Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Of teeth and their contrarinesses.

Sonny boy's teeth drive me crazy, they do!

Start with a normal day. He's a sweetheart and within 5 calls, gets up, poking his butt into the air, and stumbles into my arms across the bed, eyes still closed, but mumbling "munn morning, Amma...". Well and good and that merits him a tight hug and an adoring kiss.
Susu done, we are all set to brush our teeth. Or rather, I am, he isn't.

He just doesn't keep his front teeth closed, for me to run the brush up and down. It takes all the patience and good will out of me in the morning, to have this battle with him day in and day out, so early in the morning.When he needs to keep his teeth closed he will open his jaws and when his molars neeed to be brushed, he will close his teeth. Grrrr!

Ok, washing face over, we are all set to drink Bournvita. (Which we tell him has Boosters for that's the current beverage ad that's won him over.) He goes off to snuggle in his Acha's lap, till I come with the drink. When the milk mug hovers in front, Sonny boy's mouth will not open. And if it does, those teeth that just wouldn't close during the brushing session, now remain firmly closed.
Have you tried getting your child to drink milk with his teeth closed? Very difficult. But very smart thinking on the child's part, if he doesn't like milk, for only the bare minimum gets past, even if the glass/cup/mug is tilted enough. Another battle of wills ensues, where the Amma wins by sheer virtue of brawn, at the end of half an hour.

Come breakfast time. The teeth now remain neither closed, nor open, but remain at that point where a spoon will just go in , without being able to dislodge its contents. Or if it manages to, the contents will go half into the mouth and half onto the floor. My teeth are fair on the way to being gritted now, as with every spoonful, I snap "OPEN your teeth!"
Ok, teeth opened, and food dislodged into mouth. Now- the teeth refuse to chew. And that mouth remains pursed shut, and will remain that way for minutes together. Maybe hours if I didn't intervene, but we've not put that to the test, yet. I intervene and roar at him to him to "CHEW your food!" When he goes on and on, masticating like a cow, but with a difference- the mouth remains closed, politely.
Ready to tear my hair out by now, I shriek, "SWALLOW!!!!"


So as of now, home assumes the nature of a barracks, with orders shouted out sharply at intervals.
Open your mouth!

Open your TEETH!!

Chew! Chew!! CHEW!!!

SWALLOW!!!!$#%@!


Phew! To think that this has been going on for a year now, and might go on for some years to come.... PHEW!!!

21 comments:

aargee said...

Sometimes when I think of all this, I start to feel the first 6 months of kids are much better, though we used to keep cribbing more then. I heard by 3years kids are fine...isn't it true? atleast with food habits?

timepass said...

Poor you..hopefully ur patience and love will help u tide over this situation..

Gauri said...

Oh Boy !! He sure has company in Abhay. Abhay can drive a person insane with his eating habits. "Masticating like a cow" you say - I say Abhay can put a cow to shame as far as chewing his food goes.

How else do you think I got as loony as I did ?

WhatsInAName said...

hmmm
Ask the mom of a 10 year old!
:(
She is in no better a boat! Screaming is something I have become good at especially during dinner time.

Ask my neighbours!

Swati said...

:-P Sometimes you give me shivers.

dipali said...

This is breakfast- what about other meals? Is he really sleepy in the mornings, or not wanting to go to school or something? The entire process would make any mother gnash her teeth:)

Just Like That said...

argee: By 3 yrs kids are fine? Sonny boy is 3and a 1/2, and I assure you, this is so NOT fine!

Timepass: Love and patience are in very short supply these days...when it comes to feeding time.

Gauri: Ah, my sister! let me give you a warm commiserating hug! I just read your post on Abhay- Mr. Exasperating. You know eggjactly where I'm coming from...These boys will be the death of us or at least our voices, for sure!

WIN *horrified* 10 yrs!! you mean this can easily go on for another 7 yrs at least..? Have a heart! You're another soul sister, but surely not 10..??!!Please?

Swati: If I give you the shivers, Gauri and Win just gave me the shudders!

Dipali: Welcome to my blog:-)
He is twinkling eyed the minute he finishes brushing his teeth and he loves school.
The problem is with getting him to E-A-T. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.. sob! sob! SOB!!
All he wants to do is P-L-A-Y!!!

