Good Gus Characters, Mary's Cafe', Pecos, Reading, Texas

Brush your Teeth

381456_599136753431218_1471522940_nBrush your teeth are three words you heard probably every day of your youth.  Now that you are a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent you are repeating it to the children in your life.  In the Good Gus Series I have a variety of businesses in Pecos including a general store, a sweet shop, a newspaper, a blacksmith, a Cafe’ and a few more.  Even though dentists are important, I never included one.  Its difficult just getting children to go to the dentist, brush and floss.  I didn’t think it would be appealing to my audience to read about children going to the dentist.  When I do a reading, however, I do mention to the children the importance and value of brushing their teeth.  I usually do it during the question and answer session after I finish reading one  of my books.  When the children ask me about horses and my abilities, I usually tell a story about my son when he was ten.  At that time we were living in Austin, Texas. He loved to ride horses.  We didn’t own any but I would take him riding as often as possible.  In this particular summer, he wanted to go to horse camp.  It was a day camp not far from our home.  I would drop him early in the morning and collect him at four Monday through Friday for two weeks.  In the mornings, the children would learn about the care and feeding of horses. They learned how to bathe them (with assistance, of course), clean out the stalls, feed and water them, and my favorite part, how to brush their teeth.  When the children ask me about how to brush a horse’s teeth, I would explain that you needed a really big tooth brush.  Naturally, all the children laughed. It does give them a positive view about the “Brush your Teeth” when they are told to do it (at least for a few days!) As you browse the Good Gus Series, you may want your children to see the importance of horses in the stories.

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