As a mother you want what is best for your child, and if there is anything you can do to make things a little easier along the journey of life for your “baby†you will do it! My daughter is a very emotional young lady. She hasn’t mastered the art of “shaking things off†and letting them roll off of her back! Being a teenager can be a very difficult stage in life… you are dealing with peers, positively and negatively, peer pressure and a bunch of criticism and judgment.
I asked my daughter what a “NEW†Invisalign smile would mean for her and this is what she said: It would make me feel better about myself. I wouldn’t be so self conscious when taking pictures, I’d actually show “TEETH†once and a while and I feel wouldn’t have to deal with as much criticism and judgment from my peers.
As a mother of a fourteen year old it’s pretty hard to hear that coming from my daughter. When your child is in Middle School, you’d like to think that they can go to school and get a good education without dealing with the stresses that come from peers. My daughter is my heart! I will do anything to uplift her self esteem and make “the life of a teen†a little less stressful. My daughter is a little on the emotional side and she lets things really get to her, AND as much as I try to teach her to ignore her peers, we all know that kids can be cruel and some children just aren’t equipped to deal with certain stresses. My daughter is an A, B average student, runs track and involved in the arts. She is BEAUTIFUL! That is what I see, BUT… she sees something completely different.
Whenever someone says something to my daughter about her appearance, she tries to conform to what is being said and as much as I can’t stand that… I know what it would mean to her if I didn’t try to understand and be accommodating. It’s like her world is going to end! My daughter has naturally curly hair but, after criticism she wanted it straightened so she wouldn’t be made fun of. My daughter was hospitalized last year at age thirteen for having a “breakdown†in school and telling her guidance counselor that she wanted to harm herself. She was hospitalized and observed for 72 hrs and it BROKE my heart that comments from her peers and a bad day at school could affect her that much to the point of not wanting to live. I work with my daughter constantly trying to build her up emotionally and mentally. I guess it’s a work in process because these things don’t happen overnight but, if there are things I can do along the way to try to make it easier, I will! It’s only going to get harder for her as she gets older in the future, in my opinion and I’d love for her to eventually be at a place where she is fearless and doesn’t break the minute someone decides to criticize her. If a “NEW†smile is going to help with that… I’m all for it! Thank you Invisalign for an opportunity to enter this contest and have a chance at helping my daughter with one of her insecurities.