Once upon a time my girls were happy, crooked smile, super cute, very confident little girls. As my daughters approach their teen years the questions and conversations around their bodies, female celebrities’ bodies, models’ bodies in magazines and ads, has picked up considerably. Middle school is a grand experiment in social dynamics and insecurity as 100s of kids enter (or don’t) puberty.
How could you not have bodies on the brain when change is happening all around you every day?
I have thought a lot about how to talk to my girls about their bodies, and how to answer their questions. The one thing I know for sure is that like most of parenting it’s about modeling the behavior you hope to see in your kid. What that means is that I eat healthy in front of my kids, and have the occasional treat too. I don’t talk about regretting something I ate, and I cook – a lot. We talk about balance rather than labeling foods as off limits, and in the end, just try not to make such a big deal about it in the first place.
And I never, ever use the word diet.
And then there is reality. No matter what, tweenage angst is inevitable. Frizzy hair? Breakouts? Crooked teeth? Yup. And we’re dealing with all of that too. And wow, have products gotten better for all of those things since I was a tween! Where was no-frizz cream when I was 13?
I also talk a lot about the value of a smile. It really can light up your face, make you more approachable, and even change your mood – not an easy thing for a moody tween to believe. And of course, if you’re self-conscious about your teeth a smile is the last thing you want to show off.
I never had braces. The orthodontist said it was “optional,” which my 12 year old self heard as “not necessary at all.” My parents heard it that way too. But, I’ve never liked my teeth. They always seemed too big, and not quite straight, and, guess what? My teeth have completely moved as I’ve gotten older, and not for the better! As I’ve watched my daughters teeth become perfectly straight and aligned over the last 2 years I have to admit I’d like to to follow their lead.
Every time I walk into the orthodontist’s office with my girls I have the same conversation with her – basically picking her brain about Invisalign since she’s a preferred provider. I’m more than a little obsessed.
I’ve also now had two friends go through the process and I can’t quite believe how well it worked. But it really did – without the metal mouth that there is no way I would endure at my age.
You can take the Invisalign Smile Assessment to see if you would be a good candidate for Invisalign – and to see the Invisalign results. Plus it’s really cool to play around with the Smile Assessment tool and get an idea of what your teeth could look like! I had a little too much fun trying it out.
I know there are a lot of moms out there who would love to be able to give this to themselves. Or to their teen. Who needs to have another thing to make the teen years awkward? And who wants to be 40 with a mouth full of braces? No one.
So, I’m really excited about this Invisalign Countdown to Confidence Sweepstakes. They are awarding one winner $100 each day for 60 days plus a chance to win the grand prize: free Invisalign treatment and $1,000!
You can enter every day at: http://bit.ly/1r4IkSH But hurry because the sweepstakes ends November 13th!
I have a feeling that when my daughters finish their orthodontic treatment in the next few months I will be taking their place in the orthodontist’s chair!
This post was sponsored by Invisalign. I was compensated for my writing, but as always the opinions and words are very much my own.
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