I love my kids. They are so cool. I think they are cool for so many different reasons, but one of them is that they have a positive attitude when it comes to going to the Doctor or to the Dentist's office.
Okay . . . positive attitude is a little too mild of a description. They are pretty much crazy tough, and they LOVE to go to the Dentist. And yes, this is even after having gone before and having cavities filled. I have no explanation for it really. The only thing I can link it too is our use of reverse psychology on them. I remember the first time that I took the kids to get shots I acted all excited for a couple of days saying, "You guys get to go to the Doctor tomorrow and get some shots! . . . These shots are cool . . . they are going to make it so you won't get sick!" etc. etc. I told them that it would hurt for just a second, and then it would be done. "And you are going to get a cool band-aide and maybe a prize! Wahoo. This will be great."
I can remember the day of the shots we went to homeschool with the cousins and my kids were bragging to all of the other children how they were going to go to the Doctors to get shots. They were so excited. The other kids just looked at them like they were crazy. I think one or two of them told them they HATED shots. But that didn't phase them. And the cool part is that during the whole experience not one of them cried. And they didn't look away either. They stared at the needle going in and didn't flinch. Well, Ada flinched after the second one. But she didn't cry. Afterwards Drew said, "Mom . . . that kind of hurt!" . . . But that was the beginning of the love affair . . .
A couple days ago we went as a family to the Dentist. For a couple days Drew kept saying things like, "In two days we get to go to the Dentist . . . " etc. The kids were excited. The day of the appointment Hayden grabbed his jacket and said, "It's time to go to the Dentist . . . Come on let's go." Lamon just looked at him and said, "No Hayden. We have awhile. Why don't we start your homework?"
This started Hayden off on a big tantrum. "NO! I want to go to the Dentist . . . !"
"Hayden, we are going to the Dentist . . . just not right now."
Hayden started wailing and started saying, "I hope I have cavities so I can go to the Dentist . . . "
"Hayden, we are going to the Dentist . . . and you don't need cavities to go to the Dentist . . . "
I was in the kitchen doing the dishes during the whole ordeal. Hayden kept on going with his little tantrum and all of a sudden I hear Lamon do what we at times resort to doing during a tantrum . . . he pulled out a big threat. "Hayden . . . stop it! . . . Hayden? Do you want to go to the Dentist or not? . . . "
What? Am I really hearing this? Lamon is threatening Hayden with not going to the Dentist? But it worked. Hayden stopped crying. Seriously though . . . How many parents can use that as a threat to turn their childs tantrum off. Oh my kids make me laugh.
On the way to the appointment we checked Drew out of school, and when he got to the front office he was filled with excitement. He said, "Are we going to the Dentist now?" And in the same excited tone he asked,"Are they going to pull my teeth out?"
What? I just thought, "You are excitedly thinking about them pulling out your teeth? . . . What planet are you from?!" The scariest nightmares I have ever had in my life had to do with me losing my teeth . . . Anyway . . .
Well, Hayden got his wish. None of us had cavities except for him. He had a grand total of SIX!! He has three appointments scheduled in one month. All of his wishes have come true . . . We'll see if he still likes the Dentist by the end of the month.
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