Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Child with ridiculously sensitive sense of smell!

68 replies

zippidydooday · 23/09/2021 11:48

Does anyone else's child have a super sensitive sense of smell?
He regularly sniffs things as they seem to comfort him. He gets his teddies and sniffs them all over.
If I've hoovered at 9am then he'll know when he gets home at 3pm as he can smell the hoover (even when it was brand new) and he mentions he can smell Hoover.
He complains his drinks bottles smell of orange squash even after they've been through the dishwasher.
The dog went on his bed for 2 minutes when he was at school and when he got home he was shouting that his whole bedroom smelt of dog (she's not a smelly dog, she's bathed every week!) but obviously she has an aroma!
He moans he can smell the dishcloth from the other side of the kitchen, and when you cuddle him after school at 3pm he can smell what you've had for lunch!
When he's eating breakfast we have to put the dog bowls outside as he can smell her dry kibble that was previously in her bowl.
He's 5 and has always had the strange superpower.
Anyone else?!

OP posts:

10ColaBottles · 23/09/2021 11:49

To be fair you can never get rid of the smell of squash from bottles. It's grim.

minipie · 23/09/2021 11:49

Ha I have one a bit like this - always complains that cars smell which can be embarrassing if it’s someone else’s car! Does seem to be wearing off a bit as she gets older.

DelurkingAJ · 23/09/2021 11:53

Yes. DS1 can tell that the milk will turn tomorrow…when the rest of us are still happily drinking it.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families

Evenstar · 23/09/2021 11:54

My son who was later diagnosed with ASD found certain smells very distressing at that age and still cannot use a lot of shampoos, shower gels etc as he finds the scent unbearable.

Equally, I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and my father did too, so I don’t think the two things are connected. I am asthmatic too and certain perfumes and detergents make me wheeze.

Thebookswereherfriends · 23/09/2021 11:55

They could have a future in a perfumerie as a supersniffer!

Original poster

zippidydooday · 23/09/2021 11:59

Gosh yes it is embarrassing at times. He constantly says "what's that bad smell?!"
He even complains when he gets in our bed to watch tv that it smells of sleep and he doesn't like it!
I'm pretty clean and wash sheets every week, we all bath before bed, so it can't smell that awful!!!

OP posts:

QuentinBunbury · 23/09/2021 12:02

My DS told me earlier what bit of the sofa a friend had sat on the day before because it smelt of her!
I also have a sensitive nose and can smell damp amongst other things (helpful when buying houses, not helpful in holiday cottages).

QuentinBunbury · 23/09/2021 12:03

Oh, also same DS finds his school jumper out of a pile at school by sniffing them . He can also give them out to his friends that way. Weirdo.

CatrinVennastin · 23/09/2021 12:56

I have a very very heightened sense of smell so I can sympathise with your DS.

DD2 has inherited my sense of smell so we make a right pair.

I can’t stand the smell of fish and have had to leave places before because it is so over powering.

TheGrumpyGoat · 23/09/2021 12:58

My friend’s daughter is like this. Causes her all sorts of embarrassment! She won’t let my friend near her in the morning until she’s showered and brushed her teeth.

TheGrumpyGoat · 23/09/2021 12:59

@QuentinBunbury

Oh, also same DS finds his school jumper out of a pile at school by sniffing them . He can also give them out to his friends that way. Weirdo.

Hahaha that’s a skill a lot of children have! Mine often bring home the wrong jumper and they’ll smell it and say ‘that’s Sophie’s’, or ‘that’s Megan’s’

Evenstar · 23/09/2021 13:00

@CatrinVennastin fish is awful 🤢

Mondaynightnamechange · 23/09/2021 13:01

Sounds like sensory processing disorder.

Hidehi4 · 23/09/2021 13:03

Yes two children. They know who’s been in the house who’s been in the car by the smell of the seat belt. Can tell if I have been to someone’s house. Certain smells makes them gag (even though I can’t smell anything)

TheVolturi · 23/09/2021 13:04

If he's got very sharp incisors he could be a vampire...

AGreenerShadeofKale · 23/09/2021 13:07

Could become a chef.

Brigittebidet · 23/09/2021 13:08

@QuentinBunbury

Oh, also same DS finds his school jumper out of a pile at school by sniffing them . He can also give them out to his friends that way. Weirdo.

Both DD (10) and DS (12) can do this. I found it really weird but DH who is a primary school teacher said it’s terribly common. I’m there saying “whose is this jumper?” Never having seen it before and one of the kids will come in, sniff it and say “oh that’s Bob’s from over the road, he must have left it here”. Useful skill.

MildCreamyCheddar · 23/09/2021 13:10

This is me. I have sensory processing disorder along with being autistic etc.

It's been a lifetime of stress because others just don't get how distressing certain things are for me.

I am comforted by certain smells as well though. I have to sleep with things which have the right smell, and it's so comforting and relaxing being able to smell them.

mbosnz · 23/09/2021 13:10

That's me. I'm glad I'm not alone! I also, apparently, have the ears of a bat.

emmathedilemma · 23/09/2021 13:10

My friend's daughter is like this and apart from fruit pretty much only eats relatively bland, often beige, food and they suspect she probably has super-charged taste buds too! She comments on the smell of things that no one else has noticed.

Ozgirl75 · 23/09/2021 13:11

I used to be able to do this, and with taste too. It wasn’t very pleasant as a child as everything smelt and tasted strong, but it’s worn off as an adult and I like strong tasting things now. I also still have a very strong smell memory, which i use in nice ways (using a new perfume or body wash on special occasions so I can immediately bring them back with the smell).

ParadiseLaundry · 23/09/2021 13:13

God, he's like me. I could still smell MIL's perfume on DS's hair two days after she'd been and after it had been washed. And my sense of smell hasn't even fully recovered from Covid yet!

TheSpottedZebra · 23/09/2021 13:17

Could he have something nice smells to mask the bad smelling things? Like a cloth with some drops of an essential oil that he finds OK?

I'm a bit sensitive, smell-wise. Some things I find awful, and manky cloth is one of them. Also fish! I too can sniff put damp and mould, and have been used to do a recce in houses that friends want to buy.

He'll have to learn to manage it, or at least manage his reaction to it.

CaptainMyCaptain · 23/09/2021 13:17

@QuentinBunbury

Oh, also same DS finds his school jumper out of a pile at school by sniffing them . He can also give them out to his friends that way. Weirdo.

You'd be surprised how many Reception age children can do this.

My youngest grandson used to be constantly complaining 'what's that smell? ' when nobody else could smell anything but he seems to have grown out of it now.

romdowa · 23/09/2021 13:21

I've been like this all my life. I'm like a blood hound 🤣🤣 it's hard though as some smells make me ve sick or give me a headache.

Flip

1 2 3