Parents using deodorant a required skill?

[tortuga]

My kid is not yet smelling, certainly some teammates are.

Coaches are making blanket statements that all kids should be wearing deodorant. Coach is telling every child and parent singly that children need to wear deodorant. One coach brought in spray deodorant and generally sprayed.

When my child is in need, we'd support use, but don't see (smell, haha) need currently.

I'm feeling offended that the coaches are being so insistent on deodorant. It seems a top level discussion of personal hygiene, cleanliness before/after gym, wearing clean workout clothes would be more appropriate, and my kid manages these things well.

Talk me in/out of deodorant wars Do we cave and coat kid in unneeded chemicals? Do we tell coach to back off? Do we smile vaguely and keep monitoring for need?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

It's certainly not mandatory at our gym but every team girl, regardless of age, has deoderant in their lockers and I see them running back to reapply many times during practice (I think they do it more for a break than for thinking they need to reapply). I noticed my daughter starting to need deoderant when she was about 10, she is now 12.

 

[gymdog]

The coach definitely should not use any products like that on the kids without parent permission. But this can be pretty difficult to address. They don't want to single kids out I guess so they are trying to just make a blanket requirement. Although I feel for them I also feel like you generally can't make people do something like use traditional deodorant or whatever. You just have to kind of hope they will. We just ignore it and cross our fingers that the other kids don't say something about it.

 

[triplethreat+1]

I'm in the 'smile vaguely and keep monitoring for need' camp! I'm assuming they are trying to not embarrass specific kids...

 

[raenndrops]

I would suggest just putting a touch of baby powder on her pits if she doesn't stink... and continue to monitor for stink.
That way, if she sweats, it will help ... and if they see a little white, they will assume it is deodorant .

We had one girl that had to wear prescription strength antiperspirant from the age of 8 because she would sweat so bad (first meet ever, she had sweat stains on her pits even before stretching started ... and she was wearing a regular antiperspirant/deodorant).

 

[Aussie_coach]

I agree with gymdog, that there are probably one or two kids who are having an issue and the gym just does not want to single any kids out. Making it a blanket rule, is their way of addressing it without having the embarrassing conversation with a particular child. I wouldn’t worry too much, if she doesn’t smell then they won’t even be aware that she isn’t wearing any.

 

[2gymkids]

My 5th grade teacher used to do this! She kept reiterating that everyone needed deodorant- because everyone could tell there was someone in the class who needed it but wasn't using it.
If it were me I'd buy some Toms for your daughter and call it a day. They work out hard enough that she's likely to start smelling there before she starts stinking around you.

 

[RTT2]

The easiest thing for the coaches to do is require every kid wear it so no one is singled out. I buy an all natural aluminum-free "kid" brand through Amazon.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Ehhhhhh... with all of the natural brands they have of deodorant now that are safer and milder for kids I would say no big deal. I had both of my kids start wearing toms before they really “needed” it. Gymnasts and athletes sweat a lot and even if they don’t seem to “stink” yet to you, someone else with a more sensitive sense of smell might think otherwise. Better safe than sorry. Way before BO kicks in there is still a general “sweat” smell and deodorant helps with that too.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Kid starting middle school next week. In all the paperwork that came home.

PE sheet, they are specter to keep and use deodorant in their locker.

My kid has not turned the need it corner. But she feels she does. So she has it. If she didn’t and didn’t want to use it. It would be no, to the point I’d have a doctor write a note.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

My kid is not yet smelling, certainly some teammates are.

Coaches are making blanket statements that all kids should be wearing deodorant. Coach is telling every child and parent singly that children need to wear deodorant. One coach brought in spray deodorant and generally sprayed.

When my child is in need, we'd support use, but don't see (smell, haha) need currently.

I'm feeling offended that the coaches are being so insistent on deodorant. It seems a top level discussion of personal hygiene, cleanliness before/after gym, wearing clean workout clothes would be more appropriate, and my kid manages these things well.

Talk me in/out of deodorant wars Do we cave and coat kid in unneeded chemicals? Do we tell coach to back off? Do we smile vaguely and keep monitoring for need?

This totally bugs me. My children don't stink and I sniff them daily. We have this same rule at our gym, so I send deodorant in, but they don't use it. If you don't stink, you don't need deodorant.

 

[NutterButter]

Meh. I don't think the request is a big deal. Just send in whatever deodorant you are comfortable with. Kids can be funny with it. Some can't wait to use it while others are very self-conscious about it whether it's truly needed for them or not. Most likely there are a few kids who are particularly stinky which are prompting the comments from the coach. My kids' school doesn't have AC and in 3th and 4th grades the teachers often send an email about deodorant in the spring.

 

[samsmama]

My 11yo son doesn't need it yet, but I plan on having him start using something gentle like Tom's regularly to get the habit ingrained before it becomes an issue. My DD, now 14, started needing deodorant at 9 and STILL has to be reminded, so I am going in early and strong with DS.

I don't understand why so many parents are put off by the request. At middle school back-to-school night, the PE teachers started their session with, "if you take nothing else away from tonight, remember this: DEODORANT IS NOT OPTIONAL." The parents all laughed and no one was offended.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

My 11yo son doesn't need it yet, but I plan on having him start using something gentle like Tom's regularly to get the habit ingrained before it becomes an issue. My DD, now 14, started needing deodorant at 9 and STILL has to be reminded, so I am going in early and strong with DS.

I don't understand why so many parents are put off by the request. At middle school back-to-school night, the PE teachers started their session with, "if you take nothing else away from tonight, remember this: DEODORANT IS NOT OPTIONAL." The parents all laughed and no one was offended.

I think some people get offended because deodorant is a chemical on their kid's skin and because it gums up the laundry.

 

[wandrewsjr]

They make natural, non-chemical deodorants, right? Honestly, kids(and coaches) all leave the gym coated in chalk, after touching things with their bare hands and feet that have been touched by 1,000 kids after wiping their snotty noses, spitting on their hands and rushing out of the restroom without washing. Throw the coach who might have to grab your kid under the arms for safety and occasionally ends up with nose in armpit while spotting a bone.

 

[CuriousCate]

The same thing happened with our team - coaches talked to the whole team and told them that they needed deodorant. Most of the girls are 10, but my kid is 8 and def doesn't need any. That said, she listens and wanted to use some. I looked into Toms, Native, and Schmidts. They are all natural and have no aluminum. Just for odor, not sweat. She loves wearing it and it seems safe, so we don't argue. I think the coaches knew it was only one or two of the girls but did not want to single them out. I actually thought it was one of the few times they were truly thoughtful and aware of feelings.

 

[Amanda]

Sort of off topic, but we found an aluminum free deodorant we love. I was never very impressed with Toms- especially if you actually need it. I love Arm & Hammer's Essentials. We get the "Fresh" scent. It works better than anything else I have found that doesn't have aluminum.

 

[John]

I think asking your child to wear deodorant and teaching proper hygiene, while offensive to some, is better than a child being made fun of when or if odor becomes a problem. My two cents.

 

[flipping_girls]

Peer pressure (kid and adult comments to the general group) lead to our girls thinking they "needed" deodorant. My daughters use "The Healthy Deodorant LUXE"; smells good and seems to work better than most, but doesn't have the chemicals we are trying to avoid.

 

[M2Abi]

The coaches requested deodorant for all girls about 2 years ago. My dd didn't need it and still doesn't. She has some if she does feel the need.