Oh that boy...

Threaten to make him wear those day of the week underwear they make for girls.. Or, even take a permanent marker and write the days of the week on the inside band, then it won't take much to know what he is wearing..As for the toothbrush episode, my son tried that too, and he realized that if he continued I will be right there watching him which means he can't brush them when it is a good time for him, but for me...

What is it with guys and their underwear? You'd think it was part of them the way they don't want to part with them.

Why is he so opposed to clean underwear? I want clean underwear. Is it just a control thing. I would not put it past him to be clever enough to bamboozle you.

Smarter then the average bear me thinks! LOL....

Hi there Dawny Do you think it is a boy thing because my eldest does the same with brushing his teeth? He is really good about changing his underwear, thank goodness I don't have to go there hahaha. I have brushed my son's teeth for him when I caught him 'wetting' his toothbrush and has got a little bit better, he is 10 by the way and should know better. I told him the next time he did that, that I would tell all his friends at school that I brushed his teeth hahahhaa

Easier for me when my boys were young. Their father would supervise the bathing every evening and also in the mornings when they had a quick shower. I put out their clothes every evening for quickness. They wore school uniforms so there was no choice in the matter. Everything was laid out for them. Spoiled a bit I suppose but I could not stand the dawdling around

My son went through that at the age of about 11. It was horrible. He would go as far as turning the water on for a shower and wetting his hair. Now he takes showers 2 times a day. I am sure it is just a stage, but you are right, you were probably bamboozled again.

hi dawn oh my G that sounds like my son used to be but take hope as he is now the very epitome of cleanliness so theres hope ahead for you. I think hes playing games to yeah bamboozle you. maybe lighten up just a tad but of course you do want him to be clean I realize that. I am not sure just what to say but I went through much the same things many years'back so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I will not say hes learned to reallybe neat and tidy in his room as I have never seen the apt. he shares with fellow guy roommate. but two can play at the bamboozle mom so you have to learn a few tricks too. lol

If it makes you feel any better.. mine all do the same thing! Every morning I have to ask if they changed their socks.. and they'll lie to me and say they did. It's obvious the socks are not clean, so I ask again. Eventually they tell me that they've not changed their socks... and then they will finally go do so.. maybe. This morning it was sweaters. All the kids wore shorts because it's been 90 degrees all this week. This morning it was cold, so I told them all to grab some sweaters. Awhile later nobody had sweaters, so I told them again to get sweaters. They leave for school and I assume that they each brought a sweater. When I pick up my preschooler.. guess what... no sweater! Poor kid was freezing!

Boys are very sneaky. Mine used to throw his underwear and socks away..he didn't like them. After a while...he wouldn't have a thing and I would look everywhere! Nothing. I would have to go buy more. It seemed like I could never keep him in underwear and socks and then I saw some undies beneath an icecream box in the garbage can! Bamboozled for a while..then I was onto him..lol

That would be something that would absolutely drive me nuts and I certainly hope that it is a stage that Paul will not go through when he gets a little bit older. The main question that comes to my mind regarding this situation is, doesn't Cary understand that the effort that he is putting forth to try to trick you into thinking that he is doing what he should be doing equal the effort that it would take to actually do what he was supposed to be doing?

Not so much the underwear changing, but the brushing of the teeth with my son. I've also had to do inspections! He would repeatedly say yes he already did, until I would say OK let me see 'em. And then he would go to the washroom to just brush his teeth. I think I'm wiser. It's just the back and forth that gets tiring.

I'm sure he'll grow out of this stage soon. Good Luck! Sounds like you really have great kids. They keep you hopping. I'm sure you are truely blessed and entertained at the same time. You just can't let them know some of their antic are actually funny. Best Wishes!

Remember, all this will change as soon as puberty hits. Right now, he is not concerned about the smells and actually can't see a reason to change, brush, floss, etc. It is only a modern concern about cleanliness (about 50 years) where changing into clean clothes became the fashion. Unless your son is 13 or more, I would let up on all the inspections. Getting him into the habit of brushing, washing and changing is good but it seems you are setting up a power struggle and trust issues which will come to bite you in the butt once puberty hits. Right now he is learning how to get around your 'rules' and your inspections. He will only get better at it. Now is the time to let him have some freedom to make rules for himself. What difference does it make to him and his friends if he is wearing clean underware everyday? I know this is not what a mother wants to hear but you either teach your children how to make good decisions and live with the consequences or you teach them to sneek around, lie to you, and defy you everyday. The decisions they make then can have life treating consequences.

Hi. dawnald. Welcome to motherhood! I am going through some things with my nine year old son as well. To add to your discussion, this week my son went to "The Fun In The Sun", at the park across from their school. Well, that morning before my son went to school, I told him to keep the underwear that he has on now, and when he gets wet in the water at the park, he is instructed to take those wet underwear off and put the other pair of clean and dry underwear on, that was inside of his plastic bag. Well, apparently my son did the total opposite, because his teacher sent me a note later on that afternoon after he came from school. She told me that my son had put on clean and dry underwear over his wet underwear. So that means that he was walking around with still wet underwear on, plus the clean and dry ones that I left for him to put on. I told my son that he was supposed to take off the wet underwear and put the clean and dry underwear on after he came from the park. But he did not follow my simple instructions at all. I figured that he would get this mixed up somehow though. Oh, goodness! I thought that my son had enough of common sense to know to take off his wet underwear and put on the other pair of clean and dry underwear on that I have left for him inside of his plastic bag. So, the teacher gave him a dry pair of underwear that was brand new. These underwear was from the school's health room. I was so embarrassed when she sent home the note, because I thought that my son knew what to do from common sense and also what I had told him specifically what to do that morning. Both of his underwear was all wet up! Even his dry and clean underwear! I have to watch my son at times. I make sure that he brushes his teeth twice. He will claim that he brushed them really good, but he brushes them so fast. So I make him brush them again. He is nine years old and he has never had one cavity at all. I know how you feel. I hope that Cary follows your instructions. I always tell my son that if I did not ever help him get dressed and get his clothing together, that he would just go any old way to school. All that I can say is "Thank God for us mothers!" What would our children do without us to guide them?

They keep you on your toes. That boy really has your number, maybe he just needs more attention, or maybe he doesn't have enough to do without playing these tricks. You might come up with a few more chores to hang over his head. Mom, you have to be smarter then the average bear.

Kids will be kids! I know kids can do alot of sneaky stuff and not just what your son Cary does! I know alot of kids try to get out of brushing their teeth! I know I did as a kid! With the underwear,that is gross! I sure would not like to wear dirty underwear! Ucky!

This reminds me about my son where he use to turn on the shower and close the door, then he would sit in the washroom and pretend he was showering. I of course got wiser then him and would feel his back and it was not cooled, so I knew what he was up to. I ended up demanding that the door not be closed, and stated that each time I figured out he was not showering I would sit in the washroom until he finished his shower. That ended that. lol It is a phase apparently most boys go through, as I have to admit my son is so meticulous now about hygiene. But of course he is a grown up now.