We tried the musical toothbrush too, but honestly it just seemed to overstimulate my daughter—she ended up more hyper and less cooperative. Instead, we found that brushing alongside her quietly helped ease her anxiety. She also preferred milder flavors like watermelon or apple; mint was definitely a no-go. Every kid's different though, so it's really about finding what clicks for yours... trial and error for sure.
"Every kid's different though, so it's really about finding what clicks for yours... trial and error for sure."
Definitely agree with this. My son hated mint too—said it was "spicy," lol. You're doing great figuring out what works...it's all about patience and small victories.
Mine thought strawberry toothpaste was "yucky" at first too... took weeks before she'd even try it again. Have you found anything budget-friendly that helps make brushing less stressful? It's tough, but you're doing better than you think.
Mine went through something similar with mint toothpaste—acted like it was poison at first, haha. One thing that really helped us was turning brushing into a game. We'd count teeth together or pretend we were "tickling" the teeth with the brush. Sounds silly, but it shifted things from stressful to playful pretty quickly. You're definitely not alone in this struggle... toddlers are notoriously picky, but you're doing great by staying patient and consistent. Hang in there, it'll get easier soon enough.
We had a similar experience, and I totally agree about turning brushing into something playful—it really does help ease the tension. Counting teeth worked pretty well for us too, but we also introduced a little mirror so our toddler could watch herself brush. She got super fascinated by seeing what was happening in her mouth, and it seemed to distract her from the toothpaste taste she initially hated.
One thing I'd add is that sometimes the mint flavor can be a bit intense for toddlers. We switched to a mild fruit-flavored toothpaste at first, and it made a noticeable difference. After she got comfortable with brushing regularly, we gradually transitioned back to mint (just mixing tiny amounts at first). It took some patience, but now she doesn't mind mint at all.
Also, I found that letting her pick out her own toothbrush at the store gave her a sense of control. She chose one with her favorite cartoon character on it, and suddenly brushing wasn't just tolerable—it became something she actually looked forward to. Toddlers love feeling independent, even in small ways like this.
You're definitely on the right track with patience and consistency. Toddlers go through phases so quickly, and what seems impossible one week can become routine the next. Hang in there... you're doing great.
