Riggs goes to the dentist...

I'm famous!! I'm kidding, I'm really not. But, I was on the local St. Louis morning show, "Great Day St. Louis."  One of the anchor's brought her son into the office where I work to do an interactive interview for a child's first dental visit and what you need to know as a parent. It went well and the little boy, Riggs, did great. I'll add a few of my own tips, because I work with a lot of kids for their first visit and do most of the leg work.

1. Use good associative words when discussing the dentist. Even if you're reassuring them that it "won't hurt," the word "hurt" is in their mind and they then think that there is a possibility that it could hurt.

2. Bring your child with you to one of your routine dental visits. Even if they don't have an appointment, it's important that they see the dental office and can go into the room with you to see what the hygienist and dentist do. It will give them a better understanding for when it's their turn to get their teeth cleaned. (Please ask the dental office if this is ok before doing so, some offices have strict rules)

3. Let your child brush their own teeth. Tell them how good they've done and then follow behind them to make sure the plaque is all brushed away.

4. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! Every parent wants what is best for their child so, if you can prevent a child from having a cavity with fluoride or sealants, do it. It's in the child's best interest!

5. Be nice to your hygienist and be on time to your appointments...we're type A and OCD :)

Thoughts for a Monday

Socializing with Social Media

Social media has become one of the ultimate means for communication and to keep up with news and happenings around the world. We find information at the click of a button or swipe of a finger.

Although our happenings are not necessarily news worthy I thought it was time to add a button for you to see what is happening in our lives via Instagram. Click the button to the right (with the little camera) and you can see our (usually steady) stream of pictures. I also added a Pinterest button so you can see what I'm pinning! Happy socializing.

Thirty Thursday's {24}

We took an unplanned week off last week, but we're back on track with week #24!

What was your favorite hiding place as a kid?

Abby:
I love to hide and "scare" people! I still hide every chance I get to give Alex a little (non fatal) heart attack. I was really good at walking quietly and sneaking up on him...but our house is a little creaky so it's getting tricky and Moose wants to join in on the scaring fun. But, as a child I would hide behind a half wall in our mudroom when I would hear the garage door open or when I knew some one was coming over, just so I could pop up and yell "Boo!" Somehow my mom figured out my "secret" spot and wasn't scared by me very often...it could have been the three sibling before me that hid there too. Also, in my parents house is a wall that separates the kitchen and the sun room and it serves as a good spot to pop out from to give a scare.

Alex:

My favorite place to hide as a kid was: In my grandma Mary's basement, more specifically in the tall window/nook that could only be reached by jumping on the bed.  Anytime we had Williams family gatherings the kids would be sent to the basement to play. The game of choice at grandma's house was hide and go seek. After we got older, we would play Nintendo or play on grandpa's workout equipment (I'm sure he loved that). I don't remember much about the games, just that we always had fun and always left the basement looking like a disaster (this tradition still goes on today).