Go with the flow

My daughter finally got the springs that were put on here out of her mouth at the end of August. What was going to be a marvelous day and celebration, turned out to be a shock. She was not happy and through frustration on the ride home, asked to turn around and get the Spring put back in; a true sign she was disappointed.

The Springs had done the job of moving her jawline, but in order to keep it there she was assigned rubber bands. Now, she knew this going into the appointment, but she didn't realize how tight the rubber bands were going to be. They were worse than the Spring. She was certain that she could not open her mouth any wider to talk, or smile, and her life was ruined.

I never thought I would be thankful for the adult-use of being in braces until that moment when I could talk her through how the rubber bands worked. It was very fresh in my mind, and I knew from experience that her thoughts and ideas were going to be proven wrong. It helped that I had them recent enough (and she remembers) that she believed what I said, and it wasn't "But that was in the dark ages, it is different now.", or "You can't remember that far back when you had them as a Teen!". We had a good discussion on the way home, and figured out her plan for wearing them once school started. She didn't turn around to be overjoyed, but she was able to focus that this really wasn't going to be that bad.

By dinner time, she was laughing and having a great evening with her brother, who I credit of getting her out of her bad mood. I don't know what he had texted her, but the two were laughing in the family room together, not saying a word, but only looking at their respective phones, and then somehow it escalated into hiding around the house scaring each other.

Now, my girl does not like to be scared by her brother, but thank goodness my son had figured out a way to get her loosened up for a fantastic night of scare back and forth. It made her laugh and flex that mouth with rubber bands in ... which made her realize that rubber bands were really not the death to her social life.

Thanks, Little Bro!!

And speaking of, Little Bro got an Ortho appliance in his mouth in mid-August to hold his bottom teeth in line while he looses his last three baby teeth and the permanents grow in. Once they are in, the braces will be put on.

My kiddos are growing up and learning how to go with the flow of Orthodontics.