Telling our kids: Don't Fret The Sweat and a $100 Visa gift card giveaway

We have three kids, and they've all played various sports over the years. Combine that with the active school days our kids lead and suffice to say, we can have some smells around here.

Even when we don't always realize our babies are growing up, their bodies may let you know in a big way after a soccer game.

My oldest two are teenagers, and they're usually (hey, one is a teenage boy, if you have one, you'll understand)well on the road to regular deodorant use. But, when they were younger, I can remember wondering if we'd recognize the right time for them to start using deodorant (answer: Oh, yes.).

The body odor and deodorant talk accompanied education about other body changes, and was really the time we realized we had "big kids."

Awareness of the body odor issue appears to come a little earlier with girls than boys, and we bought her some deodorant as soon as she asked for it. I'm not aware of her having had an issue that prompted it, but it was all the rage with her friends, and I think she felt more independent and grown-up as she incorporated it into her routine.

When it was time for our son to use deodorant, we started him early so it would become part of his routine before he really needed it. While he seemed to have a "different" level of awareness of body odor, it was a good time to talk to him about body changes, too.

We have an almost-tween coming up, and after yesterday's soccer game, I think it's his time, now, so I'll go to the store and get my thoughts together and see how he responds.

This time, however, there's a great resource for me, and for him.

Unilever, the leading manufacturer of deodorant and antiperspirants and makers of Degree® Men, Degree® Women, Degree® Girl, Dove® and Suave®, has developed an educational resource --Don't Fret The Sweat, to provide parents with tools and kids with opportunities to build confidence and be inspired in everything they do.

Unilever wants to ensure parents and kids remain cool, calm and confident throughout the day, especially during life’s sweat-inducing moments. They provide expert tips, tools and real-life stories about how parents are communicating and transitioning their tweens into confident and self-reliant teens, at the Don't Fret The Sweat Facebook page.

Check it out!

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The giveaway:

Prize: $100 Visa card and a Don't Fret The Sweat gift pack

How to win:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods between 10/4/11 and 11/4/11:

a) Leave a comment telling us how you stay calm, cool and confident during the day.

b) Tweet about this promotion (I’m @busymom) and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Visit the Official Rules

Don't forget to visit the Visit the BlogHer Prizes & Promotions section for even more chances to win!

I wrote this post while participating in the Univelever/BlogHer program on behalf of the Don't Fret The Sweat campaign. I received monetary compensation for the time to write my post.