Now I’m not intending this to sound like whining, but it might. Instead, you have to understand that sometimes I just “observe” my life and have a vague recollection of what it would be like if I wasn’t parenting LuLu.

Yesterday LuLu, Kay and I had our semi-annual dental cleaning appointment. The girls’ appointment was scheduled for last week, while we were in Illinois; so we were fortunate that they had time to take them at the same time mine was scheduled on Monday. However, the way they had it set up was that Kay and I were to be cleaned at the same time, but two different hygienists, leaving LuLu to wait alone in the waiting room.

I told them this was not going to work and asked if we could just rotate appointments. This dentist, the only one who takes our rather funky dental insurance for miles around, has never been long on customer service. “No” was the answer – a schedule was a schedule. So, I explained to the hygienist who was taking me back that LuLu could not stay in the waiting room by herself, unsupervised for 30 minutes. Frankly, they should already know this, since she’s been a patient there for nearly two years…but…whatever.

The solution was to plop her down on a chair next to me while I got my teeth cleaned.

It was an “interesting” situation. LuLu, who can’t sit still surrounded by medical equipment in a cramped dental exam room. Mom, with her mouth full of equipment and can’t talk to LuLu. And dental hygienist, who talks quite a bit herself, and was becoming increasingly annoyed with LuLu’s “hyperactivity” (her words).

After about 15 minutes, instead of being anxious about the situation, I was able to detach and become an “observer” of the absurdity of this situation. I mean, how many people have to go to the dentist (a stressor all by itself for some people) and sit in a tiny little room with their incredibly curious child who lacks all impulse control?

Truth is, there are probably scores of other parents of challenging children who have experienced much the same scenario. And what’s a parent to do? In many cases, I try to hire sitters or arrange my own doctor’s appointments at times when someone can stay with LuLu. This is exactly what I had done this time – arranging my dental cleaning on MLK Day, knowing that Kay would be home from school to stay with LuLu. I had no idea I’d have to reschedule the two of them onto that day.

Now I could have been really steamed at the dental office for their inflexibility of switching us around. I mean, really, what difference did it make to them which mouth they cleaned first? But I figure natural consequence parenting applies to adults who are inflexible as well. So, the dental office got the natural consequence of not doing what would have worked better…they had a noisy, bouncy LuLu to work around.

The other hygienist finished with Kay before I was finished and came to get LuLu, who bounced off with many verbal and physical tics down the hallway. Kay reports the other patients in the waiting room were quite alarmed at all the shouts coming from the back (feeding their dental anxieties, I’m sure.)

Aw…the life of parenting special kids…there’s so much others take for granted. But, we all have clean teeth and don’t have to tackle that scenario for another 6 months!

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