AIBU to refuse to let 11 yo DS wear Lynx?

[AthenaAshton]

He is desperate for a can of the stuff because "all the boys in my class have it".

For one thing, I suspect that's not true. But even if it were:

1. I don't want him wearing any kind of product that he might inhale (he's daft enough to spray it on copiously in a confined space).

1. I don't think any child of that age needs anti-perspirants of any description.

1. I don't want him to smell like particularly bad loo cleaner.

1. If all the boys in his class jumped off the roof of a building, would he have to do it too?

He thinks I'm unspeakably paranoid and ridiculous for suggesting that he will die either of Lynx inhalation or cancer caused by toxins from spray-on anti-perspirants. Happily, all his pocket money is confiscated for the next month so there is no risk of him buying it off his own bat.

But AIBU?

YABU. Mine are 18 and 15. They stank from about 9. Fortunately DS grew out of Lynx about a year ago but it took a very long time . Please don't discourage your son from making sure he smells nice.

Anti-perspirant FFS!

YABU. I remember the days when the whole house stank of Lynx Africa. DS used to cover himself in it from about age 11. It use to make me gasp to go upstairs.

Well, I understand where you're coming from OP. But if he has his own bedroom and its not too awful a smell, agree with whoever said "choose your battles".

My mother bought my 10 year old some deodorant and shower-gel, much to my surprise. I was a bit about it. But I think my son just likes having it and puts it in a special "man case" . Hardly ever uses it though.

Perhaps its more about him wanting to have a couple of the accoutrements of masculinity as he is developing. Not necessarily a bad thing when you think of the terrible appearance of most English men !

DS is 12 and has been using lynx for about a year but not the spray stuff. Neither DH nor I use spray deodorant so he's fine with that. He uses lynx shower gel and roll on deodorant. Doesn't smell of anything but that might be because he doesn't let me get too close. Unless he wants a foot massage.

Or should I just buy him a tracksuit as well, and let him get on with it?

That's horrible, and not at all necessary.

Or should I just buy him a tracksuit as well, and let him get on with it?It is very out of character, I should add.

sorry, what does that mean?

Ooh, more replies.

Just to clarify: he does wear deodorant (not anti-perspirant. I had not realised I was a hippy until I read about the frightful things anti-perspirants do to children's skins). If he forgets, I very quickly remind him.

I do also object to the Lynx adverts, and the kinds of ideas that they give boys about girls. DS is, again, daft enough to think that that's what girls are really like (despite having sisters).

He goes to a boys' school, so I am sadly familiar with the smells there.

Spirulina: no pocket money because of behaviour that was well beyond bad (not wanting to go into that here, but I was definitely not BU on that score!)

It's not Lynx that causes kids to die of fume inhalation, talk to him about using aerosols safely, stop scare mongering about cancer and bacterial excretion and let the poor kid make a few minor decisions about his own body.

If you object to the lynx brand get him some right guard, but you seriously need to relax and save your neuroses for when he's really up to no good.

Can I start a thread on the terrible appearance of English men? and shudder

Or should I just buy him a tracksuit as well, and let him get on with it?It is very out of character, I should add.

don't be such a snob

YANBU. Lynx absolutely fucking stinks.

Get him another brand instead.

Sorry - the tracksuit reference was because I just associate Lynx with sporty types. No offence intended. DS is so far from being a sporty type that it seems a complete reversal of the known universe.

But I particularly like TrueStory's take on this. Perhaps Father Christmas will feel generous and surprise him.

I managed to hold off with the lynx until ds was 13. When he did start wearing it I explained the dangers of spraying too much in a confined space. He wears roll on other brand underarm and the lynx body spray.

Bed now. I will muse about Lynx as I go to sleep. Thanks, all, for the insights. Some have made me laugh lots!

My (just turned 11 yo) ds has it. He has various Lynx shower gels and hair stuff as well. Has done for a year or so. I know for a fact lots of the boys in his class have it, I can smell it when they come in the house, to be fair, they don't all smell like cheap loo cleaner....

Seriously - pick your battles. He's probably embarrassed that he came to you for, erm, help with not smelling, and youve said no. Maybe he has smelled a bit one day and someone commented. I think you should reconsider.

YABU - Lynx is horrible but all 11 year old boys use it - don't make him the odd one out with the mean mum

This:

I just don't want him to disguise it with something that might give him cancer or cause him to die by fume-inhalation.

Does make you sound crazy. Sorry.

I'd let him have the Lynx, but make him spray it away from the rest of the family. DS1 has been using it since he was 11, but if DS2 and I inhale it when he sprays, it aggravates our asthma.

Initially, DS sprayed it far too liberally - clouds of fug in his room and our own private hole in the ozone layer. I put a stop to this by telling him that if he uses it up too quickly, he has to buy the next lot out of his pocket money.

Mums up and down the country are puzzling and beating themselves up because their adolescent male offspring don't shower and stink yet on Mnet we have one worrying because her lad wants to use anti-perspirant and smell OK, maybe not to sophisticated but at least not of BO.

Well, I came on to say yanbu, because lynx is vile stuff, but actually I think I now agree with all the other posters. It smells grim, and he will probably regret it when he's older, but this is not an important battle.

If you can afford it, maybe you could fork out for some really decent aftershave?

YABU. It is a rite of passage, and believe it or not, you'll feel quite nostalgic for the smell in years to come.

I think a Wood n Walters (or Imrie) sketch went something like...

"What's that smell"

"It's MaGriff"

"Well you need to wash it more often!"