The fourth one broke the mold. Our oldest three kiddos have made life so much more pleasurable by being similar in regards to their desire to be at the dentist and actually enjoy going. The fourth one, not so much. Here's how this works.....five Linos pull up to the dentist office in our minivan stocked with a plethora of kid movies and a DVD player. I run in to get paperwork and make payments and then we get the selected movie going in the van. One by one, the oldest three take turns going into the office by themselves and have their teeth counted, cleaned, x-rayed and routinely examined. The 8, 6, and 4 year olds climb right up into the chair, don fancy shades and open wide. I sit in the van with the other three waiting for the dear hygienist to come out and give me the 'all-clear, see you in 6 months' talk. It's fabulous. We love our dentist. He has been working on Lino teeth since the 1980s.
The only problem arises when the last little Lino has to go inside the office....for any reason. The restroom, to check on paperwork, to see what's happening with sister. String Bean freaks out just upon entering the building. I know what the problem is....sound. She is very sensitive to sounds. Fans in restrooms, trucks starting up, toilets flushing, air conditioners turning on, hissing pots and pans on the stove. Many things that don't faze a lot of people. So, all of the unusual sounds in a dentist office just about send her over the edge. I have yet to even get her in an exam chair - in my lap. She just covers her ears and cries.
The 'I have four kids and don't have time for this' side of me says just make her sit and get it done. The 'nurturing, help me help her' side of me says I need some creative mommies to help me find a solution to get her in that chair willingly. So, if you have any ideas that can help me get my String Bean into that chair, please share. Has anyone tried special headphones?
I would recommend headphones. They're used routinely on kids with sound adversions at the dentist. Find her favorite music and use headphones with an iPod or cd player or just get the ones that are supposed to block all sound out. Maybe don't let her use them unless you're at the dentist to keep them special. :)
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