Mixed Messages or Brushing Your Teeth with Candy

At least once a week, one of my boys brings home a goody bag from someone’s birthday party at school. Luckily, none of them have developed a taste for spicy Mexican candy yet, so this doesn’t usually present too much of a tooth rotting problem. Most of the time, they willingly give up their bags of confections. 

Today, Benjy brought home a bag filled with American style candy made in China. Before he could shrug off his book bag, he’d dumped the bag, scattering his loot onto the table. With a sinister laugh, he pawed through the candy, occasionally picking up a piece for closer inspection. I groaned and started plotting the best way to pry the pile from his sticky little hands. 

Should I be subtle? Send him upstairs to clean his room, dump the candy in the trash and then tell him that a pack of wild dogs broke into the house and ate it all? Dogs do run wild in Tijuana, so he might actually believe that one.

Or should I be direct? Tell him that candy rots his teeth and throw it away in front of him? That was sure to result in tears. And drama. Lots of drama.

“Mommy!” Benjy interrupted my brooding. “I got a toothbrush!” He was both surprised and excited. This was a first and I was excited too, until he showed it to me.

"Toothbrush. 2 in 1. Sweet liquid and hard candy. Strawberry flavored."

That’s when I really groaned. A toothbrush made out of candy. Seriously?!  The “bristles” are the lollipop part of this “2 en 1” delight, and if you squeeze the body, a sweet liquid squirts into your mouth. 

Fun! Now if we can rustle up a pack of candy cigarettes we can really have a mixed message party.