Caring for my family's teeth

I am not great at doing those things that need to be done everyday. I really never have been. You'd think I could get into a routine, build a habit and then it would just happen... automatically. Not so far. Or perhaps it's just that I've never been able to manage to get into the habit.

One of the worst to admit to is oral care. It's not that I hate taking care of my teeth, it's just that I don't think about it. And if I don't think about it... I don't do it. I know it should be a priority, but somehow, it's not.

It was easier when I worked outside the home... or at least had some place to be. I'd wake up and get ready... I'd note that I had unpleasant morning breath, so I'd brush. Even then, I've always been one to brush my teeth before eating breakfast. Seems silly I know, but if I wait I no longer have that yucky taste in my mouth telling me to brush. And then I'd leave the house without brushing. Yuck. Even I know that part!

As a stay at home mommy, I've found that there are many days that I never really do "get ready". Oh sure, I get dressed... eventually. Sometime after the kids are up and eating their breakfast I'll slink away to throw on something I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in if the landlord stopped by or the mail lady showed up (though I've been known to collect the mail in my bathrobe a time or two over the years). But as far as the actual brushing my teeth and hair part of getting ready... it's known (regularly) to fall by the wayside. I do have some plans for rectifying that situation in the near future, but in the mean time, oral care is getting missed.

I've never been so keenly reminded of this as I am today... sitting in the painful wake of a dentist visit! Ouch! Praise the Lord there are no cavities, but between my lack of care, my pregnancy hormones (which always make my mouth so much more sensitive) and a less than gentle hygienist, my mouth hurts! And, as always, I left the office determined to see change.

Sadly, this lack of care doesn't stop at me. And I am ever feeling guilty over the need to take better care of my children's teeth. The worst of it is that they love to brush! It's me that doesn't. Well, with a new month dawning, I've determined to get the better of this habit (with God's help). And I'm starting with a chart to help us keep track. This is what ours looks like... fun clipart and all!It is my hope that we'll see more boxes filled in at the end of April than are empty. Maybe I'll even get around to sharing the results with you! I'll hang this paper on the inside of the medicine cabinet door for us to keep track and then color in each box as we do them. Hopefully this will get the kids and I excited... Daddy too. He said he wanted to be on the chart with us. Maybe we can even have a special treat at the end if we see improvement.