body odor

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Any suggestions on how to talk to a middle school boy about using deodorant? Teacher was complaining and asked me to talk to him. Any unique approach/strategy to use that isn't embarrassing for the student?

Specializes in med-surg, med oncology, hospice.

Working the medical floor, we use to put a whole bottle of the cheap hospital's mouthwash in a tub of water for stinky drunks that were admitted. Works great!

Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

I'm bringing this one back from the dead...

I have a 2nd grade girl whose family life is complicated. We suspect that she was a surprise for her parents and while her father was over the moon about it, mom was not. Mom and dad separated 2 years ago and the student spends most of her time with dad. She wears the same clothes every day and she smells/is visibly dirty a lot of the time. She has plenty of clothes, we know, because we (myself and my teacher) spoke directly with her about it last year, and for the remainder of the year, she changed it up regularly and appeared clean. She told us at the time, that she really just loves a certain pair of pants/shirt. Her parents were spoken to when she was in kindergarten by the teacher as well due to her wearing the same clothes every day. I've now had two complaints in the last week that she is not clean and again, wearing the same clothes every day (not from her classroom teacher, but a para and the reading specialist). I asked her classroom teacher about it and she said she hadn't noticed anything alarming but would now pay special attention and let me know if she sees anything concerning.

My question is IS this a problem since she is so young, or have we done what we can do and just keep trying? I feel like the teachers are questioning filing for neglect, but I'm not really sure that this is the situation. I think she just refuses to bathe and likes certain clothes and dad caves to her due to being overwhelmed.

Specializes in School Nursing.
38 minutes ago, k1p1ssk said:

I'm bringing this one back from the dead...

I have a 2nd grade girl whose family life is complicated. We suspect that she was a surprise for her parents and while her father was over the moon about it, mom was not. Mom and dad separated 2 years ago and the student spends most of her time with dad. She wears the same clothes every day and she smells/is visibly dirty a lot of the time. She has plenty of clothes, we know, because we (myself and my teacher) spoke directly with her about it last year, and for the remainder of the year, she changed it up regularly and appeared clean. She told us at the time, that she really just loves a certain pair of pants/shirt. Her parents were spoken to when she was in kindergarten by the teacher as well due to her wearing the same clothes every day. I've now had two complaints in the last week that she is not clean and again, wearing the same clothes every day (not from her classroom teacher, but a para and the reading specialist). I asked her classroom teacher about it and she said she hadn't noticed anything alarming but would now pay special attention and let me know if she sees anything concerning.

My question is IS this a problem since she is so young, or have we done what we can do and just keep trying? I feel like the teachers are questioning filing for neglect, but I'm not really sure that this is the situation. I think she just refuses to bathe and likes certain clothes and dad caves to her due to being overwhelmed.

Our Guidance counselor does amazing social skills lessons related to hygiene. Maybe something like that is needed?

Specializes in kids.
29 minutes ago, k1p1ssk said:

My question is IS this a problem since she is so young, or have we done what we can do and just keep trying? I feel like the teachers are questioning filing for neglect, but I'm not really sure that this is the situation. I think she just refuses to bathe and likes certain clothes and dad caves to her due to being overwhelmed.

Maybe another talk with dad? Maybe get several of the same article of clothing so she is wearing what she wants but allows for washing? Maybe things have changed at home?

Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.
57 minutes ago, NutmeggeRN said:

Maybe another talk with dad? Maybe get several of the same article of clothing so she is wearing what she wants but allows for washing? Maybe things have changed at home?

This is what I'm leaning towards; I'm trying to figure out the best way to approach it with him... As many people in this thread stated, there aren't any laws around being smelly, and its hard to enforce if the child is the one refusing to bathe.

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