Anyone else ever raised little boys? My 7 yo just hit a growth spurt and

[GreenPartyVoter]

coincidentally also started getting very smelly feet at the same time. I mean his shoes smell like the cats peed in them. *holding nose* Not lysol, febreeze, baking soda, or several rounds in the washing machine can get rid of the smell completely. And once he puts the shoes back on for a day WHAM! the smell is back full force.

Is this typical of little boys this young?

[Pithlet]

1. My sister had similar problem about that age

In her case it turned out to be a skin condition (I'm sorry I don't remember the name, this was in the late 70s) that required a prescription topical medication that she'd wear with socks on at night. My oldest is four and I haven't encountered anything like that yet.

[warrior1]

2. boys stink

and have cooties. Didn't ya know.

My brother got stinky like that at that age. Just needed better hygene.

[Pithlet]

7. I had no brothers and all the cousins I grew up with were girls

When I first found out I was having a boy I was terrified, thinking I know absolutely nothing about them. I'm still looking forward to the teenage years with some apprehension :)

[KitchenWitch]

12. A word to the wise

My first born was a son...You are in for some surprises.

Funny story: When my son was about 2-1/2, he came into my bedroom one morning (I was single at the time) and pulled down his pants and said, "Look mama, it is BIG!" I had NO IDEA that they could get an erection at that age. It took everything in my being not to just totally freak in front of him.

[Pithlet]

15. Oh, my.

That's funny! So far I haven't had anything like that happen.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Oh my 5 yo old did that recently. *lol* I was in the same boat

as you as far as not freaking out. *lol*

[OldLeftieLawyer]

21. They get erections as infants

Believe me, boys waste no time where their units are concerned.

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. Yep. Generally when I see a baby boy with one of those I throw a didee

over it in case he's about to become a fountain. *g*

[grannylib]

32. *lol* My nephew, on seeing his mom naked just out of the shower once,

said "Mom, you have a poodle! And I have a tail! But it's not attached to a poodle!"
I nearly died laughing; he was about 2 at the time.

[latebloomer]

3. Never encountered that one!

Are you sure it's his feet and not his shoes?

I myself have stunk up sneakers very quickly by not wearing socks with them a time or two-- and I could never get the smell out!

[JVS]

26. Yeah! I'd check that. I have some funky shoes right now in fact!

[KitchenWitch]

4. My son is 14

Never had a problem with him stinking until he started to hit puberty.

[caty]

5. Teenagers sweat

glands go crazy in their early teens. Maybe have him put some foot powder on his feet before he puts his socks on.

[AtomicKitten]

6. Puberty is looming

I do work for endocrinologists, and starting to get stinky is a sign of puberty, and believe me it comes on earlier and earlier these days.

My son had bizarre growth spurts, not needing clothes and shoes size changes for two years, and then requiring three in one year!!

There are "norms" and then there is everyone else. Not to worry, mom. Parenting is an adventure!

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. What an adeventure! He is too young to be getting so big! *lol*

And so very fast! He was the same size for quite some time then we went away on vacation in August and I swear shortly after we got home he grew up and filled out and for the first time ever in his life is not longer skinny. He even has a belly roll now.

And of course he also has the stinky foot thing. *g* Or at least stinky shoes.

[AtomicKitten]

11. My baby is 19.

Just yesterday he was 3, or so it seems.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Yeah, mine are 5 and 7 and somedays I think I only just brought them

home from the hospital. :D

[crispini]

9. I have heard that if you put cat litter in the shoes overnight

it'll help with shoe odor. Never tried it myself though. I think I read that somewhere here at some point.

[AtomicKitten]

10. Sans poo, right?

[crispini]

14. LOL. Yes, fresh.

The other way - ew!

[Seabiscuit]

13. You know what "little boys are made of"...

snakes and snails and puppy dog's tails...

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Dang. Looks like I am gonna have to change his diet to get rid of this

smell. *g* No more snakes, snails, or puppy dogs tails for that boy.

[Blue Diadem]

18. boys do have their odors, but I'm wondering if it could be the leather

We went through it years ago with our oldest son's shoes. We'd originally thought one our cats had p'd on them until neighbor kids who had the same brand shoes and were "catless" also complained that their shoes reeked too. Anytime the shoes got damp whether it was from rain or foot perspiration the odor appeared. We thought maybe it was something that went wrong in the curing process for the leather. Never had it happen since.

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. Well, leather is often cured with ammonia and in the past was

cured with urine. These are leather nikes with no real breathable material on them. But he's had them for a while and they had been wet before without smelling bad.

Perhaps there is something in his newly hormonal sweat that triggered some weirdness in the leather?

[Blue Diadem]

29. hmmm..same brand as my son's and the other kids were back then..

I have 2 sons and I had only remembered it happening with my oldest son's shoes. His 15 yr old friend and a 10 yr old friend of my youngest boy also had it happen with the same brand. My youngest son, now 26, just told me it happened to his air jordans..and it was after a period of time. I do know they've had the same brand shoes after that without problems so I think something must go wrong in the processing.

Funny..my daughter just walked in the room and I told her about your boy's shoes..she asked if they were Nikes. She reminded me that we used to joke they used cow bladder to make them.

[DawgHouse]

20. It could be the shoes but

sometimes little kids don't exactly wash their feet very well. They need to be reminded to use soap on their footsies when taking a bath.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

22. He's not using soap in the shower

At that age, they're easily distracted. He's probably forgetting to wash.

Also, they grow while they're sleeping, so he might be piling up the Zs more than usual. Don't be alarmed.

My son went to sleep at the beginning of one summer when he was fifteen. He wore a men's Small at the time.

At the end of the summer, this thing with facial hair emerged, and he was a man's XL and eight inches taller.

I was convinced an alien had taken him over.

[Throckmorton]

24. That was my son's problem

He is now 10, but from about 7 onward he needed constant attention where soap and water were concerned. I still have my weekly visit to the shower to verify he is doing the through treatment.

[Throckmorton]

25. self delete

[libnnc]

23. Sneaker Balls

Put them in his sneakers. You can get them at any shoe store or athletics store. I got mine at Rack Room Shoes. They work really well for me (though I'm not a 7 year old boy). Product info from the manufacturer here:
http://www.dennisgreenltd.com/SneakerBalls.asp

[Arugula Latte]

30. I have an 8 1/2-year-old boy

(and a younger daughter) ... My son and his same aged cousin started getting a bit stinky around age 7 as well. Once in awhile he uses deodorant, and the shoes never smell very pleasant. I think it's very normal.

My sister says one of her strongest memories of elementary school is the smell of the boys shoes wafting through the classroom. Lovely.

[Shine]

31. My son is pushing 12.

Just wait til the body odor kicks in! :eyes:

[hickman1937]

33. Two pairs of cotton sox worked with my son.

And shoes that breath and can be put in the washer. No plastic. Nylon and leather sneakers worked the best. Just don't put them in the dryer. Stuff them with newspaper overnight to soak up the damp, and don't let him wear them till completely dry.

[sendero]

34. Usually it...

... is just a bacterial problem. Problem is, once you have it, it's hard to get rid of because it lives in the shoes.

If they are washable, wash them. If they are not, pitch them or at least retire them from service in a dry place for a few weeks so the little stinkbugs can die. Get your kid (or if you want it done right do it yourself) to wash his feet thoroughly with antibacterial soap.

Stick with white cotton socks and bleach them at every wash.

If you stay of top of it, you can get rid of it but it will take some work :)