Why Is This?

[Sqad]

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hygiene-poverty-schools_uk_5b27b938e4b056b2263c4841?guccounter=1

Why do children need ,bubble baths, deodorants and perfumes to stop offensive odours?
These apparently are being given out by teachers to stop the child being ostracised and bullied for smelling.All they need is soap and water before they come to school.
I was brought up in a "poor area" parents were working class and grandad a labourer, but there was always Carbolic Soap to wash and prepare one for school.
I never had or did't need fancy smelling toiletry and certainly soap and water did the trick.
Welfare State? Snowflakes?" Life is better now?

[maggiebee]

I use shower gel, deodorant etc etc but somehow wonder how the older generations got on without all of these products. My dad lived to 95 and I can guarantee the all he used was soap and water all of his life. Can't remember him ever being smelly.

[B00]

Then something somewhere has gone badly wrong with today's parenting skills Andy.

As a kid myself, we only had one bath a week, but my mum and everyone elses mum that I knew at the time were scrupulous in making sure we at least had 'strip' washes fairly regularly and our clothes were reasonably clean, they wouldn't have dreamt of sending us out honking.

What's changed between then (70's) and now?

[Sqad]

BOO....I agree but between the 50's and now.......the Welfare State.
What has gone awry?

[ummmm]

We had one bath a week as well. Every Sunday. We always had to wash before school.

[andres]

It's more a case of lazy parents rather than not being able to afford basic essentials.Some kids get themselves up in a morning and probably can't be bothered to wash properly. Just a 'cat-lick' and off to school . Does anyone remember a scheme suggested a few years ago whereby someone would be employed to go to the houses in a morning to help those lazy parents with getting their kids up and off to school. I don't think it got off the ground but there are an awful lot of parents needing a kick up the backside .The blame lies with them not with the cost of the basic essentials.

[andy-hughes]

BOO - // What's changed between then (70's) and now? //

What's changed is the absence of the extended family unit, where people learned parenting skills from their family, who re-enforced discipline as children grew up.

What we have now is two or three generations of parents who have literally no parenting skills, and that of course becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy - you can't parent your own children if you have no example from your parents to follow, so the whole thing spirals downwards.

I have banged on for years that nursery education should be funded and staffed properly by professionals who can educate children in self respect and caring for others, so that future generations can grow up with a sense of awareness that current generations simply do not have anymore.

That in a nutshell, is why we have malodorous bullied children - they come from malodorous bullied parents.

[B00]

That's what I mean ummmm, between the strip washes, the weekly bath night and reasonably clean clothes, ok, they might not have been trendy and they were often gone a bit grey from over washing, but we didnt smell.

I'm quite concerned that parents are not fulfilling the very basic care that children require. It's not rocket science BO can be smelt and dirt can be seen.

[andy-hughes]

BOO - // It's not rocket science BO can be smelt and dirt can be seen. //

By us? Yes indeed. By a vast number of inner-city parents - sadly not.

[ummmm]

Why inner-city parents?

[B00]

Are you genuinely stating Andy, that some parents are too thick to know that children need regularly washes to stay clean??

[youngmafbog]

Boo, it is either too thick, too lazy, ill educated or to just too ignorant.

And yes, I believe some parents do fall into that category.

[rowanwitch]

I know he's right, there are folk near to where I live who think it's acceptable to go out in filthy clothes reeking of stale fat,and sweat. They have a tribe of equally grimy smelly children. Mostly the adults are obese, with kids heading in the same direction and while they are regular frequented of southland they don't stop in the toiletries aisle.

However I recently had a clear out and found loads of hotel toiletries from previous holidays, unused sample sizes and stuff I bought then didn't use for myself and David. I dropped them off at the local food bank and they were thrilled. I usually buy a pack of sanitary towels for the supermarket box rather than a food item.

[rowanwitch]

Southland? Poundland

[andy-hughes]

BOO - // Are you genuinely stating Andy, that some parents are too thick to know that children need regularly washes to stay clean?? //

Absolutely I am, yes.

My wife was Deputy Head in an inner-city school, and my youngest daughter works in one now, and they routinely deal with deprived children who are not bathed or have clean clothes.

[Sqad]

rowan

" I usually buy a pack of sanitary towels for the supermarket box rather than a food item."

Very sensible, far more comfortable than a pack of frozen peas.

[douglas9401]

Some of my best friends...............

[youngmafbog]

Perhaps schools should have mandatory hour of sports a day followed by a mandatory shower?

[rowanwitch]

Of course these are the same families buying computer games in CEX, and the family lunch at MaccyDs. There is usually wine or cider in the shopping trolley too. Sometimes it's all the basic living skills they need: budgeting, cooking,cleaning,hygiene, etc. But if that's all the last three generations knew how can their situation change?

[andres]

I know that teachers do their best for the children by washing them, their clothes and giving them food. But are they doing the right thing? Obviously no-one wants to see children suffering but the lazy parents will never get off their backsides to do anything for their kids if they know someone else will do it for them. So someone needs to come up with an answer to this problem and quickly.

[ummmm]

It's not always lazy parenting though.