Own Child's Friends Personal Hygiene Problems

[My3cents]

You know how some moms are like 'a second mom' to their kid's friends? Try doing that. Let him know that he is like family and you are willing to help him if he needs it. Just say something like 'I know you and (your child's name) are really good friends and that this can be a tough age sometimes. I want you to know if you ever need anything just let me know wheather it is a meal, a shower, or a place to crash'. Although this would work better if you mean it .

If he spends the night at your house make sure that you have kinda like a "bedtime routine" wear everyone takes a shower before going to bed or a morning routine where everyone takes a shower in the morning (make sure to have an extra towel he can use).

While his family's situation may be part of the problem I think has more to do with puberty than with famiy- he 's getting sweatier/ greasier; so he is getting smellier. Fact of life: Men tend to smell more than women and women have more sesitive noses than most men. He may have been able to get by on a shower every other day or 2 or 3 times a week and now it's getting more noticable. My brother used to sweat alot and would get really bad BO even when he wore deoderent all the time and sometimes he still has to take a shower 2 or 3 times a day (espesually after he plays paintball).

And YES- most teenage boys wear the same clothes everyday even if they do have cleaner options (before they get interested in girls) I know some guys in their 20s that still do . Another thing you can try is buying him and your son (so it's less conspicuous) some body spray and deodorent for guys (AXE, Old Spice, BOD).

I really need to learn to read ahead because bingo this is exactly what I was saying, at least in my head :-) I also think some boys don't know how to work a washing machine and showing them how to do it so they are not afraid of ruining clothes is a good thing too.

[My3cents]

Does his mother notice it?

this is another avenue you can explore. Talk to his mother and tell her you don't want to see this child be picked on at school and in his life for poor hygiene practices. Be willing to help her send the message to him

[melilley]

I once had a child at a daycare that I worked at who had the same problem, he was 11. He would come into the daycare and wooh, smell up the whole center! We finally had to tell his mom because even other children were saying things. She understood, I think she knew he smelled, and from that day on he wore deoderant. Now, my daughter is 10 and I noticed that she has started to have a little bo. She showers regularly too. I explained to her that all kids go through the same thing at some point. I took her to the store and she picked out her own scent. I do have to remind her to wear it. Maybe this child's parents don't realize how their child's hygiene is offensive to others. This is a tough one, you don't want to embarrass the child, but at the same time you don't want him to be embarrassed about something he may not notice. I like what Starburst suggested! Oh and I have a teenage nephew, he doesn't like to change his clothes either, gross, but I think it's a teenage boy thing! He does change them, but doesn't like to. Most of them don't really care.

[Starburst]

Another possible factor:

My brother's bff was like that. He was quite overweight as well. He spent a LOT of time at our house. The couch would smell, the boys' room would smell, our car would smell... and it would linger. But he was a BIG kid and honestly I think that's just how he was. He knew he was like that. Sometimes he'd try to cover it up with cologne which made it worse. :-X

My older cousin is kinda like that too he's really tall and big and he always smells weird- like really weird BO but kinda also mixed with moth balls and sweaty feet. No one else in the house smells like that. But he also has a neurologic condition (seizures) and has to take medications that causes this unusual scent and he also has some learning and mental disabilities (I think it might be some form of a midium functioning autism) so he doesn't really shower much- which makes it worse! Mostly stays at home playing video games all day and most of his friends see him. And yes the home is really dirty because pretty much everyone else in that house has something wrong with them too [Aunt= COPD, Fibromyalga, heart/ lung problems (ex-smoker); Uncle= heart and joint issues; Grandma= Alzhimers/dementia, suffered a stroke years ago; My brother= Bipolar with Schitzophrenic tendicies]

So that could be an issue to: medications for health issues

[nannyde]

+2 here!

Always handle it with humor and caring.

Blame the teen hormones NOT him personally.

:-) I also advise to make sure ya hit the “back, sack, and crack" that “cracks" them up