My kid went through a bubblegum toothpaste obsession, then suddenly decided it was “gross” and would only use mint. We had a mini meltdown in the toothpaste aisle over a Paw Patrol tube once… Honestly, some nights I just give in if it means they’ll brush at all.
We had a similar saga with my oldest—first it was only the sparkly blue toothpaste, then suddenly that was “for babies” and he’d only tolerate anything that looked like what adults used. I get the meltdown thing... it’s wild how much power a cartoon character on a tube can have over your evening routine. Honestly, I’ve learned to pick my battles. If it takes letting him pick the flavor or even just using water some nights, I’ll do it. At least he’s brushing, you know?
Mouthwash is a total nonstarter here. Too “spicy,” apparently—even the ones labeled kid-friendly. I tried sneaking in those little fluoride rinses but got caught immediately. Sometimes you just gotta roll with what works and not stress if it’s not picture-perfect every night. Consistency matters more than the perfect product, at least in my experience.
Mouthwash is a total nonstarter here. Too “spicy,” apparently—even the ones labeled kid-friendly.
- Same here—mouthwash is like liquid fire to my youngest. Even the “bubblegum” ones are a no-go.
- Toothpaste is hit or miss, but if it’s got a robot or a dinosaur on it, it’s suddenly “the best ever.”
- Tried to gamify brushing with a timer app. Worked for a week, then back to negotiations.
- At this point, I just want them to brush. If that means “plain water night,” so be it. Dental hygiene shouldn’t feel like defusing a bomb... but sometimes, wow.
Dental hygiene shouldn’t feel like defusing a bomb... but sometimes, wow.
That line made me laugh—because honestly, it *does* feel like that some nights. I totally get the frustration when even the “kid-friendly” mouthwashes are a hard no. My own kid acted like I was trying to poison him with the watermelon one. I’ve come to terms with the fact that if toothpaste is dinosaur-branded and they’re actually brushing (even if it’s more about the dino than the fluoride), that’s still a win.
I wouldn’t stress too much about mouthwash at this age, especially if brushing is already a battle. Toothpaste and a decent brush job matter way more for kids. If it’s “plain water night,” that’s still better than nothing. Sometimes it’s just about picking your battles, right? In my experience, those little wins add up over time… even if you feel like you’re negotiating with a tiny, toothpaste-covered hostage negotiator half the week.
even if you feel like you’re negotiating with a tiny, toothpaste-covered hostage negotiator half the week.
That line is too real. My niece will literally clamp her mouth shut and run laps around the kitchen if she even *sees* the mouthwash bottle. I used to stress about it, but honestly, getting any paste on her teeth (dino or unicorn flavor) feels like a miracle at this point. You’re right—those little wins matter way more than we give ourselves credit for.
