9 Year Old Girl Needs Deodorant?

Normal age. What's there to handle? You should be talking about her body and upcoming changes by now - buy her deodorant. I had my period when I was 10. Start talking!

I can't smell anything on my 8 year old...until I grab her from her underarms and my hands are wet. Then Phew!

I brought home a stick of Tom's one day, lifted her arm and started rolling. She laughed and asked what I was doing and I told her I was deodorizing her. She just laughed and asked the next day if I wanted her to put the deodorant on.

If she needs it, she needs it! No one wants to be the smelly kid.

Bring her to the store and let her smell a few and pick one or two. Just tell her that it's time to start using it everyday since her body is changing. Make it relaxed and fun. It's good practice for what comes next....

Just tell her
"You're growing up and using deodorant is what grown up people do".

Approach it in a straightforward manner. Explain that it is time for her to wear deoderant because she is growing up and as we grow our sweat begins to smell. That's really all there is to it.

Best,
F. B.

It's typical to have body odor by 8 or 9 and, alas, also typical for the kid to be oblivious to his or her own odor. You do want to help her deal with this before another kid comments on it, and unfortunately at her age, there are going to be other kids who will soon make comments.

I'd get her "The Body Book for Girls," published by American Girl. It is a terrific first book, ideal for her age, and is neither too simplistic nor too advanced about all the things it covers -- hygiene, why we start to smell and grow hair we don't want, periods, buying your first bra, etc. (It does not get into sex in any way, and some parents really like the fact that it covers things like periods and girls' changing bodies without getting into any "sex ed.") The book will tell her about using deodorant. You could give it to her in a cool tote bag along with a couple of deodorants (maybe one unscented, one scented), some lotions, nail polish if that's her thing, a nice new hairbrush, a cute and colorful nail care kit....Yeah, you will also need to tell her gently that she's old enough now to use deodorant daily. Don't tell her "It's because your pits stink" but do say "At your age, most girls are starting to use deodorants and lotions and look after their own nails," and then remind her each morning: "Did you brush your teeth and put on deodorant?"

Make sure you are cleaning her coats and sweaters in winter and ensuring she wears a lot of cotton tops (and cotton socks that she changes often ---foot odor usually starts to turn up around this time too!). Spray some unscented Febreze odor killer on the inside lining of the coat and inside her shoes too....

When my daughter was in 3rd grade.... her teacher talked to the kids about body odor, because MANY of the kids, boys and girls, were smelly. Especially after P.E.
YES, kids that age or younger... wear deodorant.
It is normal.

My daughter, was wearing deodorant from BEFORE 9 years old.
She needed too. She knew it. I did too.

You need to talk to your daughter about things like this.
Her body.
And hygiene.

9-12 years old, are considered Pre-Teens. It is now called "Tweens."
Some girls, EVEN at 9 years old, get their periods.
You need to talk to your daughter.

Well, with my daughter (who started wearing deodorant at 8), I said, "Whew! Stinky sweaty! Time for deodorant!" (It just kind of popped out of my mouth - because, wow, smelling like a locker room is a good way to describe it!) When we went to the store, I let her pick what scent she wanted. I wouldn't worry much about getting a "natural" deodorant - I mean, if deodorant were dangerous, certainly we would have heard more about it by now, don't you think?? Every adult in America wears it every day with no ill effects. Just get a brand that is likely to work, otherwise she will wonder why she is STILL stinky even after wearing deodorant!

I agree w/ "The Body Book" . I go it for my older daughter (now 11). I would get your daughter deodorant, and just a friendly reminder "Hey... dont forget to put on deoderant after you brush your teeth" will not make her feel embarassed or bring too much attention to the issue. Works for me everytime!!!!

Yes, by 9 both my boys were wearing deodorant...thank GOD!! :)

Yes, it is hormones. I recall them with each child. My son was worse than my daughter at this age.

Just make sure that they do bathe daily really good and that you remind them about the deodorant. I also mentioned to my daughter that if she could smell herself everyone else could as well because they could smell her before she did = eweeh (sorry for sp).

To this day at 37 she has thanked me as she sees and "smells' many adult women who do not know the meaning of hygiene where she lives.

Just be straight forward and have a talk about her body changing and that these are things that she has to take care of so that she is not teased by her peers. If not, she will get the hint after being the butt of the joke from her peers. Kind of tie the body changes and her period so that she is not too shocked when things do start happening.

the other S.

Yes, my now 14 yr old started in - get this - Kindergarten! Yup. My second daughter, now 10, began needing it in I believe 2nd grade. So, this is not unusual these days. My little man, though, 5 yrs. old is showing no signs of needing it yet. Like others have said, let her choose the scent. Secret (and probably others) even have body sprays that are the same scent of the deodorant, and my girls especially love these.

