As I was reading to my 8 year old tonight she lifted her arm and...phew...she has body odour! I couldn't believe it. Does this mean other hormonal things will start to happen soon.

By Palmbchprincess on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 02:40 am:

Does she have any other development? I started my cycle at 11, though I was probably 9, almost 10, when I started wearing deodorant and needing a training bra. Within 18 months I got my first period. HTH!

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 07:43 am:

My 8 yr. old DS is now wearing deoderant. When I was teaching Gr. 3 my students were all pretty smelly after P.E. or coming in from recess. Yes, they're starting to mature but I think the BO starts long before the onset of puberty.

Like Crystal, I was 11 when my period started. The breast buds started at about 10. I don't remember exactly when I started wearing deoderant but it was a few years before that.

By Jann on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 08:56 am:

I remember my son coming home from 4th grade saying guess what my teacher told me. She said that now that we are in the upper grades we get to wear deodarent!!! LOL Guess a classroom of smelling kids in August got to her. I noticed with both mine, the BO started long before puberty did.

By Mrsheidi on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 09:03 am:

I tell ya what helps for odor ...
(being a science teacher, I recommended this to my kids)

1. Wearing anti-bacterial deodorant (Mitchum makes it) It's actually the bacteria that creates that odor.

2. Drinking more water. Eating junk food like doritos, candy, drinking soda, etc will increase BO.

3. Using anti-bacterial soap in shower/bath and taking a shower/bath every day.

By Heaventree on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 09:36 am:

Sorry, I don't want to sound like a "Mother Hen". But please make sure your kids wear deodorant and not antiperspirant. I know no one suggested antiperspirant but sometimes people use these words interchangably.

There is some evidence to suggest although not conclusive, that antiperpirants that contain aluminium (most do) might cause breast cancer in both sexes. When one researcher was asked what she would do, she said that even though the results from the study were inconclusive she would not wear antiperspirant.

By Jann on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:16 am:

The jury is still out on that, Heaventree.
http://www.snopes.com/toxins/breast.htm#add

By Joy~bundles on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:31 am:

My DS, also 8, has been wearing deodorant since September!! I was shocked and I never realized that would start that soon!!

By Paulas on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 11:46 am:

Well, I'm glad to see I don't have the only smelly 8 y.o. We will go to the store and get some deordorant today. I'm not sure if we have Mitchum here...I've never heard of it...I'm in Canada. I will look though. She has been only bathing/showering every other day because it is so dry here we tend to get very dry skin but I guess we'll have to opt for a quick shower and make sure she is cleaning and not just playing with the bath toys.

By Kay on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

I found that with dry skin, it's really helpful to put on one of those in-shower body lotions or even bath oil before drying off. It seems to trap moisture in the skin and it's helped me to avoid the excessive dryness during the dry winter days.

By Mrsheidi on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

It's a clear gel and it's in a light green container that you can see through. The stuff is awesome.
Eopinions website and picture of it

By Heaventree on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 01:17 pm:

Hi Jann,

Sorry if my post was unclear. I did mention that the results from the study were inconclusive. Meaning yes the jury is still out, for myself personally with my kids, I won't take the chance.

Once again I apologize if my post was not clear.

By Jann on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 01:45 pm:

No, your post was clear. I just wanted to let everyone see all the links to the issue if they were interested.

By Palmbchprincess on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 01:54 pm:

Heaventree, you did say that it was inconclusive, and I agree with you on the "better safe than sorry" point. Paula, I know a lot of younger girls like to wear the teen kinds, or something powdery smelling, but Mitchum gel and other unisex clear deodorants work really well, and don't stain clothes as often. Just an idea if you decide to buy her some.

By Kate on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 02:03 pm:

I know about the aluminum scare in antiperspirants, but deodorant just masks the odor, it doesn't try and prevent it, like antiperspirants. So it's a difficult issue...no one wants cancer, but no one wants to smell, either. Personally we use antiperspirants and will continue to do so. Is Mitchum just a deodorant?

