Mine went from not stinking at all to having terrible BO overnight in the middle of 7th, so we started insisting on showering every night and deodorant. The showering was less of a hassle to enforce than deodorant! I have to remind him about that every single day.

And we do tell both our kids when they stink and need to shower.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My ninth grade son sometimes showers four times a day. I'm concerned that he may have OCD, but he insists he just likes to be in the shower.

Uh....it's not OCD...

Yeah, my husband makes this joke about our 8th grader and showering all the time. He says that it's from experience - he shared a room with his brother, it was the only, um, private time he had.

It's gross but we dealt with this too. it did not hurt my kid socially--he has tons of friends. I kept saying "no one will want to be around you" but that didn't work because it wasn't true. I threatened, I took away privileges, I rewarded showers. Nothing worked.

Finally in 9th he started showering daily on his own. THANK YOU JESUS.

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My ninth grade son sometimes showers four times a day. I'm concerned that he may have OCD, but he insists he just likes to be in the shower.

Okay mom- one of two things are happening and sorry we have to be the one to break it to you.

1. Hope for this. He had privacy in the shower and it goes down the drain rather than on a tissue or the sheets where you may find it.

2. He’s vaping or smoking.

Growing up, we thought my brothers frequent showers were for the first reason. Later we found out he was smoking pot in there and it covered the smell plus he liked the steam with it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My ninth grade son sometimes showers four times a day. I'm concerned that he may have OCD, but he insists he just likes to be in the shower.

Uh....it's not OCD...

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My ninth grade son sometimes showers four times a day. I'm concerned that he may have OCD, but he insists he just likes to be in the shower.

Anonymous wrote:I promise your son smells.

Hygiene is important. Not stinking is also important.

Time to be blunt. "Son, you smell bad. Nobody, including Mom and Dad, want to be around somebody that smells as bad as you. You are not permitted to go more than 48 hours without showering anymore"

I would also do thinks like:

"I don't want you on my couch when you're gross, no sitting on the furniture. Or, your smell is making everyone else uncomfortable at dinner, sorry, but we need to eat at the counter.

Oh, you want me to drive you to your friend's house? Sorry, I don't like being trapped in the car with someone who stinks so bad. These are the natural consequences of not bathing"

I promise your son smells.

Hygiene is important. Not stinking is also important.

Time to be blunt. "Son, you smell bad. Nobody, including Mom and Dad, want to be around somebody that smells as bad as you. You are not permitted to go more than 48 hours without showering anymore"

I am baffled by the argument that a day at the pool is a substitution for bathing. Clean or not, the chlorine reek seems like something you would want to get rid of. I have them shower at the pool house and change into PJs - with younger kids it's a game-changer.

Mine showers almost daily, but he also does a lot of sports. Once a week is too infrequent, but if he is not super active, every other day is probably ok.

Anonymous wrote:If my teen boys don't shower every day, they stink - especially their heads. Yet, it's always a battle despite DD and I telling them they stink and need to shower. They just don't care. But, as I tell them, they don't need to care, they just need to do it. If they don't shower before they go to bed, I get them up half an hour early and make them do it before school and then wash their sheets when they come home from school.

Yep. My 7th grade boy definitely stinks by the end of the day especially his hair. It is a battle every night reminding him to shower but he knows he has to take one every day. I think if I didn't tell him he would probably go days before showering.

12yo.

Daily showers in the evening. I hand him the deodorant so that I'm sure that it gets put on.

I’m still having this battle with my 16 year old. We’ve compromised on every other day. But if I don’t nag him he would let it go for a week unless he gets really hot and sweaty outside. Then he’ll shower on his own.

Mine must shower daily. Everyone remembers the name of the smelly kids forever. I kill the internet and take away electronics until it’s done. And if his hair doesn’t look like shampoo was used he takes another or doesn’t get any of it back.

You're not crazy. A once a week shower for a 13 year old is whats crazy!

My kids have taken a shower every evening since they were in pre-K. My son who is now a 6th grader takes a shower in the morning and the evening now. The showers are non-negotiable (unless he's not well or something).