Fresh and Clean

Beth is turning into quite a reader. She now reads longer chapter books, and particularly enjoys the Magic Tree House books, and stories about Can Jansen. Lately, she has taken to reading signs everywhere she goes. This morning, as she sat in the bath tub, she amused herself by reading all the labels on the bath products sitting on the edge of the tub.

"Baby Fresh Scent", I heard her say as she looked at Brian's baby wash. She re-read that one a few times, and then queried, "Mom, what does that mean?"

I explained that the soap smelled fresh and clean...just like a baby.

She mulled that over for a few minutes, and then said, doubtfully, "Well, babies don't really always smell fresh and clean. They must not be talking about the smell that babies have when they need their diapers changed. That would not be a smell that anyone would want to buy. Or that smell that newborns get when they spit up all the time. No one would want to buy that smell either".

She was quiet for a few more minutes while she played with some bath toys. Then she looked up and announced, "I've been thinking about this. I think the only time babies actually smell fresh and clean is when you put this stuff on them. So, really any soap could say "baby fresh scent" as long as it smelled good. Babies don't have a fresh and clean smell all by themselves. This label means nothing, really."

It's a case of the chicken and the egg, I think...