The first time I took all 3 of my kids to the dentist, I went into it just like I do most public outings…with very, very low expectations. Good thing too, because that trip did not disappoint.
The drama and tears started the second we walked in the door. No sooner did we sit down in the waiting room that Faith started crying over her fear of getting old. Want to really freak out your 5-year-old who is afraid of becoming an old person? Take her to the dentist office at 8AM on a Monday. Filled with elderly people! At first Fara was making me feel guilty for doubting how she would act in the dentist office. She was sweet, chatting with all the super old people and just loving life. So, I went with it. I could feel myself starting to relax and remember thinking ‘Wow, this isn’t so bad!’ That confidence was short lived.
Faith did really well. She was pissed about the dental floss but that was the worst of it from her. Ben and Fara weren’t as forgiving. Fara was afraid of the dental hygienist and was screaming for a snack the second she sat in the exam chair. I fumbled through the diaper bag as she screamed and could only find goldfish. You know that feeling right, when you just reach for whatever will temporarily solve the problem? So, I reached for those goldfish and let her snack away. To say that the hygienist was annoyed would be an understatement and I can’t blame her. Imagine working inside the mouth of a squirmy toddler who just ate 50 goldfish. Oops.
Fara and Ben both stepped up their game when the hygienist left the room. Ben was strapped in a stroller but was whining desperately to get out. Fara had kicked off her pink cowgirl boots and was wandering around the exam room turning faucets on and off, swiping dental tools off the tray and trying to change the channel on the TV. I let Ben out of the stroller for a brief moment and paid for it dearly. The goldfish were now in his possession but rather than eating them, he dumped the bag onto the floor. Fara tried to ‘help’ clean up the mess but ended up just pushing the stroller through the pile of goldfish. I ended up on my hands and knees cleaning the exam room floor.
Somehow by the time the dentist came in, I managed to get Fara back in the exam chair (still without shoes) and Ben safely strapped back into the stroller. I was sweating and generally overwhelmed by this point. Things could only go up from there, right? Nope. Fara legitimately bit the dentist’s finger so hard that she left a mark. The dentist was so gracious about it but the exam ended there. I basically paid the $25 copay for Fara to roam around the office barefoot and bite a well-known medical professional. Not my finest parenting moment.
We left the office with two new members of the no cavity club, an appointment card for their next visit, and a lemon that Benny had pulled from a coffee table centerpiece.
Flash forward 6 months to today.
The dreaded date on that appointment card was here and I found myself lugging 3 kids into the 
dentist office armed with very low expectations, apple slices instead of goldfish, reminders on doctor’s office behavior and some really strong bribes. So many bribes.
The same drama began in the waiting room. Surrounded by older people, Faith asked out loud ‘You mean I still have to go the dentist when I’m really old like all of these people?’ as she pointed her finger throughout the room. I pretended to not hear the question and could have cried from excitement when the hygienist (a new one this time, because we probably scarred the last one) called our name.
Outside of calling out the old people, I have no real drama to report from today’s visit. No words. It feels great to be proven wrong but also feels like a total fluke. Either way, I’m going with it. Now, don’t get me wrong. There was normal 5, 3 and 2-year-old behavior exhibited but nothing to write home about.
Lesson learned courtesy of the dentist? So much can change in 6 short months. Fara sat in the exam chair and let them clean her teeth. She had conversations with the hygienist and dentist. There was no biting. Shoes stayed on. Benny yelled a lot and took on some of Fara’s behavior from 6 months prior, but one acting like a fool versus two? Couldn’t shake me. Were the perfect? Absolutely not. But did I leave embarrassed and close to tears? Nope. And you know what you call that, friends? A win.
The 6-month lesson applies to so much more in parenthood than a dentist visit. That’s what we should keep in mind when our baby or toddler has us feeling like we’re in a rut and in no sort of control. Six months from now, no matter what stage of baby or toddler life you may find yourself in, will look completely different. Six months is the difference between sitting up and walking, it’s the difference between sleepless night and semi-restful ones. In 6-months so much is taught and even more is learned. When you find yourself overwhelmed with this stage of parenthood, just remember that each phase is fairly short-lived. This too shall pass until the next phase comes along. Until then, hang in there, friends.
As of today, I may be out of the ‘act like a jerk in the dentist office’ phase but I’m well into the ‘terrible two’s’, ‘threenager’ and ‘I’m too cool to hold your hand’ phases. [Insert major eye roll here].
Mommy Diatribes
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