Sunday, June 21 may be the official start of summer with it being the Summer Solstice and all, but with Memorial Day now in the past, the unofficial start of summer has begun! For those of you with children, you know what that means… Most kids in grade school are still in session until June. Thank goodness! However, soon will come the day when they are finished with school for the year and on vacation. What is a parent to do?
SUMMER CAMP
Summer camp! Send the kiddos to summer camp! Whether it be a sleep-away camp or a day camp, you need to occupy your offspring with activities and opportunities to learn new skills and most importantly, expend all of their boundless energy. This author is a big proponent of camps, having gone to space camp, equestrian camp, a Christian camp, and for four years straight, band camp. Loved them all. I loved the regimented schedule and always having something to look forward to. I loved having mandatory “downtime” where you can rest, read, or nap. I loved being outside and playing sports. I loved knowing I would be fed three meals a day, every day.
PREPARE FOR TIME AWAY FROM HOME
If you are signing your child up for a sleep-away camp, some solid preparation is involved because they will be on their own. No parent present to supervise morning and evening routines such as brushing and flossing teeth. While most camps do a pretty good job of providing well-balanced meals, there is always going to be a point where desserts and perhaps not so healthy snacks are available to eat. Maybe as a prize for winning a game, candy is included. Maybe one kid with a mighty sweet tooth was allowed to pack chocolate and other sweets with him/her in their bag and has it stashed away in the bunk where your child has access to it when offered.
GET IN THE HABIT NOW
This hypothetical situation of your child being exposed to insane amounts of sugar in food and drinks is only meant to be a warning. It may never happen. It has been years since I attended a camp of any sort, but I highly doubt that pop is offered in the cafeteria or in bagged lunches. What we here at Sugar Fix Dental Loft are trying to say, is that you should instill in your kids a responsibility to take care of their oral health while away and out of your watchful gaze. On a positive note, if your kids already brush and floss their teeth every morning and every night as part of their getting ready for the day or getting ready for bed routines, chances are they will continue to do so while away at camp.
CONTACT
If you find yourself a tad concerned about your child taking care of their teeth while away at camp, fear not. Call Chicago’s Sugar Fix Dental Loft today and speak with Dr. Brittany Dickinson about what you can do to make sure your kids are brushing every day, twice a day. Maybe schedule an appointment for your children with us so we can talk to them about the importance of keeping their teeth clean while eating foods and drinking beverages that are not part of their daily diet at home. Good habits that start young are very hard to break!