D is for Dentist and Donuts

So there is this one tradition that we kind of have at our house… it’s kind of a fun tradition but not really one that we should encourage. It is kind of ironic and probably something that you will scold me for. Today I will tell you about this tradition. Other than beginning with the same letter, I will tell you why my kids say D is for Dentist and Donuts!

 

Before I divulge this little story, I need coffee. (If you have been following me for a while, you know this is curtail to my life)
(This mug is from the Starbucks “You Are Here” collection. They are the perfect size for this mamma and I love how they stack in the cabinet! I collect them when I travel and they make me think of where I visited each time I use them!)

 

Now… when we visit the dentist, we break the family up into two groups: boys and girls. Dad and the boys go for their 2 yearly dental visits and likewise, I take the girls for our biannual visits. Nothing unusual there, right? We have been going to the same dentist for 18 years now. All of our children have their first dentist appointment when they are three years old and it always went swimmingly until one of our girls flipped out about 8 years ago. This unusual but monumental meltdown resulted in a bribe.

Now, I have never been above bribing my kids when the situation warrants it. I try to keep it small and reasonable. But when DAD bribes it can be extraordinary. And this leads me to the topic of this post.

D is for Dentist and Donuts.

For some reason, nearly a decade ago,  my husband had taken the girls for their dental exam. One of the said daughters freaked out as mentioned above. One thing I didn’t tell you about our dentist earlier is that his office is nestled behind a Dunkin Donuts & we pass this house of sin on our way both to and from the place that cleans our teeth and checks for cavities.

Back to dad and the upset daughter… you know where this is going, right? Yeah. So my darling husband stops at the nearby Dunkin Donuts to grab a delicious fried puck that is enroved in gooey icing and colorful sprinkles. Yep, you read that right. Daughter goes to dentist. Daughter loses her religion. Desperate Dad takes Distressed Daughter to donut shop for a sugary treat. Thus was born the contradicting tradition that has been going on in our house ever since.

The donut tradition is now a happy one, and everyone but me embraces it wholly. I will confess that I love their excitement when we drive home with an orange box of glistening donuts. I only half jokingly shake my head when everyone cheers that it is dentist/donut day. My heart swells with pride that we have created another tradition that I hope they carry on with their own children.

 

This is the child that started it all. I promise, she actually loves the dentist!

 

This little one will have her very first dental appointment in six months. For now she’s just getting in on the goods!

 

You always need a nice, big glass of cold milk to wash everything down with!

 

A wise person once said, ” At the heart of every family tradition is a meaningful experience.” This holds true for many of my family’s traditions! Does your family have a fun, unique or just plain crazy tradition? I would love to hear about it! Leave it in a comment below!