Totally get what you mean about that “here we go” feeling—it just kind of hangs around, even when the kiddo seems fine. I still tense up every time my son hops in the chair, even though he’s gotten way better about it. Funny enough, letting him bring his Pokémon cards to show the hygienist made a big difference for us. I guess having something familiar helps both of us chill out a bit. And yeah, early appointments were a disaster here too. Turns out, a full belly and some morning cartoons are magic.
I get why having something familiar helps, but honestly, I’ve found bringing stuff from home can sometimes backfire for us. My daughter gets so caught up in her favorite toy or book that she doesn’t want to put it down when it’s time for the cleaning. Then we end up with a whole new meltdown over handing it over. Anyone else run into that? I almost wonder if it just adds another layer of stress.
And about the full belly thing—does that really work for you? I always worry about her feeling queasy if she eats too much beforehand, especially with all the poking around in her mouth. Maybe I’m just overly anxious, but I actually try to keep breakfast pretty light on dentist days. It’s like I’m always second-guessing what’s actually going to help and what might make it worse.
Does anyone have tricks for calming your own nerves? I swear, sometimes my anxiety rubs off on her more than anything else.