The dentist.

What do you think of when I mention the dentist? Do you think of that Bill Cosby routine where he talks about the Novocaine numbing him so much that he couldn’t talk ?

What thoughts does bringing your children to the dentist conjure up? Is it a lot of work? Do you have a child who is frightened of the dentist? Going to the dentist with a child who has SPD can be a nightmare that goes beyond the typical fear children have from doctor’s visits and unfamiliar situations.

Today I brought both of my kids to the dentist. This was the second time that C5 had ever been to a dentist. Her first trip to the dentist was about a year ago, and it was by far the worst medical experience that C5 and I ever had together – even worse than getting shots. I was frustrated, and she was terrified. The dentist pushed through the exam even though C5 was panicked and screaming. Things really went awry when the dentist insisted that I lay down on the chair and restrain C5 so that she could count her teeth. You can be sure that C5 and I will never forget that, and we’ll never go back to that dentist.

In an effort to avoid living through that again, I got a referral from our pediatrician for a new dentist. Other moms told me how wonderful this new particular dentist is. So I dove in and made an appointment for both kids. It turned out to be a great decision!

Today C5 panicked just as the hygienist touched her mouth. It took some time to calm her down and coax her back into the chair. Our hygienist spent a long time showing her the instruments and explaining the procedures step by step. With much patience the hygenist was able to clean C5’s teeth and finish most of the exam. This hygienist even got C5 to laugh! The dentist himself was also quite successful with his examination. He explained that his approach is to establish trust and then help kids learn cope with the whole dental experience rather than avoid things that cause problems for child such as noise and light. He believes that it is the best way to equip children with special needs for the real world. I completely agree with him. We are returning to the dentist in a couple of weeks in order to establish that dental visits are OK and to build familiarity. He is even going to try to do things that are unexpected in order to teach C5 how to cope with a dentist visit.

C5 was positive and proud at the end of the visit. She was trilled that she was able to tell everyone all the things that she learned at the dentist. She was also particularly excited about one discovery that the dentist made. C5 has two loose teeth.

HERE COMES THE TOOTH FAIRY!

We have been so very busy with house projects and travel lately. Summers really are insane in New England. Everyone squeezes as much into these few months as possible since the weather is so wonderful this time of year. We are no different than all of the other families around here. August looks just as busy as June and July have been. I am glad that we are having so much fun and getting tons of projects finished. Will we ever slow down, though??

We are continuing to prepare for the arrival of the Tooth Fairy even though no one has a loose tooth yet. It never hurts to be prepared, I suppose.

At the library I found a great Tooth Fairy book by accident – Tooth Fairy’s First Night (Carolrhoda Picture Books). The girl in the book does not believe that the Tooth Fairy exists so she sets up a hunt complete with clues to make the TF find her tooth. Then the TF sets up a hunt for the girl to find her treasure. I wonder if out Tooth Fairy will do the same for us… It would be fun to write letters to the Tooth Fairy and to read her responses.

Every kid needs a place to put a lost tooth so the TF can find it. While we were shopping at a local arts and crafts store today, the gilrs picked out two heart shaped, wooden boxes. This afternoon they decorated their boxes. They were so funny talking about having loose teeth while they were painting. The excitement is building!

We have researched the Tooth Fairy pretty extensively now. Plus we have a place to put the lost teeth. We are ready for a tooth to fall out a moment’s notice! Who is more excited about the Tooth Fairy – me or the kids? I’m hoping that her much anticipated arrival lives up to their expectations.

Photo courtesy of Robert S. Donovan

My sweet 5 year old has discovered the Tooth Fairy. A good friend of hers recently lost a tooth, and someone at Vacation Bible School told her about her experience with the Tooth Fairy. There has been a lot of excitement about teeth that might be loose. It has also spurred some questions about this mysterious character. Today C5 wanted to know where the Tooth Fairy lives. I avoided the question because I just didn’t have a good answer for her. I don’t remember ever asking my folks about that. Was I really not that curious as a child? Why is it always my kid who needs to know all of the details about something when she gets interested in it?

I did some research for my inquisitive child. Now I am armed with answers! (Oh, I found out that the TF lives in Tooth Fairyland in the sky, of course!)Maybe you haven’t had the pleasure of preparing for the Tooth Fairy to visit your home yet, so hopefully you will benefit from what I found out.

~ A good friend told me that the Tooth Fairy always left a letter with the cash reward for her daughter. You can find all kinds of letters at this Squidoo page.

~ There are many books out there about the Tooth Fairy. Some even include folklore from other cultures about her.

~ Many parents online recommend that you think about how much money the TF will bring because your child will expect the same thing every time the Tooth Fairy comes. It seems that the going rate is $1, but many TF’s bring coins instead of paper bills.

~ I have a friend whose TF brings a little gift such as brightly colored floss along with the cash. What a great way to promote oral hygeine!

~ Many of your Tooth Fairy questions can be answered at Write the Toothfairy.

Just think of the Tooth Fairy as another opportunity to celebrate the magic of childhood and make memories with your children!

It has been a long while since I have posted, but I have been busy.

I have been painting our living room, hallway, and entryway while C5 was at Dance Camp and we had rainy weather. It pays to take advantage of all of the help you can get when you can get it! I wanted to get the project finished in one week because, in our house, it often takes eons to finish painting. We have been painting our family room for two years now with no end in sight! I am finished with all but one portion of a wall that spurred the painting project in the first place.

It all started when A2 decided to “decorate” the wall with a black ball point pen. She didn’t just scribble a little bit either. She colored the entire length of the wall and as high up as she could reach. I thought that it would be easy enough to cover the ink with a couple of layers of paint. Silly me! The ink keeps bleeding through the paint even though I have seven layers over that section! We finally bought a fancy primer that is supposed to cover everything including mold and mildew. I hope that it does the trick with this, too. I have long lost interest in that project!

Now I just have to paint our school room. I’m taking a break from that for a bit, though, and hoping my budding Picasso doesn’t find another wall to decorate…