Social interaction

Taking your kid to the dentist can tell you a lot about their personality. Grace went to her first dentist appointment yesterday. She did great! She held still during the Xrays, even with those horrible bite plates in her mouth. She didn't wiggle at all when the hygienist cleaned or flossed her teeth. She didn't mind any of it! For Grace, it was another chance to interact with new people and charm the pants off of them. She loves that! It is totally foreign to me. I am more like Henry. In the days leading up to his first dentist appointment, he was really apprehensive. He didn't want any part of it. Fortunately we took him to a pediatric dentist who was wonderful, so his experience was a good one. But he had Garrett at his side the whole time, to be his mouthpiece, so he wouldn't have to talk to any of the scary people! Grace, on the other hand, went back with the dental assistant all by herself. She answered everyone's questions clearly and unabashedly. It is just so amazing how kids prettymuch come into the world with the personalities they'll have their whole lives. I certainly didn't teach Grace how to succeed in a social situation. In fact, I should be taking notes from her. Luckily Henry has Garrett. He is like Grace in this way. He is great at getting Henry out of his shell a little at a time. Kindergarten has had a big influence on that too. Henry is very engaging with other kids now, and if you give him a few minutes, he'll even talk to the grown ups, at least when they talk to him first, and ask a question that can be answered with a yes or no. It should be interesting to see how Penny developes.