I have a multi-level troop ranging from Daisy up thru Seniors.

One of my Cadette level girls has a really bad body odor to her every single week. We've talked about hygiene at out meetings, kinda thrown it in during snack time, but now I think we need to do a whole meeting based on hygiene. I figure if the girls will earn a badge for it, they will actually pay attention to it.

I've found a badge for my Daisy, Brownie & Junior level girls, but I can't seem to find one appropriate for the Cadette/Senior girls. Any one out there in AQ land have Cadette/Senior level girls that know of an IP they could earn while learning about proper hygiene?

you can make up your own if you can't find one I believe....

I've encountered this problem a couple of times. Once was when I worked in a private girls' school. The smelly girl in question was lovely, intelligent, responsible, caring - everything you could hope for in a human being. Her dad was a dentist and they seemed normal in every way - but her family wasn't ready for her to grow up and use deodorant (she was in grade 10). Plus her mother only did laundry very infrequently, and since she had to wear a uniform she just smelled bad all the time.

My point is that she may be very aware that she smells bad, but there may be other circumstances in play here, and it may require more than a meeting about hygiene. I'm quite sure the girl I taught was humiliated by it. Eventually the guidance counsellor called home, but it was so, so hard for her.

Good luck with this girl. Sometimes there are cultural differences that can really set kids apart.

Goofy Girl is right. You can make up your own. But each council has different requirements for how to do it. Check with your local council.

Have you seen the Mirror, Mirror focus book? I have not looked through it, but it looks like the most likely to include hygeine information.

You could also try contacting GSUSA and talking with one of their program staff. They have had a big push in the last few years around healthy living. This fits right in with it. They might be able to point you in the right direction.

Good luck. This can be a really difficult topic to work with. But it's so important!

you can make up your own if you can't find one I believe....

Yeah, but I honestly don't want to go thru all that is involved LOL

My point is that she may be very aware that she smells bad, but there may be other circumstances in play here, and it may require more than a meeting about hygiene.

Definitely a good point...I honestly have no clue about her home life, I know most of the kids in her extended family (cousins, etc) and I've met her brother on several occasions. I've never smelled BO on any of them and honestly up until this girl joined my troop, I've never smelled it on her either. Her mom is a nurse, so you would think she'd be a bit in tune with it, but then again, the mother of one of my Senior level girls is a nurse and she smelled to high heavens just about every time I ran into her & sometimes the girl (who is a very good friend of my daughter) even smelled pretty bad.

I knew getting into this wasn't going to be an easy task, but I feel I need to do something, I just can't stand being near her with that smell...our meeting room isn't very large, so the smell is there no matter where you are, but it is worse the closer you are to her - my Junior level girls have been gradually sitting further away from her, which I can only assume that they are smelling her too and are trying to be polite by sitting away from her

Have you seen the Mirror, Mirror focus book?

I have heard of this focus book, but honestly never looked thru it, will have to check to see if my council has it the next time I'm in there.

You could also try contacting GSUSA and talking with one of their program staff.

Hmmm, will have to look into that, never really thought of that aspect.

Good luck. This can be a really difficult topic to work with. But it's so important!

Thanks. Definitely a difficult topic that's for sure & most definitely an important one :-)

Honestly, I think just confronting the issue as her trusted Girl Scout leader, in private, is sufficient. All the dancing around the bush to get to the point is really not respecting the girl in question. I believe that in 2008, people are okay with honesty and being upfront. What they may not be okay with is smoke and mirrors.

I would ask this young lady to come early to a meeting and have some cool Bath and Body products for her in "trial" sizes so she can stash them in her purse. Buy a bottle of Little Black Dress Secret too, in a trial size, and give these to this girl. Explain why each one is wonderful. You don't have to make a big deal but tell her you are being honest because you care about her and that's what Scout leaders do. They don't pussyfoot around...they are honest according to the Girl Scout Law.

I now step down from my box which is just a bit wobbly in case anyone cares to step up next. May need a shim under the left front corner.....

Could you have the older girls teach the badge to the younger?

Honestly, I think just confronting the issue as her trusted Girl Scout leader, in private, is sufficient.

Actually I have done this with her on a few occasions...she lives right down the street from me, so I see her frequently & she comes over to my house to hang out with my kids and we've talked about it several times. However, she doesn't feel that it's her that we're smelling. I told her that I knew it was as the smell is always stronger when I'm near her vs the other girls. I talked to her again last night actually and told her that we will be working on hygiene badges at our next couple of meetings that it was already planned. She seemed really excited about it, but I don't know if it was her actually wanting to 'learn' what she's not doing or if it was more that she is so insistent that it's not her and that I 'will see' that it's not her as she told my daughter afterward.

Could you have the older girls teach the badge to the younger?

The girl in question is one of the older girls. But that actually might be a good idea, hmmm, will have to discuss that possibility with my assistant, thanks!

Could you have the older girls teach the badge to the younger?

The girl in question is one of the older girls. But that actually might be a good idea, hmmm, will have to discuss that possibility with my assistant, thanks!

Sure, I understood that! You had said there wasn't a comparable badge for the older girls; I thought teaching it to the younger might be a way to reinforce the concepts. I use this a fair amount when working with kids. If I want a 3rd grader to review his multiplication facts, I ask him to help drill a second grader. Fourth grader doesn't like to read? He is always willing to read to his kindergarten buddy!

Good luck! This is a tough one!

Don't bother looking into the focus book. I was in our store yesterday and looked it up. No real information about hygiene.
Wild Rose

Sure, I understood that! You had said there wasn't a comparable badge for the older girls; I thought teaching it to the younger might be a way to reinforce the concepts.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I thought you didn't understand that :-(

I hadn't really thought of having the older girls teach the younger, but I like that idea & may just use it :-)

Don't bother looking into the focus book. I was in our store yesterday and looked it up. No real information about hygiene.

Thanks Wild Rose for letting me know

One of my Cadette level girls has a really bad body odor to her every single week. We've talked about hygiene at out meetings,

Just a suggestion, but is it possible to talk to her teacher/Counselor/nurse at school? They may even have some insight as to why she smells...who knows? Maybe they could talk to her, and maybe even help with some products for her, and do some follow up. If she has an odor every week, then it must be at school also.

Blue butterfly

Just a suggestion, but is it possible to talk to her teacher/Counselor/nurse at school?

That's a good suggestion...I will keep it in mind...although I think I will probably go with one of her teachers or the counselor because the school nurse is a major b***h, I've had an encounter with her this year & after that encounter it makes me wonder even more how she not only got hired, but how she manages to remain employed there, she's incompetent (in my opinion), believe me I sure am glad that neither of my kids have to see her on a regular basis because she has no clue to what is what with these kids...ok, that doesn't directly pertain to the original suggestion LOL sorry

If she has an odor every week, then it must be at school also.

We're guessing that it must be also, but I don't really know any other 6th graders so I don't hear anything about how she is at school (she's the only 6th grader I have in the troop)

believe me I sure am glad that neither of my kids have to see her on a regular basis because she has no clue to what is what with these kids...ok, that doesn't directly pertain to the original suggestion LOL sorry

My heart goes our to her and to you :) It sounds like you are willing to do whatever it takes to help this young girl. That's nice!

BB