My daughter Lisa, in Cape Town, sent me this picture of her daughter, Natalia, who is 6 and has started losing her teeth! Here she is even modeling them.
It reminded me of an incident that took place when my son Brian, all grown up now, was about 4 years old.
"Gran's here" the youngest of the gang yells as he glances through the window at the sound of a car coming up our driveway. We lived in Roodepoort at the time on a gold mine.
As was normal, gran had to listen to all 4 speaking at once and responding appropriately - it is a form of self defence mothers and grandmothers learn early.
Tea and biscuits were brought as was the norm, after which the children all drifted off in different directions.
Mom says to me conspiratorally "I have a present for Brian, I could not resist buying it". My mom LOVED giving the children little gifts, it was as exciting for her as it was for the children.
He was called, and ran up to us and Gran says "LOOK what I have got for YOU!" Delighted and expectant faces were mine to witness! A very puzzled look overtook Brian's as he inspected the small box gran had given him to inspect. It had a picture of a mouse on it - I could see him think "sorry gran, you got me now".
"IT IS FOR YOUR TEETH WHEN THEY START FALLING OUT!" declares gran "Isn't it too sweet? So the mouse will know where to find your teeth and he will take the tooth leaving you some money for it!"
Brian looked stricken.
His eyes had grown twice their size - he is speechless and does not thank gran for her gift. Gran looks a little deflated. She loves the children's faces when she gives them things, not happening this time.
I don't know what just happened.
For a week Brian was on the quiet side, he would ask to look at his mouse box a few times, would examine it closely and return it to me. He never wanted to keep it.
Then one day he looked at me and asked "mommy, when all my teeth fall out, I won't be able to chew, and the box is too SMALL for all my teeth!"
NOW I know what happened. Of all the children I know, and there are many, can I have the ONLY one who thinks all his teeth will fall out at once! No WONDER he looked stricken when given the box, it explained his anxiety attack that lasted a week!
I explained how it all happened, and he was very relieved, his worried little eyes cleared with relief and I had my little boy back!
Misunderstandings between parents and children? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
Thank you Lisa for bringing back the memory, and Brian still has the "mouse box" - just explain to your son, Brian, that teeth only fall out one at a time!
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