Haha, the counting thing never worked for us either. My son would just stare me down like he knew I was bluffing (which, let's be honest, I totally was). Singing sounds like a good idea though—wish I'd thought of that earlier. We ended up using a toothbrush timer app with little cartoon characters that dance around for two minutes. It was cute at first, but after a while, even that lost its charm.
One thing that did help us was letting him pick out his own toothbrush and toothpaste at the store. Sounds simple, but giving him some control over the process made him weirdly excited about brushing. He chose this bright green dinosaur brush and bubblegum-flavored toothpaste (which smells awful to me, but hey, whatever works). Now he actually reminds me when it's time to brush his teeth... go figure.
I do wonder though—does anyone else worry about making toothbrushing too much of a game or distraction? Like, at some point they'll have to just brush normally without songs or apps or whatever. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I sometimes wonder if we're setting ourselves up for trouble later on when the novelty wears off. Curious if anyone else has thought about this or had experience transitioning from "fun brushing" to regular brushing routines as their kids got older.
I totally get the concern about relying too much on games or apps, but honestly, I wouldn't stress too much about it. In my experience, making brushing fun early on creates positive habits rather than dependency. As kids grow, their routines naturally evolve—just like they eventually ditch training wheels or bedtime stories. Gradually scaling back the "fun" elements usually happens organically. If anything, you've set a solid foundation for brushing regularly, and that's a huge win by itself.
"Gradually scaling back the 'fun' elements usually happens organically."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've seen plenty of little ones who started off brushing with singing toothbrushes or cartoon apps, and guess what... eventually they just transitioned naturally to regular brushing without any fuss. Kids are surprisingly adaptable, and as long as they're brushing consistently, you're golden.
Honestly, the bigger challenge I see at work isn't kids becoming dependent on games—it's parents worrying themselves sick over every little thing (totally understandable, btw!). You're doing great by making brushing enjoyable early on. Trust me, the real battle is getting teens to floss regularly... now that's a whole other story, haha.
My little one used to be terrified of the toothbrush—full-on tears every night. We tried everything from singing brushes to stickers, and honestly, I worried we'd never get past it. Eventually though, one night she just grabbed the regular brush herself and started brushing quietly. Like you said, kids adapt way better than we give them credit for... sometimes we parents just need to breathe and trust it'll sort itself out naturally. Easier said than done, I know!
We went through something similar with my nephew. He hated brushing so much that bedtime became a nightly drama. My sister tried everything too—funny toothbrushes, flavored toothpaste, even brushing her own teeth alongside him. Nothing worked until she just backed off a bit and let him take control. Kids really do surprise us when we least expect it... sometimes stepping back and giving them space is exactly what they need. Glad things turned around for you!
