Au pair with bad body odour Post Reply

[Nana46]

Why do I have the temerity to surf an SW mums' network if I'm not middle-class and angst-ridden with nothing more important to worry about? Good question but I didn't know there was such a narrow profile for subscribers. Hilarious!

[MGMidget]

Living with an au pair with bad body odour can actually be quite unpleasant. I've had this too with a previous au pair. I confess I never had the guts to have the conversation - she was a good au pair in many other ways so we put up with it. However, going near her room when she had the door open would make me heave.

As far as your au pair is concerned, I think it could be one of two things. Either its hormonal and she may struggle to do something about it - when I was a school a friend had this problem and needed special deodorants. Even then it was a struggle. I suspected that was our au pair's problem as she had some other issues which pointed to it. Alternatively it could be that she doesn't wear deodorant and really ought to be washing a lot more. I think in some cultures they don't wear deodorant as much as we do and also do little splash washes of the armpits etc at the sink rather than shower every day. If its the latter then a gentle conversation about what is expected in our culture may go down fine and resolve the problem.

[coldatchristmas]

Don't worry Nana, you know now

Back to me, did you see in the Times yesterday that 50% of all kids at Westminster get into Oxford, that fifty grand tutor looks like astonishing value

http://www.nappyvalleynet.com/mums/view ... 54&t=29152

[OllieGirl21]

Nana46, I find your comments to be very rude. Who made you the boss of judging other people problems?? Don't be so stuck up!! 

Bad B.O is very unpleasant, I can't even stand by someone on the tube with it for a short journey, let alone live with someone that has it. So I can totally sympathise with you. 

I suggest you could maybe buy her a lovely hamper full of nice soaps, shampoos, deodorants maybe add some body sprays and perfume. You could also put some of those sweet smelling bags of lavender in her draws to make her clothes smell nice . 
And just have a little chat with her about it.  Hope you get it all worked out  

[Nana46]

Oo err! Just trying to get things into some kind of perspective. Didn't mean to step so heavily on so many middle-class toes. Hope it all works out for you. Peace.

[marypoppins]

Assumed it was armpit smell but if it's lower down maybe she needs to see a GP and she might be embarrassed to ask. Do hope it sorts out amicably.

[Happymama]

Logged in for the thought time in a while and I am a bit shocked to see that my comment was taken so seriously by Nana46 !

Yes in the context of this specific subject, I could not think of anything worse than having to approach such a personal problem with someone living under my roof.

The original poster asked how to deal with a specific issue - she did not ask us to discuss world povery and world piece? Will think more carefully about my comments in future.............

[Mrs Contractor Mum]

Nana46 - personally your comment made me laugh out loud. Unfortunately, one person's sense of humour is another person's offence.

[clapset]

have a spine and just tell her

[northcote dad]

we had an au pair with exactly the same problem and my wife sat down with her and sensitively told her that she smelt. we encouraged her to wash her clothes a lot more regularly but it didn't really change anything.

I'm dying to know if this our old au pair! I know she took a new job with an earlsfield family when she left us last feb/march. Is she Polish and late 20s...??

[loveearlsfield]

thanks for all the helpful responses, in the end I had a light chat with her about washing her clothes more regularly (it was a week and a half and she had worn the same fleece tracksuit every single day!!) and I thought we had an understanding, but the next day she was wearing it again! I had offered to buy her more clothes and emphasised that she could use the washer every night if she needed to! When my husband went up to her room and saw crisp packets and coke zero bottles strewn everywhere, and the room was humming with stench, it was time for her to go. Very awkward, and I left that bit to him. I really need au pair help but am a bit traumatised by the whole thing so just getting by on my own (family is in australia)...

[MGMidget]

Try not to be too disheartened as not all au pairs are like this. Hopefully you will find a good one who is cleaner and tidier soon.

[NYE31]

I hope so too for your sake as well, not the best experience to have been through for you.

Good luck