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Photo by rick.
One Poll recently surveyed 4,000 Brits to determine their most preferred scents. Among the top 20 are freshly baked bread, vanilla, fish and chips, bacon frying, a freshly lit match, Petrol, and rubber tires.
Much of our smell preferences may have to do with our earliest impressions, whether they’re good or bad. According to ScienceDaily, we associate certain memories with certain smells, provoking feelings of nostalgia and comfort.
Of course, since we are all individuals, our past experiences help shape how we remember certain events. Happy childhood memories, for example, are associated with pleasant smells.
However, this list varies for the sexes. For men, new-baby smell ranks at number 18, while frying bacon sits at seventh and Petrol is at 12th. Yes, the mouth-watering, sultry smell of pig frying in a pan is more alluring than that adorable, indescribable scent you draw in from the top of a baby’s head.
Photo by misteraitch
So what does this mean for men? Are fathers less likely to become attached to their child than mothers? Should men more actively pursue forming a bond with baby?
Men, here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Give a midnight bottle – Be there as soon as baby awakes, taking a heroic stance over the cradle with bottle in hand.
2. Change diapers – That’s one smell that should inspire some strong scent memory.
3. Be there for a cold or fever – Claim the role of fierce protector.
4. Take a bath together – Few things are more fun than bath playtime for two, plus rubber ducky.
5. Be a texture board – Let your baby tug your beard, poke your eyeballs or stick a finger in your nose. There’s lots of terrain to cover.
My solution? A baby powder scented with the flavour of bacon. Just keep your baby out of the sun.
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Want more fun? Make your life incredible and amazing with bacon, or share your most treasured scents with us in the comments below.
Candice Walsh
Candice is a travel writer and blogger currently stationed in St. John’s, Newfoundland. When she’s not shooting whiskey and hitting on men, she’s eating nachos and dreaming about her next big adventure. Check out her blog, Candice Does the World.
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How can you beat the smell of fresh air after rain so much better than bacon, not to mention a lot healthier for you
I’ve never quite got the handle on fresh baby smell but all the mums I know swear by it.
Newborn baby smell, I think, is one of those things that originates deep in our reptilian brains. Could you imagine if moms didn’t fall head over heels with the smell?
Wow… petrol and burning rubber tires rather than a newborn baby, which has THE best smell ever?!
We used Burt’s Bees apricot oil when Lila was a newborn (instead of diaper rash cream. Also helps protect against the meconium — but that’s another topic altogether).
Now, whenever I smell that apricot oil, it takes me right back to those first few weeks of her life. I literally have a visceral reaction to it. I try not to smell it too often, though, because I don’t want to change the association with it.
I prefer all the listed smells rather than a stinky baby