Parental rite of passage

[DaveS]

Last night I spent 45 minutes sifting through 100 gallons of Chinese buffet garbage searching for my son's retainer and expander (sort of like an adjustable retainer).

To all you parents who haven't yet, but will some day get orthodontics for your kids: when they ask you what color you want the appliances, pick bright blue.

Everything else looks like some kind of food.

This experience ranks as one of the top 5 most disgusting things I have had to do.

The boy will be doing extra chores for me for quite some time to make up for this.

[cabinetman]

Did this happen at a Chinese restaurant? Why didn't you have your son doing the looking? I like happy endings... was it found?
.

[crokett]

How expensive are those things that you would be sifting through garbage looking for it?

[radhak]

I was told braces (including the 'treatment', ie the doc costs) for my daughter would be around $2000 - $3000, after insurance. Not sure retainers would be the same range, but wouldn't be surprised if they are.

[Copper]

Reminds me of the movie "Parenthood" with Steve Martin - one of my favorites. I hope you found what you were looking for.

[Alex Franke]

when they ask you what color you want the appliances, pick bright blue.
Everything else looks like some kind of food.

Noted. Sounds like good advice to me!

Gosh, that much have sucked.

[twistsol]

my daughter's retainers were about $400 after insurance each. I'd have been digging though garbage as well.

[LinuxRandal]

Going out, make SURE the kid understands it is THEIR responsibility to take their container. I've seen enough kids lose a $600 retainer, due to putting it in a napkin, so they don't forget.

Kind of like putting gum on the side of a plate, to "save" it.

[DaveS]

Yes, it was not pleasant.

This was a Chinese buffet, and they have crab legs.

The retainer is clear plastic. Or "invisible in trash" as I call it now.

The expander, on the other hand, is "crab leg orange".

The reasons I didn't have my son doing the digging were:
(1) he is 10
(2) this was his first offense in nearly a year of having them
(3) it was 10:00pm
(4) I wasn't sure they'd let a kid back in the kitchen
(5) he was appropriately worried/sad about forgetting them.

[Santa Clarita Len]

I was told braces (including the 'treatment', ie the doc costs) for my daughter would be around $2000 - $3000, after insurance. Not sure retainers would be the same range, but wouldn't be surprised if they are.

I knew someone that spent $3000 getting his teeth straightened only to discover that no one liked him anyway.

[kirkroy]

A few years ago my daughter left her retainer in a napkin in a kids play type restaurant (kind of like Chuck E Cheese) and it went into the trash. She didn't admit it to my wife until they were home, some 40 miles away. My wife called to let the place know and, by the time she got there, the manager had dug through the dumpster and found it. What a saint...

Kirk

[DaveS]

The workers in the restaurant were very understanding and helpful.

One of the dishwashers, and one of the hostesses helped me sift.

After we were done, I tried to give them some money - they wouldn't take it, told me to just keep coming to eat there.

Class act.

[buckeye95]

This same thing happened to a buddy back at band camp in High School.

We finished dinner and were walking back to the cabin when he realized he had left it in a napkin. The poor camp cook dug through a giant bag of trash with a serving spoon (which was most like serving us casserole the next day), but to no avail. As we walked back to the cabin, he somehow realized he had stuck it in another pocket. I think he was too embarrased to mention it to he poor cook the next day.

Pete

[JSUPreston]

I knew someone that spent $3000 getting his teeth straightened only to discover that no one liked him anyway.

You promised you wouldn't tell.