Teenage Boys Bad Hygiene

Hi K.!

You've got some great advise here from these moms! One more idea...when my nephew went through that stage at age 14, I took him aside and just said, "Hey, Christapher, how do you think you're gonna get a girlfriend smelling like that?" and handed him some grown-up bath supplies. We laughed at the time and am still laughing about it. But it worked. Everyone was tip toeing around about it and he just wasn't getting it. Leave it to the Auntie to be blunt with love! LOL!!

Just Me!
S.

These moms have some great advice. I was also thinking that maybe taking him out and letting him pick out his own soap and deoderant, maybe some cologne. Sometimes when it's THEIR idea and not ours, they are then in charge "so to speak" of their hygiene and they will be more apt to do something about it.

Good luck with all that....my boys are getting to that age and I'm sure I'll be thinking about your request and what all of us moms have suggested.

T.

I know that this will sound funny but my brother was the same way. I was the oldest of 7 kids and there was a space of almost 6 years between me and the rest of my family so I was married before my brothers and sisters became teens. But My mother and I told him at different times in a polite way that we could smell him and that if we could, we were sure that everyone that he came into contact with could as well.
So We all as a family would wake up an extra hour eairlier and did our morning routine. He got the privelage to shower first. This was a privelage because even with two water heaters 4 teenagers showering in the morning, It got cold when you were the 3rd and 4th. I would make sure I mentioned that he smelled nice when I passed him. Or somthing like "I bet Mary will notice you today" and wink (I liked to tease my brothers)Being a sister instead of a mom I think helped a little too. My brothers all seemed to go through this Hygine thing between the ages of 14 and 16. Just took too much time to shower and they had better things to do. Good luck. Teens tend to be edgy when it comes to telling them anything hahha.

I think the combination of puberty and lack of knowledge about changing hygiene needs is the problem. I have a 13 year old son, and we've had to teach him about his changing body and the need to wash and use deodorant like an adult, since he is going through puberty. He just had no idea that he had to be more diligent. Kids can go for a while and not be smelly, teenagers just can't.

My 16 year old was the same way. He lived with his dad for awhile and his dad never pressed the issue. However, I told him in my house, theres no choice. I actually make him carry his deodarant to school and when I know we will be on an outing for a long time. We also have had to result to usuing a timer for showers because hed get in there and be out not more then 3 minutes later. Just tell him he cannot expect to keep friends or anything with bad hygeine and that it looks bad for everyone not just himself.

I dont know if it is a matter of bad hygiene or not because my nephew is the same way he can take a shower and be in there for a while and an hour later it comes back. My older brother had a friend who was the same way and oddly enough they both have red hair. I have noticed as he has gotten older it is not so much so maybe just to get through this period have him take extra showers but i think it is just a phase thing.

We've had some what of the same problem with our teenage daughter. What I did was go and buy liquid dial and told her to wash all her privates including under her arms with it. I also went and bought her stronger deoderant. We have her take deoderant to school with her, cause it helps. What you could do is buy him some of that manly body wash, thats what my boyfriend uses. I did that with our daughter, well bought her girlly stuff when she wasn't bathing right, when we first got her. You might have to literally explain to him how to shower, you'd be suprised how many kids out there don't know how to clean themselves. well i hope this helps! good luck, and happy holidays. oh yes and we make her take a bath every night. Oh ya we also had a problem with her sleeping with her clothes, and then they would stink. another problem was she wouldn't wash her sheets like she's suppose to and they would make her stink. she is in charge of her own laundry and now we get on her when its time to wash her sheets. good luck once again.
chris

There's not much you can do. He has to want to keep clean. He's old enough to know how to keep clean. Is there something going on. Is he unhappy about something? Why doesn't he want to keep clean? Maybe he is trying to control one part of his life as everything else is out of his control.

Hi! Yep, my son went through the same thing at that age. I don't know what it is with them. Part of it I think is laziness, part of it I think is testing boundries. 14, what a fun age! My son just smelled plain nasty!! My husband would ask him, "Are you sure you wiped well enough? You have sour butt syndrome!!" He didn't care. I do know that when my son discovered that the girls liked the really good smelling guys, he cleaned up his act. I think he was about 15 when that happened. He now showers twice a day and smells great! He loves cologne! Hang in there!! He'll grow out of it!

Good Luck!
M

This cracks me up. Does it bring back memories or what! LOL!! I started dating my hubby of 8 years when he was 17. My goodness was he a pain in the butt. He REFUSED to bath. I mean he wouldn't wash his hair, shower, brush his teeth. He smelled BAD! And I do mean bad. I finally figured out that his parents weren't the nicest of people to him. They Controled every little aspect of him. The only thing he had control over was his hygiene. So he did the opposite of what they said! LOL! Finally after alot of work I got him to start bathing. He did not want them to know. He would put LOTION in his hair so it would "look" dirty! I kid you not. Anyways, now when we talk about it we laugh. He Told me how his previous girlfriend would manipulate him to get him to shower. She would pretend like she wanted to shower with him to just get him in there. LOL! Wish I had thought of that at first!

Regardless, I would look at how much control your son has of his life or if you are controlling all of it. If you are then this is a problem that you are creating. Girls can control their weight, and boys control their hygiene. Sadly I see this all the time now. Usually a big sign of an over protective or overbearing parent. I am sure you want the best for your son but if you are putting him in the situation, maybe it is time to examine how you treat him.

OOOF the JUNK funk. It is a puberty thing. his hormones are changing and therefore the hygine has to change to. I have a 22 year old and a 20 year old...(stepsons). Then my son is only nine but gets FUNKY... even though he takes a shower every night. I have found the best thing is compliment him whe he does smell good, when he gets complimented by his teachers and his parrents he wants to smell nice because he gets more positive attention.

I just wanted to post cause all the previous posters cracked me up with their stories. Bad hygene isn't funny but the stories can be. I have a 17 year old stepson who has lived with me since he was 15 and I am happy to say he is and was very clean. To the point my younger children follow his bathing habits to a T. I have a 9 year old who wears cologne and deoderant and a 7 year old who tries to also ( little to young) SO I am hoping I get to bypass that stage.
But if it happens I will have some great ideas...
S.

Hi K., this is not a funny post, I feel your pain, but oh my goodness did I get a chuckle out of these stories from others who've experienced stinky teens...LOL. Adn you've got some great advice that I'm going to try to remember in oh, say, 12 years ;) Hang in there mom, he'll figure it out I'm sure.

I am going through the same thing I have a 14 year old and it is a struggle to get him in the shower, he does take one but does not wash his hair then, I think it is a way to test the boundries.....he has beautiful reddish hair, but does not care if it is long and stringy, I tell him that he will not have a girlfriend like this but he said he does not care, at times he does not even wear deoderant, I am losing my mind, will he ever grow out of this????? I think he will but yes it is embarrassing, but he will learn in time and start coming around, as the other mom before have said it is a form of rebellion

K.-

I would make sure he is taking a shower after he prespires and after he wakes up in the morning. Maybe he is wearing to heavy of clothing during the day and he is getting too warm. Try a new deodrant on him and see if that helps him out. Not all deodrants works for everyone. Hope you can get worked through. Poor little guy! Good luck!