Mid August is about the time we start facing the reality that summer is not going to last forever. At our house, the big people are also coming to grips with the fact that our three little ones are growing up.
Not long ago, I took my middle daughter to her first dental appointment. My five year old offered to help her get ready.
And she was full of advice for her younger sister. “Mr. Squirty is the most fun. He squirts water in your mouth!” She proceeded with a dramatization of a dental cleaning, using her stuffed animal Kit-kit and an orange toothbrush which I allow them to use for Kit-kit’s oral hygiene, to my husband’s chagrin.
She concluded by reminding her sister that if she opened wide, she’d get to pick a prize from the treasure chest.
“Thank you,” I told my oldest. “I really appreciate that you’re telling her what to expect and supporting her.”
Truthfully, I was a little concerned about the level of cooperation the hygienist would get out of my middle daughter. No one around our house has forgotten the drama of her first haircut at age 2 1/2. The dentist had recommended that we bring in the girls at age three. I had purposely waited until just before her fourth birthday so I’d meet the recommendation but hopefully avoid a dental appointment fail.
To my surprise, when we arrived at the office, my daughter eagerly hopped up on the dental chair herself, turned to the hygienist and asked/demanded, “Where are my sunglasses??” Her older sister had filled her in about the sunglasses she’d receive for the cleaning. Once my middle daughter had her pair, she couldn’t have been happier.
And she let them do almost everything. Polish her teeth. Floss her teeth. Measure her palate. Take x-rays, which involved her going into another room without me. Finally, they took a face shot with those awful plastic hooks pulling apart both sides of her mouth ( I learned they’re called “intra-oral lip retractors”…even the name conveys major ouch.)
I just couldn’t believe how well she cooperated. I was thrilled and very proud.
But should I have been so surprised? She had the benefit of her older sister’s experience and encouragement. And, big sigh…yes, they’re getting older. They’re maturing. Around our house, babies have become toddlers, toddlers have become little girls, and little girls have become…well…girls who are big enough to teach each other, to learn from each other, and to tackle new challenges, intra-oral lip retractors and all.
Which is exactly what we want them to do, right?
We don’t want them to be little forever…
Bigger sigh…
We can’t stop one season from slipping into the next. We just celebrate the milestones and try to capture all the memories we can along the way.
