"I can't think because my hand is too stinky."

[chocolate-chip chooky]

This is what we're dealing with here today. Seriously. :glare:

 

Please, please, please someone tell me this is not just us.

It's a bizarre mash-up of funny, frustrating and just, well, bizarre.

 

Sensory processing issues?

Sensory OE?

 

It's not avoidance or procrastination, because she's genuinely upset that she can't focus.

 

 

For what it's worth, I sniffed her hand and it smelt normal and fine to me .... :huh:

 

Just sharin' because I needed to share.

 

 

 

ETA: Just clarifying - this is my 10yr old saying this today. My hands are A-OK.

Edited June 3, 2016 by chocolate-chip chooky

[Arcadia]

:grouphug: :lol: my hubby complained my shirt stinks because of a drop of fish oil. He can smell minuscule amounts of liquid fish oil supplements. And I thought my DS11's and my hyper sensitive nose was bad enough.

[mathnerd]

It is not just you. I can assure you of that. Mine cannot work because he heard the birds chirp cheerfully through the patio screen door and it either distracts him to the point of freezing him during work or puts him in a "super happy" mood that he does not want to work any more. So, we shut all the windows and work in the spring. I really love the birds in my yard chirping and it makes me sad to close ourselves in during the day, but, it is what it is. (we also have problems with belt buckles, shirt tags etc becoming distracting enough to stop work until a workaround is found). 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Yay! Not just us. Thanks for sharing.

 

I think my daughter has super-senses. Everything seems so much .. MORE.

She loves certain smells and just can't tolerate other ones eg whatever got on her hand today...still a mystery.

 

Same as you, mathnerd, we have issues with all sorts of sensory related things. She pretty much only wears hand-me-down clothes from her older sisters, because they are soft enough for her to tolerate (many, many years of washes!)

 

She has industrial ear muffs for when sounds are getting to her. She looks ever so cute with big green ear protection while sitting and reading a novel.  :) 

[Mike in SA]

Nope, not alone.  I've heard, "I can't think! He [little brother] is breathing too loudly!" 

 

We have one who can't process complex thoughts sitting down, and another who can't process things with movement.  We have to put them in different rooms during the school day.

[quark]

You have a MORE child. This sounds perfectly normal for those of us living with MORE children/ spouses/ oversensitivity ourselves. Especially given what you've mentioned about her OCD I'd say this is probably to be expected.

 

DH does this a lot with smells. Complains dogs are smelly even right after I've given them a wash or will say the house still smells of egg/ fish/ whatever after I've washed and wiped down surfaces.

 

For me, it's noise. I just cannot concentrate with loud noises and have given up working from home some days when things are way too noisy. Or show me a beautiful sunset and I will be useless for many minutes, and might even dissolve into tears (or maybe that's hormones :glare:).

 

DS, NOW thankfully, is our easiest family member.

 

You have my sympathies and hugs. :grouphug:

[SKL]

My 9yo has recently decided she does not touch certain doorknobs because of the metal smell they leave on her hand.

 

Up to now I had no idea that doorknobs had a smell.

[quark]

Up to now I had no idea that doorknobs had a smell.

 

They do. I can tell you they are not pleasant. There is a very, I don't know how to say it other than "metallic" odor. I smell that with some other things too, e.g. the metal parts of my garage door for example. And I am not even as sensitive as my DH when it comes to smells.

 

[Eagle]

You are not alone! Ds has a whole collection (at least 8) of liquid soaps so he can get the right scent at the right time. Sounds are an issue too and he has a set of those industrial type noise blocker ear coverings. The sound issues have greatly improved over the years, but the scent ones have intensified. I just keep buying him new soaps and it keeps him fairly happy.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm so, so glad it's not just us breeding our own flavour of odd. You folks are all so lovely to share your own flavours too.

 

A lot of smells you can walk away from, but when it's your own hand, well, that's a tad tricky. She spent ages with one arm extended and she even needed a good ol' cry, poor honey bunch.

I jest now to help us get through these challenges, but it really was a significant issue for her (and me as the person trying to help).

 

I made sandwiches at lunch with a LOT of raw onion on it and that seemed to mask the smell for her. Raw onions, fine. Mystery smell, intolerable. Go figure.

