Why do mums stop liking the smell of their teenage sons? It could be all the Brut

New research suggests that mothers fall out with their teenage offspring because of how they smell. I tested my family's resolve from an early age

Mothers can fall out with their teenage offspring because they stop liking the way they smell. This is from a study conducted by the Dresden University of Technology. I have been reflecting on what I smelled of as a teenager. I am pretty sure the overwhelming aroma round me was of cheap antiperspirants and colognes. Having seen Kevin Keegan advertise Brut, that was my first fragrance of choice. I complied all too willingly with the command to splash it all over.

The only smell I recall my mum having a view on was my feet. She was always badgering me to wash them in the bidet in our bathroom (yes, we had a bidet). I honestly did not realise bidets were for washing anything other than feet until I was well into my teens. My schoolmates who came for tea were also confused. More than once, they took it (not illogically) to be a junior toilet and weed in it.