Walking to school one day when I was about 8 or 9, just about Anna's age, I heard my mother's voice screaming down the street and around the corner, "JENNIFER KAYE!! GET BACK HERE AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!" Running back home, I remember thinking, "How does she know I didn't brush my teeth?" (And now I'm thinking why didn't I just brush them!!) This was the question I asked as soon as I reached home and her response was, "I felt your toothbrush and it's not even wet!"
Fast forward give or take about 10 years. My brother, Aaron, went on a camping trip. My mom packed helped him get his bag and neatly rolled his toothbrush into a pair of clean underwear. He had a great week of camping. Once he was home, my mom helped him unpack. What did she find? His toothbrush still rolled neatly into his clean underwear. I don't know which is worse. That he didn't brush his teeth the whole time or that he didn't change his underwear.
Continue pressing forward until today. I've done all a mother can do to encourage my kids to brush their teeth well and several times a day. Once in the morning. Another time before taking naps or after lunch. Lastly at bedtime. In our bathroom at any given moment you can find toothpastes displaying Hannah Montana, Princess, Spongebob, Cars, Super Star Sparkly, and many more. The number of toothbrushes that have passed through our bathrooms have been unreal too. There's been Thomas the Train who actually plays the theme song, The Cheetah Girls singing one of their phenomenal hits, brushes that light up, spin and many more. Currently the kids are on these crayon designed toothbrushes that light up when you smack them on to the counter top. So Miss Anna spent the night Saturday with her friend. I usually don't stand over the kids when they're brushing their teeth, so I think it was about Tuesday that I went in during the brushing of teeth. Anna said, "I can't find my toothbrush?" I asked her where she put it last time she used it and she didn't know. I asked her if it could possibly be in her overnight bag from her friend's house and she ran to check. Sure enough, there was her toothbrush. Before you get too shocked thinking she didn't brush at since Saturday night, my children don't have any qualms about using any toothbrush that they find in grabbing distance. Her teeth had been brushed at least a few times, just not with her own toothbrush.
5 comments:
They say "paybacks are hard" and they are. You have Miss Anna, who is a ditto mark of you and she will have one who will be like her. Guess who you are the most like? Sorry, kid.
In Aaron's defense, it wasn't underwear the toothbrush was packed in, it was a clean washcloth (still clean and intact upon his return). Not to say he ever changed his underwear . . . it just didn't have his toothbrush wrapped in it. It's amazing what a clean freak he is now that he's grown.
Just for inventory's sake, your kids have multiple tooth brushes at my house too. They probably think about brushing the same way Aaron thought about school . . . "it takes up all your time."
Jen you must blog about your "quick" trip to the park with the kids today. Aren't you glad you have children? What other source could possibly give you such great material for blogs? They are so fun!
My boys will stay in the bathroom brushing their teeth for 20 minutes if ya let them! I have to tell them to get out of there already!!!
For those of you wondering...I logged into my mom's computer. I guess she didn't notice. The first two comments are from my mom. :)
Ya know, at one time, I think I've had a set of their toothbrushes at my place too.
I'm a stickler about toothbrushing and once caught my G with a dry toothbrush after claiming he brushed.
And I'm betting that Aaron didn't even touch his bag at camp. What are we, a bunch of paranoid pessimists?? Yup.
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