For the last eight years we have been dealing with some kind of teeth stage. Starting with teething, moving to the tooth fairy, and the next stage will probably be braces. When my first child was 6 weeks old we took her to the pediatrician because we thought something was wrong. Our doctor told us she is fine but she is getting two teeth. I shockingly said "Is that normal?!?! She just came out of my vagina." She told us that some babies are actually born with teeth and it wasn't out of the ordinary for kids to start teething this early. Why are teeth a constant part of our lives? Why are we never able to escape the mess and the pain that accompany all those little chompers?
My toddler is currently getting her 2 year molars. This translates to less sleep for her which means less sleep for me. More pain cries from her which means more heart hurts for me. The worst part is that we are helpless to make anything better. Much like a lot of childhood there is nothing that we as parents can do to take away the pain. Sure we can give them drugs to alleviate some of the discomforts but we cannot heal them completely. The only way the pain will stop is to get through the hurt. Teething is one of the first times we as parents are helpless to our children's pain. It is a good learning experience.
Losing teeth is a different kind of mess. The blood, the wiggling, and the pieces of their mouths falling out just to name a few. Not to mention the messiness of being the tooth fairy. Being out of cash, falling asleep before exchanging the tooth, or losing a tooth while out of town all add to the messiness that is teeth. That same little girl who got her first teeth at 8 weeks lost her first tooth at 4 years old. I was again shocked because it seemed so early. The dentist informed us that the earlier they get teeth means the earlier they lose them. As a result by the time my sweet little girl was in kindergarten she had lost most of her teeth while her contemporaries had not lost any. On the reverse side my current 5 year old has not lost any teeth and is dying too. She laments constantly that she has no money because the tooth fairy has not come for her yet. She tries to wiggle and pull out her teeth all the time.
When those adult teeth finally do come in the mess does not stop. Braces and cavities are some of the next steps. I learned about silver teeth which my oldest now has a few. Constant fighting about brushing leads to cavities. Buying fancy toothbrushes and toothpastes does not make the brushing war easier. The apps for teeth brushing just mean my kids are watching their tablets instead of brushing their teeth. My middle child has such bad morning breath that the smell has actually woken me up. Braces are definitely in our near future and the brushing war is only going to get worse. There is not enough room in that small mouths for all the big adult teeth that my oldest is currently getting. Apparently braces are cool now and she is dying to get them. I don't know if she will still feel that way when the time actually comes but it is nice for now.
The messiness of teeth has taught me a lot of things as a parent. When they were babies and teething I hated that my babies had discomfort and there was nothing I could do about it. I knew they had to go through the pain and get to the other side. Helplessly all I could do was try to give as much comfort as possible and pray that their agony would soon pass. As my girls get older the lessons I learned during their teething have served me well. I cannot stop my children from experiencing strife, although I wish I could. Suffering is something we all must go through and get to the other side. I will try to provide comfort during their pain, but I can't take it away. I will love them fiercely through their pain, but I can't take it away. And I will reassure them the pain will pass, but I can't take it away.
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