It’s kind of funny how much they notice, even when you think they’re not paying attention. My youngest used to just stare at me brushing, and I never thought much of it. Then one day, he asked if he could “make his teeth shiny” like mine. I’ve tried a few tricks, but honestly, what’s worked best is just making it a low-pressure thing—no timers or songs every single night (though we do those sometimes for fun).
One step that’s helped: I let him pick out his own toothbrush and toothpaste. He went for the weirdest flavor possible, but hey, he brushes without a fuss now. If he asks off-the-wall questions—like why toothpaste foams up—I’ll do my best to answer, but mostly I just let those moments happen. It seems like the less I make it a “battle,” the more willing he is.
I used to worry about whether he was doing it right every time, but now I figure consistency matters more than perfection. Kids really do mirror what they see...even if you think they're not listening half the time.
Letting them pick their own toothbrush is genius—my kid picked a neon green one with a dinosaur on it, and now he acts like he’s brushing with a magic wand. I used to get all stressed about technique too, but honestly, I’ve realized as long as we’re getting the basics in, it’s a win. I tried those fancy “toothbrushing apps” for a while, but after the third time my phone nearly dove into the sink, I called it quits.
I hear you on the weird toothpaste flavors—mine grabbed “bubblegum explosion” and I couldn’t even be mad because hey, at least he’s not fighting me about it. I’m also on a tight budget, so I just keep an eye out for sales and stock up when I can.
It’s funny how sometimes the less you push, the more they want to do it. I figure if he’s brushing in the morning and before bed most days, we’re ahead of where I was at his age...and my mom still has stories about chasing me around with a toothbrush.
Letting kids pick their own toothbrush really does work wonders. My youngest went for one with a glittery handle and unicorns—suddenly brushing was her “special time.” I used to stress about the perfect brushing technique, but honestly, just getting her to do it willingly felt like a win. I’ve actually never had much luck with those apps either...they just became another thing to argue over. At the end of the day, if she’s brushing without a meltdown, I count that as progress.
Letting them pick their own toothbrush is a game-changer, I agree. My daughter went through a phase where she’d only brush if her toothbrush had dinosaurs on it—didn’t matter how “good” the brush was, just that it had T-Rexes. I used to get hung up on technique too, but honestly, if they’re brushing without a battle, that’s half the battle won. Those apps never worked for us either...they just made things more complicated than they needed to be. Sometimes you’ve just got to pick your battles and celebrate the small wins.
I get where you’re coming from about picking your battles, but I sometimes wonder if letting kids call all the shots with brushing is the right way to go. When my grandkids visit, they love picking out the wildest brushes—unicorns, superheroes, you name it—but I’ve noticed they’ll still try to rush through brushing, or just chew on the bristles and call it done. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help worrying that if we focus too much on making it “fun,” we might be missing the point about actually cleaning their teeth properly.
Back when my own kids were little, we didn’t have all these apps or fancy brushes. We used to make up silly songs and brush together. It wasn’t perfect, but at least I could keep an eye on their technique. I know it’s tempting to let things slide for the sake of peace, but sometimes I think a little supervision goes a long way—even if it means a few more arguments here and there. Anyone else feel like we’re letting convenience win out over good habits?