We have tried "natural" deodorants, but they weren't worth the time and money to get them... they didn't work as well for my girls.

My old neighbor was unaware of her daughter's need of some til I gently brought it to the mom's attention. So, yeah, it's more normal than you'd think.

When my son gets stinky I just tell him. Not in a mean way, but I say something like "Hey, bud? You need to go jump in the shower." Then I peek in part way through to make sure he took in a wash cloth (he usually forgets) and remind him to scrub his pits well. I try to remind him to put on deodorant as well. Sometimes I even have him do it at night because I know he forgets in the morning rush and I am already gone for work. Hubby is trying to get him off to school and toddler to daycare, so I know he forgets to remind him as well.

We just talked about bodies starting to change and that it was time to wear deodorant. Honestly did not make a big deal about it. Very matter-of-factly.

My son (who is 9 now) and most of his friends all started being really stinky last year (age 8). I talked to him about it, gave him some Tom's of Maine deodorant and I make him take showers/baths more frequently now. I have to remind him to use soap and really scrub up. He was just washing his hair really quickly and not really scrubbing well...so I will remind him about that also. It is crazy how I make him take a bath and later that day or the very next day he reeks again from running around and getting sweaty playing basketball or freeze tag or whatever.

A conversation about bodies changing. And yes deodorant and a shower every day. And on your end if need be wash the jacket every couple days

My daughter has been stinky since age 8. An easy way to handle it daily is to have baby wipes on hand. I still have to remind her (now 10) almost daily to see if she stinks, but hoping soon she has enough pride in her self-presentation to notice it herself...

Yes, as soon as possible. Don't let your kid be "the stinky girl".

This happened to the daughter of a friend of mine. They reduced her dairy intake, and the dairy that she did consume was switched to entirely organic/hormone free. The smell went away in about 3 days.

My daughter needed and starting using deodorant at age 7. She is now 17, is great with her hygiene (showers daily, uses deodorant), eats well and is a vegetarian, and drinks a lot of water. But she still has some body odor. Some people just sweat more than others. Just make sure she kmows its normal. There are some great books about body changes, puberty, etc. One that we liked is by American Girl - The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls.

My oldest son didn't need it until he was 10ish. My youngest son is almost 10 now, and doesn't stink, but many of his friends do, and are already using deodorant. We've talked about it, and he will likely start using deodorant this summer whether he needs it or not, just to get in the habit. Although I'm not sure I want him to. I never, ever sweat or stink, and I don't wear deodorant. Maybe he has inherited my non-sweating tendencies. I may wait to see if he starts to stink. He hasn't stunk at all yet.

I definitely don't think 9 is too young for deodorant. I would just make sure she's bathing daily and buy her deodorant:)

I needed deodorant at age 7-8. My oldest started needing it this year at age 8.5.

I just told him - hey you're kind of stinky let's go pick out some deodorant and make you smell nice. It was fine. He felt excited to do something grown up.

Each of my daughters has needed to start with the deodorant around the ages of 7 and/or 8 years old. 9 years old is pretty normal for a girl to start with the hormonal changes affecting body odor.

That's when you go from bathing every few days to more frequently or daily... however often it takes to keep the odor at bay. My daughters are 9, 11, and 13. They bathe anywhere between daily and every other day depending on activity level, gym classes, menstrual cycle (eldest). Deodorant for them is usually every other day, and after bathing.

My daughter started using deodorant at nine. If the kid smells, the kid needs deodorant. Just make sure it's deodorant only and not antiperspirant.

This is becoming very common.

You can also try increasing her water intake, as sweating is the body's way of cooling down. If you are dehydrated, you will sweat sooner and more.

get her some deodorant and teach her how to use it. My 8 year old (almost 9 year old) gets a little stinky after she plays hard. My poor little 6 year old gets the sweats. I bought them each a stick of junior deodorant and they wear it all the time. They feel confident in their activities and dont worry about getting stinky.

Go to a gd quality health food store and get a deodorant w/ non-toxic chemicals since deod goes near the lymphnodes !! My friends and I didn't start w/ deodorant until much later. I pay more for deod, but, I feel it's worth it !

sounds like she is approaching puberty, so buy her some deodorant and make sure she understands what other changes to except.

Puberty - body changes - a general chat. Maybe make up a care package of all kinds of stuff, lip gloss, small box of pads, "the care and keeping of you" book, deodorant, hair stuff - things she'd like that are girly and also puberty/change related.