Teeth - Appropriate use & inappropriate use
To end the drought of posts recently we have a double whammy on the tooth front. One thing that's not been so good, and the other quite good. Both involve teeth, the wee fella's ownership and use of them.
Anyway, before I really forget how to use Movable Type, here I go...
How long is it since the first tooth arrived? According to Alder that momentous occasion was 3rd May 2007. And since the last tooth appeared? According to my dentist, sometime early October 2008.
We had a dental appointment on the 9th of October. Usual routine, I got my check-up and scale and polish while MOTS kept the wee fella happy on the sofa, all the time watching what was going on. Then a check of the little teeth while sat on Daddy's knee. "D to D" on first glance, "top and bottom". "Oh, left E as well" closely followed by "oh, the whole lot". Just one last one through, but not fully as there was still some gum there, but all through. Our dentist was saying that was nice and early, and may mean he'll start to get his adult teeth in sooner rather than later. Only a may, he also may not.
So there we were in early October feeling quite proud, and thankful that the pain and suffering [come on, we had it so bloody easy it was unreal] was at an end.
Then the trouble started.
We had a bad report from nursery. That full set of teeth was being used, and not in a good way. We were having a bit of a biting issue.
Monday: One
Tuesday: Three
Wednesday: Two
Monday: One - and MOTS went in for a long chat about what we could do to work together. Meeting initiated by us, and it seems like we have been looked on quite favourably for initiating it, especially as we weren't seeing anything at home until this same night - and it backed up what was being said - frustration. As he's struggling at times to communicate he gets frustrated and starts to bite his arm. But, and this is going off at a very big tangent, his manners have come along in an instant - please & thank you for just about everything, so what I found was that we knew he wanted something, couldn't quite explain what it was he was after, but we could snap him out of his impending meltdown by asking his to say please, which he did quite happily. In fact more than happily. So we avoided many a bite at home with that.
Tuesday: None. Stars all round
Wednesday: None. And stars all round
Daddy did get told off one evening for asking if he'd been a good boy or a bad boy. I shall not be using negative words like that again. And there we have it, nothing since. Fantastic!
One line I did read somewhere, and as I have forgotten where I can't give the credit that is really due to the truly rational person who originally penned the phrase,
Anyone with small children knows that biting is more contagious than the common cold.
Berkmann? Ahh, I can't remember. All I know is that working with nursery on a plan (use of stickers for rewarding good behaviour served his appetite for stickers) helped a lot, for which think everyone involved is grateful.
I can't understand how it suddenly kicked off though, he was getting bitten in the younger room, but never bit back. Then months later he's the biter. I just hope I'm satisfied with the frustration aspect and we're closing that particular chapter.
