Filed under: Child Development, Moms, Doing it myself, Toddler
I'll confess I haven't exactly been diligent about getting Riley to brush his teeth twice a day. Or even, um, every day. I know, I know: alert the Bad Parent Awards Committee because ladies and gentlemen we've got a last-minute contender for the WIN up in here! -- all I can say is that once I read how Britney Spears was going to get her kid's teeth whitened, I figured to hell with oral hygiene because I'ma do the same dang thing, y'all.Okay, not really, but brushing Riley's teeth used to be a major battle and I am all about picking battles. So you could say there's been a lack of discipline in the teeth arena in the past, but boy has this ever changed. I can't even take the credit, much as I might like to do so; it's all Riley. He's suddenly decided that brushing his teeth is the best thing ever, and he wants about fifty servings of his children's (flouride-free) tooth gel at each brushing session -- despite the fact that the stuff tastes just like black licorice, GAG ME.
He's also become very into hand-washing. I think this habit was installed at daycare, actually, since they have a little sink they all use throughout the day. At home he announces "My washa hands, Mommy!", drags his stool up to the bathroom sink, and waits for me to turn the water on. Once I do so he's happy as a clam-practically humming a little tune as he turns his hands this way and that under the faucet until they turn pruney from oversaturation.
It's kind of embarrassing that my toddler has taken point on two areas I've been kind of a slacker about, that I know are important-brushing teeth and hand-washing-but I'm sure glad it's worked out in our favor. Now, if he'd go ahead and offer himself more prepared vegetables at every meal, and maybe read himself some Spanish/English flash cards in the evening, we'd really be in business.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
