Developing Perspective

Read for a laugh, it’s a bit long. My daughter is finally at the age where she can actually understand other people’s perspectives now, and it is so much fun 😂 Tonight, a classic parenting problem - asked to see her teeth and noticed red gums. I ask her if she wants to show me how she’s brushing her teeth or if she wants me to brush them for her. Parenting books always say to make it a choice. Don’t force things on your kids, but you do need to be pushy about health-related matters. So that’s what I did - let her decide whether I’ll just watch and tell her what to do differently, or I’ll show her if she’s not sure. Obviously, I had crossed a line. What I said to her was unacceptable. Her honor had been insulted. How dare I, a mere mortal, question her tooth brushing methodology. She not only did not want me involved in the brushing of her teeth, she didn’t even want me to observe or verify whether her teeth had been brushed at all. Alright, so now OBVIOUSLY, I need to be involved in the tooth brushing because those gums could get worse. I start to try to explain gingivitis, tooth decay, nerve pain poor dental hygiene can cause, what it’s like to have an adult tooth pulled, etc. She allows me the privilege of brushing her teeth one time. I clearly misunderstood what this meant because as soon as I started trying to move the brush - like actually brushing the teeth - she bit down on the brush. “Bruh” She started snickering but kept her teeth clamped down. “Are you being serious right now” She had a hard time staying still because she couldn’t stop laughing, so she just laid down on the bathroom floor while I’m holding the toothbrush. “Now you’re laying on the floor while I brush your teeth for you?” She tried so hard to keep being angry at me but she was losing it, so I started telling her that one day when she’s an adult, I’m going to remind her of what a massive butthead she used to be that I was once on the bathroom floor with her begging her to let me brush her friggin teeth. Once that seed was planted, she couldn’t keep the tantrum ruse up anymore and we got to actually complete the task. It’s so funny to see that realization on her face.