As a family, we now all reek of onions :crying:

Edited June 3, 2016 by chocolate-chip chooky

[quark]

I'm so, so glad it's not just us breeding our own flavour of odd. You folks are all so lovely to share your own flavours too.

 

A lot of smells you can walk away from, but when it's your own hand, well, that's a tad tricky. She spent ages with one arm extended and she even needed a good ol' cry, poor honey bunch.

I jest now to help us get through these challenges, but it really was a significant issue for her (and me as the person trying to help).

 

I made sandwiches at lunch with a LOT of raw onion on it and that seemed to mask the smell for her. Raw onions, fine. Mystery smell, intolerable. Go figure.

As a family, we now all reek of onions :crying:

 

I know what you mean about jesting. Sometimes I laugh a lot when explaining it just to tone down the "drama" factor in other people's eyes. But it can be very frustrating when you are living with it.

 

Have you tried baking soda? 

[Arcadia]

My kids don't mind the smell of onions, ginger or garlic. I think ginger juice or garlic juice or lemon juice can definately musk most smells on anybody's hands. Besides people would think my kids just did food prep.

 

My 9yo has recently decided she does not touch certain doorknobs because of the metal smell they leave on her hand.

 

Up to now I had no idea that doorknobs had a smell.

Metal utensils smell too.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Thanks, quark. I'm glad you understand.

In those moments, there is no jesting. It is challenging, frustrating and upsetting. But if I take a step back, well, there's a whole lot of funny in there too. And after the fact, I try to hold on to the funny.

Our days are never dull, that's for sure.

 

Baking soda - great idea. I don't use any smelly household cleaning stuff, for obvious reasons. I do have baking soda and I'll try to remember to utilise it more - thanks!

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Thanks arcadia. My daughter is completely fine with all those smells, so I'll definitely remember that. I wish I'd thought of lemon juice for her hand. That is an absolutely super idea!

[ReadingMama1214]

I feel your pain. My daughter is much younger (4.5) but she has super senses as well. She hides in her room while I cook dinner sometimes! And melts down at the faintest hint of brightness outside....

[Black-eyed Suzan]

Have you read the Out of Sync Child? I finally understood that part of myself when I read it.  :lol: I'm sensitive to smells and loud noises. And I know just how my kids feel when they have to have just the right kind of socks.

[Catalytic]

Can anyone hear the TV when the power is on?  I always know a TV is on in the house, DH thinks I'm crazy.  He can't understand how I know, if the TV is muted.  I don't notice it with monitors, just TVs.

[Mike in SA]

Can anyone hear the TV when the power is on?  I always know a TV is on in the house, DH thinks I'm crazy.  He can't understand how I know, if the TV is muted.  I don't notice it with monitors, just TVs.

 

Yes, I can - any electric device with a speaker will hum.  My hearing isn't that great, so it surprises me that others can't hear it.

[Runningmom80]

I remember feeling this way!  Sometimes my hand would smell like a penny and totally distract me.  I was probably deficient in some vitamin or mineral. :laugh:

 

FWIW, my DS 9 used to be VERY sensitive to smells (and sounds) but has outgrown it a little.  He doesn't gag over anyone's perfume anymore, which is nice.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Runningmom80

[Catalytic]

Yes, I can - any electric device with a speaker will hum.  My hearing isn't that great, so it surprises me that others can't hear it.

 

After I wrote that, I realized, I don't hear our new TV (Samsung 4k jobbie)...I can hear our old Samsung LCDs or plasmas though.  (Can't remember which they are)

[ThoughtfulMama]

Can anyone hear the TV when the power is on?  I always know a TV is on in the house, DH thinks I'm crazy.  He can't understand how I know, if the TV is muted.  I don't notice it with monitors, just TVs.

I can hear the muted tv from anywhere in the house.  I also can hear fluorescent lights.  The ones in my office are ringing away overhead right now, and I'm about to go talk a walk outside for a break from them.

 

I also can hear the ultrasonic cat repeller we put in the garden to keep feral cats away.  

 

Yet my hearing in conversation range is not great.  I've been tested and I'm low normal there.  Weird.

Edited June 6, 2016 by ThoughtfulMama

[Catalytic]

I can also hear fluorescent lights. And yes, my hearing is poor in normal conversation. Interesting, I always thought I was weird because no one else heard the TV/lights. (I'd forgotten the lights but I'm at the doc right now, and there they are, buzzing away! )