O'Fallon Moms Ask and Answer

Moms Talk is a new feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions.

Last week's question:

My tween is starting to need to use deodorant.  How do I address the changes that are happening to their body?

O'Fallon Patch Moms Council Member  Answer: 

I started going through this with my now 11-year-old fifth grader, when she was nine.  I started noticing that she had body odor and needed to shower daily, instead of every other day, and that she needed to use deodorant.  This is a very delicate subject, so I wanted to make sure that I had the time to fully explain what was happening to her developing body.   I wanted to make sure that I had her undivided attention without any interruptions from her brothers or father.  I also wanted to give her adequate time to ask any questions.  What I did, that worked really well, was to schedule a special date day for just the two of us.  We had some girl time first by getting pedicures and manicures.  Then we went to lunch where we had plenty of time to discuss what was happening to her body, especially what was causing her to need to shower daily and use deodorant, like an adult.  She had a lot of questions about how she was feeling and about some of the untruths she had heard from classmates.  This was such a great way for us to communicate and to make sure she understood everything that was happening or would be happening to her body.  This special date day provided us the perfect platform to get all of her questions answered without making her feel embarrassed about asking. 

This week's question:

What is the average age when kids start having sleep overs?

Feel free to offer your suggestions in the comment space below!