I recently took all four of my kids to the dentist. It's a pediatric dentist in a newer area of the city that really caters to families and kids. Therefore, by the time we left I was comPLETEly overstimulated..was it the video games? Or the "passports" each kid got where they got a sticker at each station? Was it the videos playing? The toys they got to choose at the end? The stuffed animals? The goody bags? Yeah, I was exhausted by the time we got home. My kids behaved great and I was so glad to get these appointments out of the way, but part of me just longed for a boring old office with a couple Highlights magazines and Dr. Seuss books in the lobby!
I know they're trying to make it fun and exciting for the kids, but to tell you the truth, this is part of what's wrong with our society today IMO. The idea that kids need lots of fancy bells and whistles to entertain them and for them to behave. Also (and this is the last part of my rant, I promise!), while I believe dental hygiene is very important, I don't like how it can be really off-balance. The dental hygienist was instructing me in what snacks I should feed my kids ('cause, you know, after five years at this I must not be able to figure it out) and informed me that even if something's healthy, if it can get caught in their teeth, they shouldn't eat it. That I should be giving them cookies for a snack. Ummmmm...sorry, I'll take my chances with healthier things. See what I mean? It's like all that matters are your teeth. I think my kids' energy levels and nutrition matter too. Quite frankly, those things matter a little more to me if I'm honest.
But don't worry--I didn't tell the dentist that. :)
8 comments:
sounds like our pediatric dentist. except they actually play the video games in the dentist chair. pretty crazy. though it does make them all nice and compliant (or rather, in a stupor...). yes, i remember the good ol' days of just highlight magazines and obedience. and yes, we got the run down on all the "bad" snacks because they get caught in their teeth. fishy crackers, apparently, are from the devil. (well, they didn't say that, but that's the impression i got.)
4 at once! that is a busy day!
I'm not a parent yet, but I agree! My husband and I want to create a simple lifestyle for our kids and not buy into the world's idea of the way kids should be raised. Keep up the good fight!
ha kristen they didn't mention fishy snacks. they DID however say raisins and dried fruit are from the devil. :)
actually joy it went really fast, b/c the kids were being worked on simultaneously, at the various "stations." :)
I am so with you!
Oh my word. I've never seen anything like that!
Well, the dentist we finally ended up at wasn't quite so extreme, but I will say that the dragons & castles on the walls, disney movie playing in the lobby, a playroom with games & books, and the fact that they were used to dealing with children really seemed to help relax our son. Our previous attmept to prepare him for the dentist ended in disaster and he was terrified and wouldn't open his mouth...but he was very cooperative at the children's dentist. And yeah, I'd like to see a pediatrician have a debate with the hygenist about nutrition...seems like a pair of dentures in old age is better than clogged arteries & a heart attack.
um, excuse me, cookies for a snack?! I've never heard of a dentist to recommend sugar. All whopping 3 or so that I've ever been to realize that sugar is bad for teeth, too!
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