Beaumont Family Dentistry - March 2020

STACY COLEMAN AND THE LEXINGTON TEAM GIVING OUR CLIENTS THE BEST SERVICES AND RESULTS

Studies show that up to 50% of young children have imaginary companions, ranging from entirely conjured entities to beloved stuffed animals. The popular social stigma around imaginary friends is that these children must be shy or lonely, but psychologists disagree. In fact, if your child develops an imaginary friend, most psychologists say it’s an activity you should promote instead of discourage. Psychologists claim that the invention of an entire friendly persona points to the fact that the child is both creative and highly social. Imaginary scenarios also give kids an opportunity to indulge in their wildest aspirations, like going to the moon or inventing a time machine. Their creativity gives them the ability to dream, explore, and experiment in useful ways. Imaginary friends can also be there to comfort your child when they’re feeling down or experiencing a tantrum, which is helpful when they are learning how to manage their emotions. There are also many ways parents can take part in interactions with imaginary friends to strengthen their own relationship with their child. Imaginary friends can make interactive play more meaningful and can be useful in accomplishing daily routines, like cleaning up or getting ready for bed. They also provide a window into the way your child’s mind works by encouraging the vocalization of thoughts and feelings they may not otherwise share. Imaginary friends are often a proxy for the children who invent them, so the conversations your child has with or about their friend can provide a lot of insight into how your child views the world and themselves. Imaginary friends are so important to how some children learn and grow that they’ve been featured in pop culture for many years. Entertainment like “Calvin and Hobbes,” “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” and even adult shows like “Supernatural” — which featured an episode about a main character’s childhood imaginary friend returning to teach him valuable lessons as an adult — portray the inventors of imaginary friends as outgoing and creative. It just goes to show that letting the imagination run wild not only encourages healthy development but can also lead to lots of fun. THE POWER OF PRETEND IMAGINARY FRIENDS PROMOTE REAL LIFE SKILLS

When Stacy Coleman was younger, she always had an

interest in dentistry. As a child, she had problems with her teeth, which led to a fascination with getting those problems corrected. Every visit to the dentist was exciting for her, as she was eager to learn more about what they did and how they could help her obtain a brilliant smile. “And it escalated from there,” Stacy says. “When I was older, choosing dentistry as my profession was a natural choice.”

When she entered school, Stacy found herself drawn toward a different area of dentistry than she expected. “Originally, I thought I would be involved with dental sales and even got a marketing degree,” Stacy explains, “but I kept finding myself pulled toward the clinical aspect of the dentistry field, so I just kind of stayed there. I’ve been doing dentistry for over 20 years, and I’ve never had one dull moment in the work I do. It’s wonderful.” Stacy has been part of our team here at Beaumont Family Dentistry for the past five years. Working in our Lexington office as a dental assistant, she uses her expertise and passion for her work to ensure each of our patients receives the smile they need. “The best part about what I do here is seeing our happy patients and giving them a great and healthy smile. Ultimately, our focus is on patient care, and we do everything we can to ensure that. But I also really enjoy building relationships with them. It’s really nice when they keep coming back, and I get to know them.” Working beside the entire team — Carol, Maddy, Panda, Whitney, Katie, and Natalie — Stacy feels right at home. “Everyone works really well together; we all know the routine and how to follow it. Every morning, we get together and plan our day to make sure everyone knows what to do or where to help. Even if some of us are technically only one doctor’s assistant, we never hesitate to jump in to help when we see someone needs an extra hand.” Each of our team members at our Lexington office and TMJ and Sleep Dentistry Center is a dedicated individual just like Stacy. They are here to help you with all your dental and oral health needs.

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