorant (not antiperspirent). I choose unscented because one, who needs more chemicals, and two, the kids at school do not need to know they use deodorant. In a way this is better, because they are not dying of embarrassment over underarm stink, like kids do when the BO starts in puberty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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