Dental Hijinks

There is only one way, I've found, for a nearly six-year-old to believe anything his mother says--reinforcement. If there is a second witness, namely his teacher at school, then Ethan figures I finally know what I'm talking about.

Ethan is learning about personal hygiene at school. He talks and talks of teeth brushing and hand washing as if they are some new revelation. I'm fairly certain he long-since learned both habits here at home, although now it would be extremely difficult to convince him of that.

Now one thing he did not learn at home--flossing. I know I'm a bad parent. It just seemed too complicated. But with his new school chart in hand, he's insisted on learning.

I promised him a trip to Wal-#@% for some flossing sticks. He plopped his floss down at the register and excitedly told the checker he was going to learn to floss. And now when he acts up, I threaten to take his floss away. I laugh because it works.
I gladly take a little parental substitution whenever I can get it, even if the support comes by way of mouth wash. It wasn't until Agent Cool Blue endorsed my claim that quality does count did I finally see a difference in the amount of fur on Ethan's teeth.

After he learned to floss he asked me what else I could teach him. His tone was one of wonder, as if it just occurred to him that I may actually know things. I said I could teach him some Russian.

"Yoooouuuu know Russian, Mom?" he said, utterly amazed.

I told him I had so many mad skills it would probably blow his mind.