So what’s the deal with 10 year-old boys and showers? The Mercenary and TechnoBoy have advanced to the point in life where, ummmmm, they need to shower. Gone are the times when they could take a shower or bath a couple of times a week and be fine. Last week one of them was even-ahem-smelly.
And this isn’t little-boy-who’s-been-out-playing-in-mud smelly. This is… Smelly.
Prior to this fall, bath-time was a favorite activity. We had to set the timer just to keep boys moving along before the hot water ran out. Now, whenever I mention that a shower is needed, I hear groans and see eyes roll. They’ve also demonstrated lately how good they’re getting at distracting me while they wander off.
Hubby and I agreed that boys should be showering at least every other day. I’ve managed to get one or two of them clean, only to realize 3 days later that people were getting stinky again and I didn’t keep up with the schedule.
So what’s a mom to do? How long will this phase of development last? I know there will come a point where they care how they look and smell. Is that when I won’t be able to get them OUT of the bathroom?
by AmyL
Photo graciously provided by * Cati Kaoe *, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
5 responses so far ↓
InTheFastLane // Nov 24, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I laughed as soon as I saw the title of this post
My nine year old son “HATES SHOWERS!” He will take baths, if we are forcing the cleanliness issue. But, showers tend to only last a minute and he comes out with his hair looking really pretty dry and not smelling all that soapy.
We were trying the very other day thing and then we would seem to lose track or he would try to claim that he had just taken one. now he has three nights he does not take a shower: Sunday (just because), Tuesday (because he goes to church and doesn’t get home until 9pm) and Wednesday (because he has swimming lessons at 6 pm and we figure being in the pool probably cleanses him more than any shower he could possibly take). Every other night, he showers at the same time, 7:30.
I bathe my youngest (3) almost every night in hopes that it will just be routine. But, there are nights he asks if he can “skip it” and it is not worth a fight.
Nan // Nov 24, 2008 at 2:25 pm
We live in the sweaty tropics, so daily showers are a MUST. I spend half my life going “GET IN THE SHOWER, WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING THIS!” and the other half “YOU’VE BEEN IN THERE FOR HALF AN HOUR! GET OUT!” And then? They come out horribly dirty with TRICKLES OF CLEAN WHERE THE WATER HAPPENED TO GET ON THEM!
I figure it’s a male smell thing, like with baboons? Or something? Deep in their genetic makeup, they know that they need to have the tribal smell or they will DIE. See, shower time is a life or death thing. Mothers just don’t understand.
What about when you pick half the team up from football? “WIND DOWN THE WINDOWS! QUICK!”
Debbie Blicher // Nov 24, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Just laughing. I have been warned about boys: “They’re pigs!” My son has an older sister with a sensitive nose. I expect she’ll hound him too when the time comes.
My kids are 4 and 5, and there are times I wish I had a giant fish net for scooping them out of the tub.
Mike // Nov 25, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I’m just happy to know that my 5 year olds taking baths every couple days is not out of the ordinary.
How about no dessert or no TV/computer/iPod, etc. until after showers?
For the record, girls are pigs, too. Our daughter is the one that we had to remind that underwear are for one day in a row; not 5.
Marco // Dec 31, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Great picture, by the way. Deserves to be larger.
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