by Troop Atomic Mommy
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Almost every parent finds it difficult to convince their child to brush their teeth at least twice a day. Some parents might even struggle to get their child to brush once a day without some serious complaining and reminding.
For some reason, kids are really against brushing their teeth and they really need to be coaxed into it. Luckily, there are a number of ways to motivate your children to remember to brush their teeth regularly, and here’s how you can do just that.
#1 Have a little activity to go along with brushing their teeth
One of the reasons children hate brushing their teeth is because they just find it boring. Brushing their teeth for even two minutes might seem like nothing, but to your children, it’s just dull and they’ll get bored really quickly. Try and play some music while they brush, let them watch YouTube on your smartphone, or encourage them to do a little dance and get active while brushing. This can help make it seem less boring and is a great way to convince your children to brush their teeth more often.
#2 Let your child know all about good hygiene
Sometimes, all it takes to convince your child to brush their teeth more often is to teach them about good hygiene. Let them know what happens to their teeth if they don’t brush, and warn them about the consequences they may face in the future.
The act of teaching your toddler about good hygiene is important, but they really need to sit down and try to understand what you’re telling them. For the visual learners, it’s best to have pictures that you can show them. This can be an ugly way to motivate them to brush their teeth, but a picture can offer a valuable learning experience.
#3 Find a great dentist for your child
It’s important for your child to have a great dentist as well. A good dentist can make all the difference and could be the key to convincing your child to brush more often and take care of their teeth. We suggest looking at reputable dental offices around your local area. Doing a Google search for dental offices, like https://www.southridge-dental.com/, can be a good place to start. You can also ask for recommendations from your friends and family members.
#4 Let your kids have more freedom when picking their toothbrushes and toothpaste
There are a plethora of kid-friendly toothbrushes and toothpastes out there that you can choose from. The point of this activity is to make brushing teeth a little more fun and interesting.
They can get fun and yummy flavored toothpaste. They can get toothbrushes with well-loved characters on them, like Marvel or Disney. A little bit of coaxing can go a long way with your kids. So, the next time you’re out shopping with your child, try and convince them to pick their own dental supplies.
The Takeaway
Getting kids to brush their teeth does not have to be a daunting task. As you’ve read, there are a ton of great ideas to convince them on how fun and amazing it is to brush their teeth.
Sure, it might take a bit of habit creating mixed with a bit of bribing, but they’re kids. If getting them to brush their teeth more often means letting them pick their own designer toothbrush, have a meet and greet with their dentist, and allowing YouTube during brushing… then it’s definitely a win-win for us parents!