Friday, September 27, 2019 7 Brooklin Town Crier For many kids, there comes a time when they need to get braces. Some are excited to get them, see them as a sign they're getting closer to teen years. My daughter was actually a little jealous when her friend got hers this summer. The truth of the matter is that she will likely need them, too, at some point. Other kids aren't so happy about them. Braces can have an impact on self-esteem, especially if the child is already self-conscious of their looks. But it's really all about how their support network reacts to the change in appearance. My daughter's friend was at first very conscious of her braces until my daughter told her how pretty she looked. She insisted we go out and buy her a treat to celebrate. It was lovely to see her little friend smile, flashing her new hardware with pride. Some families celebrate the milestone of getting their braces off after the straightening is complete. This is seen as a wonderful moment and often includes a new family picture to show off the handsome new smile. Braces are a common part of the tween and teen years. Look around a grade 7 class and you'll see a lot of smiles in transition. Yearbooks are full of such smiles. But I love looking at those same faces around high school graduation when those smiles are even more beautiful. Next time you meet a child dealing with new braces, remind them of how great they already look. Looking for a fun gift for a child just getting braces? Try the graphic novel "Smile" by Raina Telgemeier. It's a great story of a young girl's journey with braces. Braces Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Golf Tournament Raises Over $130,000 for Durham Hospice Whitby A recent golf tournament at Deer Creek in Ajax hosted by a group of local women aptly named, "Ladies Who Golf", raised in excess of $130,000 for Durham Hospice, Whitby location. The Hospice site will be located at Kathleen Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive in Whitby. Whitby council donated the land in 2017 and fundraising efforts are underway to build the needed ten bed hospice. "Golf Fore Good" will become an annual fundraising event hosted by these women who include Regional Councillors Elizabeth Roy and Rhonda Mulcahy. The women are already planning for next year's tournament and welcome anyone who would like to contribute to the event and/or the cause.