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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Parent Air Freshener Use - Advice Please?
Baby Beluga 06:48 AM 11-13-2020
I have a child here who was out for 2.5 weeks. Upon return child smells terribly of the plug type air fresheners. It is so bad/strong that when this child arrives, my other children start coughing/sneezing.

Obviously I do not want to tell or suggest this family stop use of air fresheners because I do not believe it is my place. But, how do I gently tell them of this problem and ask them to bring extra clothing and a jacket that can remain here so I can change the child upon arrival?
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Ariana 06:52 AM 11-13-2020
I personally would get the kid some clothes to change into at my house and wouldn’t address it at all! I would just feel too bad to bring it up!

I had a kid who’s clothes smelled so strongly of Gain detergent it was overpowering, I wondered if the clothes even went through a rinse cycle.
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Baby Beluga 06:54 AM 11-13-2020
Originally Posted by Ariana:
I personally would get the kid some clothes to change into at my house and wouldn’t address it at all! I would just feel too bad to bring it up!

I had a kid who’s clothes smelled so strongly of Gain detergent it was overpowering, I wondered if the clothes even went through a rinse cycle.
I had the same thought too. I don't want to offend or hurt the family's feelings. Child has been here for 2 years, and has always smelled slightly of fresheners but it was never intrusive. Now it is SO strong.
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Ariana 07:19 AM 11-13-2020
Originally Posted by Baby Beluga:
I had the same thought too. I don't want to offend or hurt the family's feelings. Child has been here for 2 years, and has always smelled slightly of fresheners but it was never intrusive. Now it is SO strong.
It is so odd isn’t it! Maybe trying to cover up the smell of smoke? I had a daycare mom that would come in occasionally reeking of perfume (and smoke) and I knew she smoked even though she said she didn’t
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Baby Beluga 07:21 AM 11-13-2020
Originally Posted by Ariana:
It is so odd isn’t it! Maybe trying to cover up the smell of smoke? I had a daycare mom that would come in occasionally reeking of perfume (and smoke) and I knew she smoked even though she said she didn’t
It is odd! I don't think smoke though. I am usually very sensitive to smoke smell and I don't smell any hint of it on parents or child.
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Unregistered 12:01 PM 11-13-2020
Originally Posted by Baby Beluga:
I have a child here who was out for 2.5 weeks. Upon return child smells terribly of the plug type air fresheners. It is so bad/strong that when this child arrives, my other children start coughing/sneezing.

Obviously I do not want to tell or suggest this family stop use of air fresheners because I do not believe it is my place. But, how do I gently tell them of this problem and ask them to bring extra clothing and a jacket that can remain here so I can change the child upon arrival?
Is this an everyday thing? Or is this a new smell? I have a terrible story, let's just say that sometimes things happen during your child's nap time LOL


So, my son, who was about two years old at the time, was supposed to be sleeping. I didn't hear much noise or anything, but I smelled an incredibly strong scent of lavender. Something told me to go check on him. So I did. Not only was the lamp that was on his dresser taken apart, the Glade lavender scented plug-in that was behind his dresser, was on the floor and broken open near the screwdriver that he had. Don't ask how he got this. I have no idea LOL he's an incredibly smart kid. So naturally, I smelled his breath and of course it reeks of Glade plugins. He had drank some of the oil.
He smelled very strongly like Glade plugins for about 2 weeks. Even his poo poo was lavender-scented! Thank goodness that poison control said that there wasn't enough oil in those things to really hurt him and of course the usual stuff to look for. You just never know what kids get into! Could it possibly be something similar to that? I am pretty sure my son cannot be the only child in the world that has ever done something crazy like that.🤣😂😆
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Valerie928 07:46 PM 11-13-2020
I had a "Febreeze Kid" in my care. The smell from this little guy (1.5) was so incredible it took my breath away. I never said a word about it to mom. I just put a dc shirt on him for the day and a few minutes before pick up, I returned him into his arrival shirt.🙂
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Pestle 12:04 PM 11-19-2020
I would bring it up and I wouldn't be embarrassed about it. If they're filling their home with that stink, whether to mask another odor or because they just love Fresh Linen Ocean Spice or whatever, I can't protect that child from the VOCs they're breathing at home. But if it's causing my family and the children in my care to suffer, I'm drawing a line.
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Tags:air freshener, smelly kids
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