Mommy's Project 52:35 Smelly

Smelly is having a strong or unpleasant odor. My son often complains because taking a bath and brushing his teeth interrupt his play time. He also has a favorite shirt or two that he would wear for days if I would let him. It is important to have good hygiene and smell good. My husband is even more touchy on the subject. We both have memories of suffering we witnessed with fellow classmates in school.

As a teacher and former student, being the "smelly kid" at school is a terrible thing. It may not be fair but it is the truth. We probably all remember someone we went to school with who was smelly. I have never heard of an instant where it was okay and accepted here in the United States. It doesn't matter if you are poor, if you come from a country that doesn't use deodorant, are overweight, have medical issues, or don't take the time to wash properly. If you are smelly, you will have problems fitting in at school.

If you are around a smell for a long time you tend not to notice it anymore. I remember my dad, a farmer, would always ask me if I could smell "pig" on him because it will get into your hair and clothes very quickly. He would ask one of us to smell him before he went into town for an appointment. So it is possible that the person might not realize or notice the odor. In my opinion that is where mom and dad come in and intervene on behalf of their child. Kids needs to know if they smell and that they need to do something about it.

It is a very sensitive subject and I have not really seen efforts made at the schools with individual children to end very well. Parents get offended and children get embarrassed. The intervention is made and things are better but within a few weeks it reverts back to the same smelly problem. It really is better handled within the family.

Navigating through childhood is hard. There are many things that I can not control but I can and will send my kids to school clean and smelling good.