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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think not on for teacher to ask us to take in deodrant for after pe?

61 replies

Blossomhill · 11/09/2007 21:41

Sorry not sure if I spelt deodrant right. Anyway I digress....
Just been to ds's meet the teacher and one of the requests was to make sure we take in deodrant for after pe and swimming. This was because some of them were developing and obviously ponging. I just found this a strange request. Only because although my ds does have slight bo. Now we use deodrant soap and he baths every night so actually as long as he does that he is ok. I don't want to start spraying chemicals under his arms at 9 and feel annoyed that I have almost been told to iykwim!

OP posts:
hana · 12/09/2007 00:09

nothign worse that a smelly classroom of prepubescent children

imo

serenity · 12/09/2007 00:20

I agree it's probably a blanket request - DS1(9) uses deodorant on days when he does PE at school because his pits do get quite rank if he does a lot of exercise. We get him the Simple roll on as it seems the most gentle. I do think he's young, but then again I can't remember when I started using it myself.

LoveAngel · 12/09/2007 07:33

As soon as you start to pong, you need to use deodorant - it's not an age thing. There are natural products on the market if you're worried about the chemicals. I don't think the teacher was being unreasonable.

Snogsuck · 12/09/2007 07:54

As a former teacher who had to have all her windows open in January, I fully understand the teacher's request!

elasticbandstand · 12/09/2007 09:57

i cried when i had to use it, and had to i did cos my friends said i was whiffy! at primary school.
i cried cos it meant i had to wash!

3andnomore · 12/09/2007 10:05

not sure how old your son is...

mine is 11, and even though he gets sweaty, it's not yet to bad smell wise,, iykwim...

maybe getting one of thsoe crystal things for him, to use instead...and there are otehr deodorent products around without all the nasties...

3andnomore · 12/09/2007 10:08

handlemecarefully...there have been links to certain types of cancers and the use of deodorents, especially those that use aluminium...I don't know much about it msyelf, tbh...

brimfull · 12/09/2007 10:12

if they pong after pe then good on the teacher for bringing it up.Just get a natural one of you're worried about chemicals.

I wouldn't want my son to be the smelly boy.
I remember dd talking about smelly bo on other children at this age.

3andnomore · 12/09/2007 10:18

I have been trying to think how it was done when I went to school...lol...obviously the early developement wasn't as much of an issue back then, in general, and for me personally, lol...

We have a different system in germany, but in primary school, don't think there was a issue with pong after pe...obviously there was sometimes pong issue with teh Kids that weren't as well looked after, I suppose...
between age 10/11 I changed into a different school...it's and inbetween stage from primary to secondary school, I suppose...and after pe or swimming we would all be able to shower...so, I suppose deodorant wasn't as necessary if you can have a shower after sweating in pe...and then well, deodorant...we just started using as and when necessary...

No idea if there are showers in brittish schools, tbh...

twentypence · 12/09/2007 10:24

Do they get to shower after PE?

Deodrant on top of sweat is pointless really. Maybe the crystal in the morning before he goes to school would be best.

LadyMacbeth · 12/09/2007 10:25

Agree RE use a natural one - Bionsen do a refillable crystal tube with pump spray. Dh and I use it nd if it works on dh it'll work on your ds! I advocate aluminium-free deodrants for adults too - there's all kinds of shite in anti perspirant.

handlemecarefully · 12/09/2007 11:20

Well you learn summat every day don't you - I always thought my deodorant was innocuous. Another thing to think about now I guess

kslatts · 12/09/2007 12:36

YANBU, did you tell the teacher you thought your ds didn't need it yet. I imagine lots of parents won't send it in.

Anna8888 · 12/09/2007 13:21

Children should definitely not be using deodorant at this age. The chemical content is not appropriate.

Daily washing with soap is important, though.

mytwopenceworth · 12/09/2007 14:30

Do kids not have showers after sports these days? I remember the humiliation of the communal shower very well!

MaryAnnSingleton · 12/09/2007 14:34

mmm, not sure what I think - ds is ten but sweet smelling so far - might think differently if he whiffs. Not sure about all the chemical stuff being used so early.

MaryAnnSingleton · 12/09/2007 14:38

hey,what's the betting that some smart marketing person will jump on the idea of Junior Lynx or something - gah !

redtoenails · 12/09/2007 14:40

but if you've noticed the bo then would it not be better to use a deodorant (a natural one if you like) rather than have him bullied? Cos kids will notice if the teacher has noticed. Seems better to be told tactfully and privately now by the teacher than to have it shouted by the other kids in the playground.

SimplerTimes00s · 09/11/2022 19:39

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ as it's a PBP

Nowhereelsetogo90 · 09/11/2022 19:45

As a teacher with a class of 30 kids just a year older, I’d say it’s probably a blanket request, but some kids 100% do smell at that age and it isn’t pleasant for others to sit next to.

AloysiusBear · 09/11/2022 19:50

To the people saying "surely primsry school is too young"... if they smell, they smell! Overweight children in particular can hit puberty very young. If they have b.o. provide deodorant.

OoooohMatron · 09/11/2022 19:50

Honestly, I remind my kids 10 year old boy and 12 year old girl to wear deodorant (they have the sticks). If they ponged I'd tell them, rather me than some random at school.

SophieJo · 09/11/2022 19:53

What is wrong with a roll on stick deodorant?

FatEaredFuck · 09/11/2022 19:55

ZOMBIIEEEEE

NeverDropYourMooncup · 09/11/2022 19:59

You've said yourself that your DS has BO.

Some children will have it because they don't have access to soap and hot water every day, some because they are just unlucky, some because despite being put in the bath and told to wash, they don't. And some because it just hasn't occurred to their parents that they smell/their parents don't wash regularly/their parents don't quite understand how bad it can get with thirty sweaty adolescents in a room or just 2 or 3 that stink and are getting grief/know they smell bad.

If you follow their suggestion, it makes it more likely that those who are less well cared for are either allowed to have access to hygiene products or are noticed to be the only ones without. Or you haven't realised just how strong his smell is compared to other children in the class, so he stops being the child that staff know has been in a room for twenty minutes after he leaves (yup, it can get that bad) - which isn't fair on any child.

Thankfully, we're long past the one bath and hairwash a week is good enough for anybody stage. Wish we'd been past it when I was 10, but I had to get to 15 and get a job to be able to access toiletries. No kid these days should have to be the stinky kid.

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