Sunita said...

:)So this is where I am heading to ...we have begun with open your mouth to brush your teeth which obviously doesn't happen.
Patience in gallons please.

Just Like That said...

Timepass: Welcome to my blog :-) Your comment on the right-now-in-short-supply love and patience put me in such a hurry to reply, I forgot to mention what a pleasure it is to find you here.

Savani said...

oh no! I can totally relate to brushing teeth.. and you know what they say about fussy eaters - they grow up and become gourmands :) But yeah, I can totally imagine you going insane with this routine..

Choxbox said...

yoo bin tagged!

will comment on this post when i'm more awake so pls to excuse me.

Maggie said...

I'm struggling with brushing Moppet's teeth myself, and always hoped things would get better in a bit - but you and WIN have just destroyed that hope! :-(

dame's diary said...

lol JLT,
Been there
Done that :)
Don't worry.
This too shall pass(I swear)


Don't forget to smile through it .....

dipali said...

Oops! Can you cook up a game for mealtimes for your playful son?
Or be very very hard hearted and let him understand what hunger means?
It sounds just too distressing for you to go through this tamaasha three times a day.

Just Like That said...

Sunita: Target right ahead! Reqd.- gallons, truckloads... of patience as well as the ability to shut an eye sometimes...:-)

Dotmom: Yeah..only, by the time he's finished with growing up and being a gourmand, I'll have grown OLD and very tired! :-)

Choxbox: Excused. One more tag?! Yikes! I need to buck up with the 3 yet to be done!

Moppet's Mom: *evil laugh* you ain't seen nothing yet, honey! She doesn't have all her teeth yet! (does she?)However, I live in the hope that I can return here, sometime soon in the future and assure you that 'this too shall pass'

Dame: You are the silver, nay GOLDEN lining to the clouds hovering around me, Sunita, Moppet's Mom, Dotmom, Gauri and WIN..... Hugs! *smiling broadly*

Dipali: :-( Have tried the play stuff, but tho play happens, food goes in at almost the same rate. TV does the trick to some extent, but don't want that to become a habit- keeping it for emergencies!
Hmmm... one of these days will try the hard heart way if that's the only way...Seem to remember some brief successes in the blogworld with that trick... thanks for peeping back and offering tips.:-)

Something to Say said...

thanks for checking in on me JLT - you're the sweetest :)
just a lil down in the dumps... have bounced back with a post - still catching up on all the posts I have misssed

Anitha(Nikki's mom) said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog JLT. Don't know what Duddu(read fate) has in store for me. My mother says I was an OK eater and did not bother her too much. Lets see what Duddu does to me.

Hope you come back to this blog soon to say "This too shall pass". Until then, more power to you!

Anusha said...

oh no. you mean these battles continue into eternity and beyond. ditto for each with K - from brushing to milk to breakfast to lunch to dinner, everything is a battle of patience and time. and I thought he'll grow out of it!!

oh, well, strapping myself for more fun.

DDmom said...

Oh no! Hopefully its a phase, though I can't vouch for it. D does the same drama with milk. Here TV == Milk. I sometimes stand in front of the tv threatening to switch it off. Just as Sonny, the mug would be tilted but no milk will go in. So, now I have markers on the mug. I put the tv in pause, ask her to get to the next marker, then switch it on for for few mins. Its tiring and frustrating at times.
God, there I was thinking when she nears 3, she will somehow get out of the TV = milk habbit. No hopes :(
!Antininx! I must admit that eating at home has not been an issue, yet !Antijinx!

Just Like That said...

STS: :-)

Anitha: Shall read more power as more patience. Right now, that's what I need oodles of. :-D

Kodi's Mom: Sure is great fun - when you're telling all this to your grandchildren! Right now... patience, patience, patience.. and more patience! :-D

Rbdans: Markers! WoW! That's an idea, indeed! shall try it rightaway- tomorrow morning! LOL at antijinx :-D

Rohini said...

Oh my goodness, I am having the exact same problem with the tooth brushing - it is driving me insane - and if your experience is anything to go by, there's no end in sight for a while...