The Ugly Truths Of Loosing Teeth

I think some things in parenthood you are just never really 100% prepared to handle. Like the first diaper blow out or the first time your kid gets sick and of course doesn't make it to the toilet. These are the parts of parenthood that you don't think about when dreaming of your future kids. They seldom come with warning and generally don't happen at the most convenient times. Regardless of all of this, they are memories that you don't forget and eventually you may be able to laugh about them.

Recently I have discovered that loosing teeth will have it's own chapter in the parenting duties that I was never prepared for.
Little Miss lost her 3rd tooth this week. Just one week after loosing front tooth #1, #2 was barely hanging on for dear life. After doing some examining we came to the conclusion that it needed to come out to allow her to eat without swallowing it. 
That brings me to share with you the ugly truths we have discovered over our last couple months of loosing teeth.

1) You think you know just how dramatic your child can be and then you learn that you really were mistaken all of these years. Take the current highest level of drama you can remember and multiply it by 3. The process of pulling out a tooth has included levels of Oscar winning drama that I never imagined seeing in our house.

2) Prepare to be emotionally torn. I can sway back and forth between feeling a bit bad for her and trying to help gently guide the tooth out one moment. Seconds later I am completely over the process and just want to yank the tooth out without any notice.... but I can't
 That brings me to my next point.

3) If you have not yet entered the "tooth loosing age" at your house you need to have a sit down pow-wow with the spouse... tonight. Figure out who is the more ruthless one of the two of you and make them the designated tooth puller. If neither is willing then you should implement some sort of system immediately so you are prepared when the day comes.

Other wise you end up like us. He is saying "It's easy, like ripping off a band-aid." I am giving him dirty looks and mumbling "If it's so easy then you do it!" Neither of us have the guts to actually do it quickly and that just results in the whole process being drawn out even more.
4) Bribery will come up. Just like any other behavior related parenting situation promises of candy, t.v., chocolate milk will come pouring out of your mouth before you even realize it. Meme just might offer to chip in some cash if the above isn't enough.

You will be tempted to bribe. If bribing isn't your thing mentally prepare to battle temptation now. 
5) Blood, possibly lots of blood. Which only amplifies point #1.

6) At the end you realized this whole time you were being "had". The tooth is out, the kids is over it and grinning ear to ear. She is more than okay, not emotionally traumatized and possibly sipping on the chocolate milk you bribed her with. Then she prances to her room to add the dollar bills from Meme to her piggy bank stash. 
And you?  Your exhausted and in serious need of a nap, or a drink.

Not at all how I imagined this process going.  Let's see, we now have 3 teeth gone... only 17 more to go.

Sounds "fun" doesn't it?

Well as exhausting and dramatic as it has been in our house lately, we have our share of sweet surprises to. The very next day Marissa counted up all the money in her piggy bank to see how much she had. She was hoping and wishing that just maybe she had enough to buy something special.



Sure enough not counting her pennies she had the exact amount of money she needed so we headed to Wal-Mart where she went straight to the toy section. Picked up an Anna doll and handed it to her sister. 

"Mommy, I want to buy the Anna doll for Emily"

I could have cried. No words to say how proud I was of her at that moment. 

Which just so happened to make all of those ugly little truths worth it.
Oh the memories! 
Not only will I laugh about all of this someday, I will never forget Marissa being so unselfish and such an awesome big sister.