Perhaps you would like to share your opinion on this topic. Call it one of my pet peeves, tell me I am wrong if you want, or jump on my bandwagon. When I took the girls in for their six month dental cleaning, I was informed by the dentist that I needed to make separate appointments for fillings. Of course, the hygienist was trying to lighten the impact by telling me what beautiful teeth the girls have. They should, they brush and floss at least twice a day, sometimes with my help. Why did my adopted children need fillings in their beautiful teeth? Because they were sneaking chocolate into their beds and eating it at night after they had brushed their teeth. I realize that hoarding is a common issue with older adopted children, but Dani has been with us for three years and Lyn for 10.

What makes it so annoying is that they could have eaten their candy bars in the kitchen before bedtime. We have a strict rule about not eating in the bedrooms here. I don’t like mice, ants, or flies all over the house and they don’t want them in their bedrooms. They know that, they also know that they need to brush their teeth after eating.

Dani arrived at our home three years ago with so many cavities; she could hardly chew food because of the pain and inflammation of her gums. It took several dental appointments to fix her beautiful smile. She had never been to a dentist so we also had to get prescriptions to help her relax and use gas. You would think she would want to avoid experiencing that again.

Lyn originally came to live with us before her fourth birthday so her adult teeth have been well taken care of. She has beautiful, straight teeth and the hygienist always comments about them. I appreciate that as well, because I have already put four children through braces and have at least two more to go. Lyn always glows when the hygienist praises the way she takes care of her teeth. But, she just can’t help herself, she seems compelled to sneak candy.

At a recent visit to the psychiatrist, he asked her about this behavior. He asked her if she could ask for treats, and if she did ask, would she get them. She said that she could and that she usually got them when she asked. He asked her why she would sneak them if she could just ask. He received her standard answer, “I don’t know.”

Anyway, I find it annoying to have to pay for filling when the cavities were earned through deceitful behavior. I don’t like ugly amalgam fillings in anyone’s mouth, so I always pay extra for composite filling that match the tooth color. I know that is my choice to pay the extra, and I don’t mind doing it when cavities just happen. Does anyone else struggle with similar annoyance about spending extra time and money because children were sneaking?

Hoarding can be a Sign of Childhood Depression
My FAS Child Can’t Stop Stealing

Photo Credit 2007 Julia Fuller