** The Dentist**
We attempted our first official dentist appointment the other day. Sad to say it was an absolute, no go. Julia was very good, the girls in the office all liked her, she was having fun, right up until the dentist came in and started talking to her. He opened his mouth and she clamped hers shut! No bribing in the world was going to get her to open it for him. :( So we gave up and I proceeded with my dental cleaning with the hygienist. At this point, Julia was sitting in a chair beside me and was very closely observing my appointment. There I was in the chair, mouth wide open with the hygienist looking in one side of my mouth and Julia as close as she could get looking in the other side. Not only was the hygienist cracking up, I was doing all I could to not laugh (unsuccessfully after awhile) and apparently everyone that walked by the door was chuckling too! This child certainly likes to observe the details of everything! So after my cleaning was done, she let the hygienist take a peek in her mouth. The dental hygienist decided to give the doc one more shot and went out to get him. He came back in the room and Julia clamped her jaw shut again! So after we talked a bit more, he was nice enough to refer me to a pediatric dentist in the general area, not as close as he is, but oh well, that also happens to be a woman. I have a feeling we'll have better luck there.
Her shyness around men seems to be getting worse instead of better. This is a new one for me to deal with. I was shy as a kid, heck, ask my classmates, I was shy all the way through school and still would likely be in that situation. But I grew up with many older brothers and one younger, so I have not really encountered the gender shyness before. I think I was more prepared for this when Julia was an infant and we were meeting her in China. We had somewhat prepared ourselves for the possibility that she wouldn't like men, but she didn't really have an issue with it at the time. It did and always has taken her a little longer to warm up to most men, Daddy, Uncle Joel and Uncle Dean being the exceptions. But she would warm up, now I'm not sure she would. It gets harder and harder. When we stayed at my friends house in SC, she wouldn't even speak to Mr. Mike. ALL WEEK. I'm just feeling very frustrated right now and at a loss.
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2 comments:
I think this is very normal, Heather. While Paige (unfortunately) doesn't have a shy bone in her body, her best little friend from China was and is the same way toward men. I just wouldn't push it.
Are any of her gymnastics instructors men?
Any news?
Sorry to hear the dentist wasn't a successful and seemingly stressful situation for you both. Sounds like Julia may have a career as a dentist ahead. The childrens dentist we go to is really good with kids - it does make a huge difference for her to be comfortable with the doctor. Don't push it, just try to find a woman pediatric dentist. Make the first (next first) experience go really well and she will forget all about this one in time. The male shyness will wear off soon enough. Enjoy it while it lasts, before you know it she'll be going on dates and you will be wishing she didn't like the male gender again.
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