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I have a 6 year old girl in my care that always has a body odor. How do I bring this up to the mom and let her know that she needs to bathe her more often and take better care of her? I do not want to make her feel like an unfit mom, but I also do not want the other kids to tease her about it...and it is a pretty bad smell because I can smell it from a couple of feet away from her.
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First off, is she obviously not bathing? In other words, is it just an odor, or does she also have greasy hair, dirty nails, etc...?
If it is obviously a bathing issue, it needs to be addressed right away. At 6 years old she should be learning about healthy hygeine habits, and there may be health issues down the road if it isn't taken care of now.
If it is not clear about how often she bathes, there can be several reasons for the smell. It can be that the body has a difficult time processing amino acids, protein, carbs and fats in certain foods. It might also be a sign of early onset puberty.
I would bring it up to mom delicately but not in an accusing way, like say, "I've noticed that these long days she tends to sweat a lot, and I was thinking, maybe you could bring a stick of deodorant to use here in case she needs a little freshening up." See if she gets the hint.
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