Dentist and Ice Cream Please!

{Sept. '08 - Kai at 7 Months old}

Kai was supposed to have his first dentist appointment yesterday.  An appointment I dreaded going to, so this was one that got passed over to dad.  You betcha I wasn't going with him!  Now, this decision was by no means affected by my lack of love for dentists, but rather by Kai's strong temperament, combined with the fact that, if I want to look in his mouth, I will have to be prepared to get my fingers bitten off.  No, that's not the kid I want to take to the dentist.  He's a daddy's boy to begin with, so all that makes this little excursion perfect for father and son.

David was at work Sunday night, so while I was brushing Kai's teeth, I explained to him what was going to happen the next morning.  I told him about the dentist, that she would look in his mouth and clean his teeth, etc.  All the while he was nodding, delighting me with the thought that he might actually understand what I was saying.  ('Cause these days I sometimes wonder what he does and does not understand.)  So when I was done explaining, I concluded by sharing that they would go for ice cream if he'd be a good boy at the dentist.  (As per the agreement daddy and I had).  Yes, sometimes we default to some good ol' conditional parenting.  Can't live without it :-0

As I mentioned, we were supposed to have the dentist appointment on Monday morning.  That Sunday eve, after the kids were down, David called me from work with the news that he had a last minute meeting come up at 9am, so that he wouldn't be able to take Kai to his 8am checkup.  Long story short, I called the office, left a message canceling the appointment while apologizing profusely and asking them to call me back to reschedule this joyous event.

Monday came and went.  Kai didn't mention the dentist and I was convinced he'd forgotten about it.  So, fast forward to tonight and imagine my surprise when all of a sudden, in the midst of brushing our teeth, Kai pushes the tooth brush out and says: "Mommy, dentist and ice cream please!!"

Ha!  I guess he listened, understood and remembered.  I am amazed by the fact that he did, but I think it is largely due to the fact that ice cream was involved in the explanation.  Simply, because there are things that I have explained over and over and over again and he still doesn't seem to (want to) get (it).  Ah, the joys of selective listening and selective memory.  I wish that I could get away with it the way he does.