Orthodontist guilt/cynicsm
All four of the big kids saw the orthodontist for the first time today. (I think people with quadruplets should get free braces, just ’cause.) Of course, all four of them “need” braces. Like an ortho is going to tell you, “No, they look beautiful just the way they are!” The office lady was really nice and broke down all the co$ts for me. We’re looking at $4,000-$5,500 per kid. I mean, for that, I expect them all to be four inches taller and betrothed to old-money families. But now begins the “good mommy”-”bad mommy” debates in my head.
If I elect to not get braces on one or more, will they be on a psychiatrist’s couch years from now saying that their mother didn’t care if they looked nice or not? Or worse, that their mother loved [insert sibling's name] more because they had their teeth straightened? If I spend a large chunk of change to get their teeth fixed, will they eventually refuse to wear the retainers and all will be for naught? Can I charge them for that?
And do they honestly NEED braces? If they don’t have them, will they just look like their dad and I do–not on the cover of GQ or Vogue, but perfectly acceptable? Is this just a scheme to make Americans even more obsessed with their appearance than we already are?
Add to all of this the variable of our move to Japan. If the braces are placed here, the dental clinic there will continue treatment for FREE. If we wait, it’s possible the clinic will do it all for free, or they could decide there is no medical necessity and nix the whole thing.
This is when moms need to have a standard issue Crystal Ball. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, will Number One Son still have an overbite when he’s eating his 35th birthday cake? Will Dear Daughter be held back socially because she has one tooth creating a mild crossbite? Will I laugh about this all when Baby C is going through the same things in ten years? Will my kids thank me someday for one choice over the other?
Of course, I’m forgetting one small factor in the decision here. The Baghdaddy. I know what his take will be: “My teeth are crooked and I turned out fine!” Problem solved, right? Except for the life-long guilt and anxiety with my name on it. Pass me a beer and I’ll worry about it all tomorrow.
Dolans Online
How frightening–me with the wide reach of the internet at my fingertips. And you thought just getting the yearly Christmas letter was enough of my chatter. But you deserve . . .no, you NEED, more.
I wish I had done this for our Germany time, but thought this would be a great way to fill everyone in on our time in Japan. In the meantime, I’m going to get used to the blog world. So please bear with me as I work out the kinks. See ya.
