Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Yesterday started out pretty bad, as my dentist appointment yielded a cavity, which led to a surprising amount of pain and complexity.  Since one of the things I bang on my kids about is oral hygiene, I decided to turn my discomfort into a teaching moment.  When I picked them up from school, I eagerly relayed to them my miserable morning, pivoting quickly to a stern reminder that it's easier to keep your teeth clean than to have your dentist do complicated things afterwards.

My kids, though, were too busy teasing me for getting a cavity and riding me for being "greedy" about eating sweets.  As with my frequent reminders to brush and floss, they like to tease me about the big portions of desserts I help myself to.  Guilty as charged, I protested, but let's get back to what I'm trying to teach you about oral hygiene.  Alas, their mocking continued, and I had to accept that perhaps the more immediately accurate lesson was that I hadn't set a good example in my own habits. 

As any parent will tell you, "Do as I say, not as I do."  And so it is with teeth.