Last summer, we were away
visiting family and I’d forgotten to pack my son’s toothbrush.
I remember standing at the local
drug store, with about half an hour to spare by myself (this is how I spend my
“me time”), and having a familiar dilemma in my head:
Ooh! A toothbrush that lights up!
Hmmm. Maybe I should pick a
simple, less expensive one and teach him to embrace hygiene for hygiene’s
sake...
But if I get the snazzy light-up
one, I could let the toothbrush do the work for me. I deserve a break.
At some point that battery will
run out. Then it’ll just be a regular toothbrush and I’ll have wasted the
money.
But it’s only a couple of dollars
more.
It’s the principle! If I get him
the fancy toothbrush, he will always expect to have the product with the bells
and whistles!
Wait. It lights up and blinks for
five minutes, and shuts itself off? And so the child keeps brushing his teeth
for five whole minutes? Ingenious!
I guess I could just get the
plain toothbrush and set a timer.
But that wouldn’t be as fun. Screw
it, we’re on vacation.
I caved. I got the light-up one. It
is awesome. He uses it in the dark and even lets me brush his teeth, and the
little lights help me see inside his mouth. And so far, the battery hasn’t run
out.
I’m a sucker. But it’s in the
name of clean teeth and gums!
Just think of all the money we’ll
save on dental bills.
