One of the most charming phone calls I’ve ever received was from a mom who called for “just a little bit of advice”.
Apparently, she couldn’t get her “stinky” 12-year old boy into the shower. “Can’t he smell himself?”
I advised, “Don’t say a thing and let the pack take care of him.” “What pack?” I said, “One of his classmates, probably a girl, will announce loudly, ‘Ew, dude, you stink!’ and then, you’ll call me because you can’t get him out of the shower!” I asked her to call back “when it happened”.
Three weeks later, she called and told me that her son has an “obsessive interest in hygiene. He spends so much time in the shower it’s a problem”.
I told her his behavior would “even out” soon and someone should take him shopping for body washes, shampoo and perhaps a body spray. “Take it seriously”, I explained, “The sense of smell is so important that it is directly wired into the brain and doesn’t go through the sensory processing system. Take time to get it right.
I love my job, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
At drclaudia.net,, click on the "Ask Me" button to submit a question.
Apparently, she couldn’t get her “stinky” 12-year old boy into the shower. “Can’t he smell himself?”
I advised, “Don’t say a thing and let the pack take care of him.” “What pack?” I said, “One of his classmates, probably a girl, will announce loudly, ‘Ew, dude, you stink!’ and then, you’ll call me because you can’t get him out of the shower!” I asked her to call back “when it happened”.
Three weeks later, she called and told me that her son has an “obsessive interest in hygiene. He spends so much time in the shower it’s a problem”.
I told her his behavior would “even out” soon and someone should take him shopping for body washes, shampoo and perhaps a body spray. “Take it seriously”, I explained, “The sense of smell is so important that it is directly wired into the brain and doesn’t go through the sensory processing system. Take time to get it right.
I love my job, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
At drclaudia.net,, click on the "Ask Me" button to submit a question.