By Rayanne on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 02:27 pm:

I love Mitchum!!!
It works really well.

Kate~>It's an Anti-Perspirant and a Deaoderant

By Paulas on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 11:27 am:

Well, I found Mitchum but it is an anti-persirant as well and had 22% aluminum in it. I use an anti-perspirant and will try this the next time I need to buy some but with the talk about anti-perspirant and breast cancer..although inconclusive...I just didn't want my 8 y.o. wearing it for so many years. We bought a deordorant...which is difficult to find.

By Kaye on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 12:30 pm:

My hubby used the mitchum, I think it smells very manly, i wouldn't put in on my dd! We use the teen scented ones, a little lighter, I guess I also assumed it had less "stuff" in it. I guess I need to do some research. I make sure I tell my kids to wash with soap under there, sounds like common sense, but not to kids!

As for puberty. In girls in general this is what I have heard from friends and docs. They develop breast buds first, then pubic hair. This can be anywhere from 6 months after to a couple of years after. Usually within 6 months of pubic hair they start their periods. On average girls need to weigh about 100 pounds to start. Some will be more, some will be less. Girls start early now than they used to, but this can be from a lot of environmental causes (hormones in chicken being one), weighting heavier, etc. My dd is 11 next week. She has had buds for at least a year, but she does not have hair that I know of (I think it has been a couple of months since I have seen her though), what I am noticing is the hair on her legs is starting to thicken up. In general this doesn't just happen over night, you will have some warning to be expecting it, hair changes, mood changes (we have an ongoing joke here that 5th grade girls are temporarily bipolar!). We are also starting to have a few break outs. My dd only weighs 60 pounds, so I don't know how that will effect her.

By Marcia on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 11:09 pm:

My oldest daughter will be 12 in April. She had breast buds and some pubic hair at 9, as well as body odor. The doc told us it would be 2 years from the time she had breast buds until she got her period. She was right on. She got her period last summer, when she was just over 11. She also told me there would be a change in her pubic hair. It starts off fine and sparce, but changes to look like an adult just before menstruation starts.
My 10 year olds have a bit of hair, body odor, but no real sign of breast buds. Ditto my almost 9 year old.

Weight and nutrition does have something to do with it. My first is around 100 lbs. One of my 10 year olds is about that, and the other is about 70, so we'll see how that plays out.
I do know that Sonja, at 21, still didn't have her period. She was just starting to go through puberty. She weighed 55 lbs.

Thanks for the antiperspirent info. I checked, and I have deoderant for the kids, but not me. I'll have to do something about that.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 09:33 am:

Mine started using deodorant at age 8-9. I *do* remember the school sending home *requirements* for P.E. class in 4th grade - they had to bring a deodorant to school to leave in their lockers. I can only imagine what a room full of smelly 9 y/o's is like! LOL Especially little boys, who tend to smell like wet dogs anyway at that age!

By Cherie on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 02:09 pm:

my dd started using deodorant about 3 yrs ago. she is 11 now. She showered every day, and I could smell her about 15 min after she got out, so now it is just part of her daily routine, get out of the shower, brush your teeth and put on your deodorant. She is worse in the bo department than my boy of 13 is. I am in Canada as well and I have only seen Mitchum on commercials, maybe I should look harder on the store shelves

By Dandjmom on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 03:17 pm:

My DD is 9 and she also uses deodorant, she likes Teen Spirit but when she out of it and we haven't made it to the store she will grab mines, I used to use Mitchum for myself but one day by accident I picked up Soft n' Dri ( alsd in a clear gel) and I have to say that I liked this more then I did the Mitchum. But I've never looked to see if it was a deodorant or a anit-persipant, I diffently need to take adn look at this when I get home especially with my daughter using it..

By Paulas on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 04:17 pm:

Cheri,
I am in Alberta and they had various kinds of Mitchum at the Superstore the other day...even baby powder scent. But, like I said, I didn't buy it b/c it had 22% aluminum in it