Body Odour in my 9 year old DD

[annieC35]

what should I do about my 9 year old DD. She doesn't seem to realise that she is 'smelly' and although I broach the subject she is not very interested. She bathes every night and does all the usual things to keep clean (under pressure). Is she too young to give a deodorant and how do I get her to use it.

My son was 9 when he started to use deodorant, he had said to me that his armpit was smelling, to be honest at the start you could only smell the stale sweat when you were very up close and personal. But he clearly did need it.

A year on and if he doesn't wash his hair every other day it smells! And if he forgets to put deodorant on then he smells like a teenager, it is awful. His feet also stink so he has a weekly thing of putting some foot spray into his school shoes.

In year 5 at school they have a whole puberty video and talk part of which is hygiene related.

I would have a chat to her about people smelling nice (mention perfume if you wear it yourself) and tell her that her that she will need to start wearing deodorant. If you haven't already you really need to talk about her body is changing.

Ds1 is just 10 and the changes his body has gone through in the last year has been shocking, from smelling, to his whole body shape, to thick dark hair on his arms and legs.

I'm having the same thoughts. DS1 is nine, and has started to smell.

I've told him straight, and we have agreed daily showers with proper shower gel (I've actually ha to go through the smelly bits with him to make sure he washes them!). Extra showers after every sportsclub. Hairwash every two days.

I'm holding off deodorant for now.

The sooner she starts a complete and regular grooming routine, the easier it will be for her and you when she moves into senior school. My DD was very young when she needed deodorant and I've worked out I've asked her to apply it 2,920 times in the past 4 years and still find myself at the bottom of the stairs each morning shouting up at her to put it on. Good luck!

Not too young for a deodrant. My DS has had one since 9 when he got smelly.
DD is 10 and has one too - even though she isn't yet smelly but just because the other girls in her class used them.

I've just noticed the first whiff of BO on DD and she is only 7! We are going to focus on washing properly and hope we don't need deodorant yet, but I am feeling quite shocked by it.

WhoKnows My dd was 6 when I noticed something was wrong in the armpit department and was subsequently diagnosed with precocious puberty. Luckily she didn't start her periods until she was 11, nor did she (or has she) developed boobs. Sometimes BO is the only sign for a long while and it's really difficult to get them to understand why they shouldn't smell. They don't care and neither do their friends.

Thanks ItsDecisionTime - what made you decide to go to the Dr, was it just the BO? I hadn't thought of taking her TBH, unless any hair, acne, periods come along shortly too.

Not too young at all,ds had been wearing deodorant since 9 as do most of his mates.

We started off with simple stick deodorant.

DD has been wearing deodorant since she was 7 again I have to remind her all the time. It's got better this summer since she has chosen to wear a crop top every day as she is getting into a routine.

Interesting, I will monitor things with DD and see. My DS (9) has not had a whiff of BO yet, although his feet get whiffy after a day in trainers.

WhoKnows I took DD to the doctor once I noticed the BO, probably when she was around 6. On its own, I might not have thought that much of it but since she was 2 weeks old, I noticed that she was growing exponentially compared to other children her age. I expressed my concern about it a few times to my then doctor and she said it was just genetics but when I moved to the South West 3 years later, my new doctor took me seriously and referred me to a specialist. What I would say though is without the growth issues, I wouldn't have assumed anything was amiss, just that she was starting the process of puberty a little early.

There were no other signs of puberty at this point ie. body hair, breast buds etc.

If it's any consolation, 3 of the girls in DDs primary class started their periods at 9 and at least half the girls in the class had started before leaving for secondary school. I would assume from that they all had BO and body hair well before that time.

From my own personal experience, I'd say the OP has nothing to worry about apart from making sure DD keeps herself smelling nice and OP starts preparing her for the possibility that she may start her periods in 2 or three years time.

My 7 yo DD is also getting a bit smelly after a hot sweaty day or lots of activity. I am getting her to flannel wash under her arms on the nights that she doesn't have a full bath and we'll see how that goes. I am reluctant to get into deodorant just yet. They can't be growing up so quickly....

DD1 has used deodorant for at least 18 months, she's 9.8. She started off smelling a bit whiffy when she came in from school so i got her a Bionsen roll on. It's aluminium free and is pretty good, she uses it daily now after her morning wash.

She does need an awful lot of reminding though!

Took DS shopping to buy his first deodorant earlier! He's quite excited.

Thought you all should know that there is a deodorant especially for kids at Boots called Keepitkind without aluminium and other nasty things. Found it in the womens section. My DD has been using it very successfully all summer. I am now worried about other things but will come back with questions.

Well, we went out and bought the Bionsen solid one in Waitrose yesterday, after a few days of monitoring and deciding that daily washing wasn't going to be quite enough, also might be the last time we go shopping together for a while now school is going back. DD is very pleased with it, I think it smells a bit aftershavey, so we might try the Boots one next time, thank you all.

yip , get deodorant . I have to spray my 9 year old with it in the morning or she wouldn't bother. Also. I get my daughter to shower and change when she comes home from school now as she is a bit smelly if they have had PE