Teach Your Tweens Not to Fret the Sweat

Pudding Pie has a few years to go before she enters her tweens and we have to think about things like using deodorant, but Meisie is a dear friend of mine, who is also mom to three tweens, and she keeps me chuckling with her tales of life with her tween girls.

I asked Meisie how things went down in her family when it was time to introduce the subject of odor control. Her ten-year-old is not quite there yet, but her twelve-year-old twin daughters are. The twins lead energetic lives between school, their varied afternoon activities and their beloved T-Ball. Meisie said that when she realized, after one enthusiastic afternoon hug (and a private wrinkle of the nose), that it was time to introduce deodorant, she made sure to turn a matter of necessity into a fun outing - and a sweet rite of passage.

She asked her twin daughters to join her on a trip to their local grocery store and, after picking up a few mundane essentials, she suggested they check out the deodorants. The girls were enthusiastic and they all had fun investigating the dizzying array of choices before Meisie gently guided them toward choosing the right deodorant. They ended their expedition with a stop for Sundaes at the local ice cream parlor, where they giddily 'toasted' their latest foray into their teens. My smart friend took advantage of her girls' giddy mood to stress the importance of regularly using their new deodorants to keep themselves free of odor and thus avoid any discomfort and embarassment.

Recently, Unilever released the Tween Confidence Index, which suggests that tween confidence is short-lived but can be safe-guarded by maintaining strong communication between tweens and parents. With this and other resources available at DontFretTheSweat.com, Unilever aims to show parents that they can talk to their tweens about how the right deodorant can keep them free from odor, embarrassment and discomfort along the way.

I shared the site with Meisie and we both love the expert advice section from the "perspiration pros" - great tips and stories! the stories are not just about how not to fret the sweat, but are also on how to handle those moments when you realize, with a gulp, that your tween is becoming a teen.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Unilever and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.