As kids are about to go through puberty their bodies start to change and inevitably, they start to smell differently and sometimes it can be unpleasant. It can be embarrassing for them, especially if they have no idea what’s going on. At this stage in their lives, there’s enough to be uncomfortable about – getting called on in class, first crushes, growing pains both literal and figurative. While we can’t solve all the problems kids face during this transitional period, and it may seem as if kids and body odor go hand in hand, we can tackle the issue of BO head on with Angels n’ Dudes Antibacterial Body Washes and Body Sprays.
But first, the question at hand — when should you say something if you smell something?
As moms, we deal with our share of unpleasant odors. I remember the first time I had to change my daughter’s poopy diaper after we started feeding her solid foods. I thought I was going to pass out. Then there are the numerous times I had to clean up vomit. One incidence that stands out was when we were visiting my no-kids-yet brother at his house and she threw up. It all happened so fast that when I saw her gagging, all I could do was put my hands out under her mouth so she didn’t throw up on his couch. It worked, for the most part. And all my brother could do was stare at me, horrified, all the while trying to stifle his sensitive gag reflex. At least these events were short-lived, and I was able to clean up the mess and forget about it (or at least try).
But what happens when the unpleasant odor is around to stay in the form of your tween or preteen? If your kid is at some point on the puberty spectrum: a little fuzz here, “mosquito bites” appearing on the chest, some voice-changing there, and body odor, how do you address their BO problem?
For sure, BO is a thorny and sensitive issue. What do you say to your little girl who’s sitting in the back seat of your car and stinking up your car seats?
Which brings me to the real question: When it comes to kids and body odor, when should you say something if you smell something?
One particular afternoon after picking the kids up from school, my son, who is younger, handed me the perfect opportunity to broach the subject:
“Eww! What’s that smell? Is that you?” he pointed to his sister as they buckled themselves in.
I knew what that smell was — it was his sister approaching puberty. But what should I do? Should I say something? How will she feel? Will she be offended? Mortified? Embarrassed? Sad? I knew I had to say something because that BO might prove to be social suicide for her. And I definitely did not want that to happen.
I decided I was going to be grateful for the opportunity and to rectify the situation as soon as possible. No one wants to be the smelly kid in school. And no one wants to be friends with the smelly kid, right? I know kids and body odor go hand-in-hand but her brother just called her out on it — if he can smell it so can everyone else. Yes, I will be doing her — and everyone around her — a favor by saying something.
When we got home, I called her over to the bathroom, out of earshot of her brother…
“Sometimes I forget to put deodorant on,” she explained.
One whiff of her and I knew this went way beyond smelly armpits. The smell coming from her was pungent – a mix of smelly sweat and stinky armpits. It was coming out of her pores and it was very disturbing. I tried to hold my breath as I handed her some baby wipes and asked her to take all her clothes off, wipe herself down, and then put on some fresh clothes.
I do realize that kids and body odor is a part of growing up but how do you go from smiling fondly at your child to all of a sudden telling them they stink?! There are a few ways to approach this awkward situation but I decided to go for the direct method…with some sugar sprinkled on top:
“You know you’re my baby, right?” She nods. I continue, “But you are growing up and now when you run around and play, you sweat and your whole body gets a little stinky, not just your armpits.” She has this blank stare. I decide to forge on…
“It might be a good idea to use the Angels n’ Dudes body wash I got you when you take a shower, okay? And you gotta remember to use deodorant everyday. I’m sure there are kids in your class who use it too. You don’t want other kids telling you that you’re smelly, right? That’s not cool,” I added.
She thought about it briefly and then replied, “Yeah, okay!” She then proceeded to wipe herself, humming a sprightly tune.
In that moment it hit me: my daughter is hurtling towards puberty and there is nothing I can do to stop it, except to help guide her as she’s making her hygiene choices and for me to just go along for the ride.
In the meantime, I decided to educate her on the proper technique of scrubbing herself so as to make sure that all nooks and crannies are covered. Kids and body odor may be a normal part of growing up but there are ways to combat the BO. So, I make sure she uses Angels n’ Dudes antibacterial body washes and body sprays to help get rid of her BO. Angels n’ Dudes products contain African Wild Cucumber extract, an incredible plant that’s documented to have powerful antibacterial properties.
So, how does AWC get rid of body odor?
When kids start to undergo puberty, they begin to sweat more. They especially start to sweat from apocrine glands located in the armpits and groin — before puberty, these glands are not fully developed. The apocrine glands secrete thick, oily sweat that bacteria on the surface of the skin love to eat. When the sweat mixes with the bacteria, it causes body odor.
The powerful antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of African Wild Cucumber help to get rid of body odor by eliminating the bacteria found on the surface of the skin.
Special benefits of AWC include??:
❤getting rid of body odor-causing germs
❤eliminating body odor
❤hydrating & nourishing skin
❤leaving skin feeling fresh
So, when you eventually face the dilemma of whether to say something when you smell something, remember that you’ll still have your kid to hold on to but my guess is that it will be that much easier to hold onto them when they’ve used Angels n’ Dudes products and they don’t smell like a barnyard. As for my daughter, I still make sure I keep a keen nose out for her. Because puberty takes its time, and the issue of kids and body odor is a normal part of growing up. Something we have to deal with for a while so we might as well be proactive.
