Snappy Gets His Snappers

This is not an adorable children’s book. Yet.

What it is is a couple of weeks of a ratty toddler with no indication as to why except for all the new teeth that have appeared. As well a couple of molars.

Oh boy.

He’s ‘behind’ when to his teeth. I tend not to be bothered by milestones because he’s a toddler and unless he ‘miles’ behind, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not a race. He hit most of the milestones when I expected so I’m told, I’m not 100% sure. Either way, our health visitor is happy.

The only concern was his teeth. Or lack thereof. He got his first two before he hit eighteen months which was the deadline the health visitor gave us before she thought we should go to the dentist. I’m not sure what that was supposed to accomplish though. Would a dentist be able to tell teeth are in there? Of course. And then what? It’s not like they’re gonna be able to force all of his baby teeth tough his gums. Or that I would even let them.

That doesn’t even address the logistical issue of taking a toddler to the dentist. I can’t get him to wear trousers somedays, looking in his mouth is a huge no-go. The only way we can see the teeth at the back sometimes is to turn him upside down and tickle him. It’s a proven method but not something I can use at the dentist.

He has teeth though, they are coming and I think I’m more aware of that milestone partly cause he is behind and partly because all I ever heard off other mums when talking about their babies was that they’re teething. I swear at any given time a baby in the village is teething. There are a million things that kids can suffer from but all I ever hear about it teething.

Red cheeks, dicky tummy, not sleeping, crying, screaming, crying?

They’re Teething

There is a definitely a component of ‘this is easier to talk about/deal with when it comes to just how often teething troubles come up in conversation about your child. The fact that they’re behind their milestones, struggling with breastfeeding or weaning, acting up, not sleeping through the night or more than a few hours at a time are hard things to talk about. those are things parents think they should be able to do something about.

Teething is purely physical though. Not behavioural, nothing you can do about, those teeth are coming whether you breastfeed, co-sleep or use a dummy.

Teething does cause a lot of symptoms though, so all those problems the baby has can be down to them teething. From what I gather generally being a baby is a symptom of teething according to the internet and every mum I’ve ever spoken too. It’s not quite that bad the NHS says, but they also say every baby is different.

With ur little croc a few symptoms we’ve noticed are definitely down to teething because his first three were so spaced out. He gets a flushed cheek (just the one) but not a fever, he gets spots on his chin and he’s a ratbag. Recently he’d been more of s ratbag than usual and that’s because he was getting two molars (one on each side) at once. Again, we didn’t realise this until we’d tipped him upside down and tickled him.

Teeth-aggedon

So, we’re all set for an influx of teeth. One thing is that it’ll be nice to get it all done at once, and finally done and dusted. Also now he’s older and we already know the symptoms (spots, flushed cheek, ratbagitis). Plus we’ve already dealt with some of his initial desire to bite everything (us, the cats, furniture) and reduced that down to things he can bite (the furniture). I can’t say that his communication will make it easier, as I find this in-between stage more frustrating than when his entire repertoire of communication was crying and crapping.

I will miss his gummy smile though.

 

17 Replies to “Snappy Gets His Snappers

  1. “generally being a baby is a symptom of teething according to the internet and every mum I’ve ever spoken too”

    Hehe, so true! My guess is that my brother and I must have been hell because my mum approached M’s teething like she was going to war. It was like she had bought the supermarket’s entire stock of bickiepegs and freezable teethers. (I can joke like this because we had it really quick and easy, comparatively speaking.)

    I did miss the gummy smile too. It just seems such a marker of ‘we have definitely moved past the baby stage now.’ #KCACOLS

  2. hahaha loved the “ragbatitis”. Having moved from the UK 17 years ago I miss some of the old terms, and ratbag is one I haven’t heard in AGES!

  3. Just think about his adorable little smile once all his teeth come in! I laughed a lot at you saying you’ve reduced what he’s allow to bite on from you, the cats and the furniture to just the furniture hehe!

  4. This made me smile – Pickle was about the same age when he had his first teeth! But it mad him seem like a baby for a little longer which I loved. Kaz

  5. Haha, yes it does seem that everything is put down to teething doesn’t it? I bet it will be nice to get it all done at once, I sometimes think that’s easier for all involved rather than them coming in singularly over a long period of time!

  6. Your post and photos take me back to when my kids were babies. You worry so much about everything. But it’s all normal. Even having a fever is your body’s way of fighting viruses. Yet you’re supposed to bring the fever down. It’s all very confusing and stressful. Most of the time, they’ll be ok, and everything passes. Take care! #KCACOLS

  7. Whenever my SIL complained about anything re my nephew’s tantrums or whatever everyone seemed to think it was teething.

  8. Allow me to add to the list of teething symptoms! The key giveaway for us was the squits (the kids, not us) and very bad nappy rash. Always a sure sign. We’re now at the other end of the spectrum worrying about tooth alignment and braces!

  9. We had the opposite, my daughter was teething at 6 weeks old and no one believed it until two teeth pooped up, it’s a fun old thing teething as you can’t do anything to help expect cuddles and calpol.

  10. I thought you couldn’t be behind in teeth. Some kids a born with a full set and some take ages. Ditto with the ‘baby teeth’ falling out…Glad you ‘caught up’ #KCACOLS

  11. My girls didn’t have teeth until the same age either, I didn’t realise it was anything to be worried about! My boys had a full set by 4 months weirdly! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time

  12. We (me and my little boy) have a condition that means we don’t have enough teeth and any that come through are generally very late so I sympathise!! In terms of the dentist, they can generally tell by feeling the gums whether there are some to come through or not, but they are reluctant to xray until 4/5 years. So its basically a waiting game! I swear by those teething granules when they are in pain, seem to work wonders 🙂 Good luck! #KCACoLS

  13. I hope the ratbag phase passes quickly! Nappy rash was one of the main symptoms we had to deal with in teething. #kcacols

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