That's awesome progress, and you're definitely on the right track. Reminds me of when my nephew was little—he absolutely hated brushing until my sister turned it into a game. She'd pretend his toothbrush was a spaceship zooming around his mouth, hunting for aliens (aka plaque, lol). Worked like a charm most nights. You're right though, it's all about those small victories...and eventually, it just becomes second nature. Hang in there, sounds like you're doing great!
"She'd pretend his toothbrush was a spaceship zooming around his mouth, hunting for aliens (aka plaque, lol)."
Haha, love this! I've seen so many parents get creative with brushing games—it really can make all the difference. I remember one patient who told me her daughter refused to open her mouth unless they sang the entire "Baby Shark" song while brushing. Can you imagine doing that twice a day, every day? But hey, whatever works.
You're totally right about small victories. Even in my practice, I remind parents it's not always about getting it perfect every time—just building that habit little by little makes a huge difference down the road. And trust me, we've all been there... my own son went through a stubborn phase where toothbrushes were apparently the enemy. Eventually, like you said, it just clicked and became second nature.
Sounds like you're handling things really well—keep celebrating those little wins. You're doing better than you probably realize!
Haha, the spaceship idea is adorable. Honestly, whatever gets the job done without tears is a win in my book. My niece went through a phase where she'd only brush if she could watch herself in the mirror making silly faces—turned brushing into a comedy routine every night. Did anyone else's kid have a weirdly specific brushing ritual like that? Curious what other quirky tricks parents have come up with...
That's quite amusing—I agree, whatever makes brushing less stressful is beneficial. My grandson insisted on naming his toothbrushes; apparently, "Mr. Bristles" was far superior to any ordinary brush. Curious how these rituals become so elaborate...
"My grandson insisted on naming his toothbrushes; apparently, 'Mr. Bristles' was far superior to any ordinary brush."
Haha, that's adorable... and honestly, pretty smart. Kids find comfort in rituals, right? My niece had a whole bedtime routine involving her stuffed bunny supervising toothbrushing. Whatever works to avoid the nightly battle is worth it.
