"It became less about the floss itself and more about the bonding moment."
This is such a great insight. I've seen this work with a lot of families at our practice—kids respond really well when flossing becomes part of a comforting routine rather than just another chore. Another thing that's helped some parents is letting their child pick out their own flossers or toothbrushes with favorite characters or colors. Small choices can give kids a sense of control and make them feel more invested in the habit...but yeah, every kid's different, so it's always trial and error.
I get the bonding thing, but honestly, some kids just aren't into it no matter what. My grandkids picked out their own flossers—had the superhero ones and everything...still didn't make much difference. Maybe it's just personality or something? I kinda think you can't always make flossing fun, sometimes it's just gotta be one of those things you grit your teeth and do anyway. But hey, if it works for others, that's great.
I hear you on the superhero flossers—my daughter had the princess ones, glittery handles and all, but after a week she was totally over it. Have you tried flossing together at night? I found that when I started flossing alongside her, without making a big deal about it, she kinda accepted it as part of the bedtime routine. Not saying it turned into her favorite thing ever (far from it), but at least the whining toned down a bit. Maybe some kids just respond better when they see adults doing it regularly too? Or maybe it's just luck...who knows. Either way, you're right—sometimes it's just one of those things they've gotta get used to, fun or not.
We've tried flossing together too, and honestly, it does help a bit. My son was initially excited about the dinosaur flossers, but after a few days, they lost their charm. I started flossing casually next to him without making it a big deal, and he seemed less resistant—though still not thrilled. I guess kids just pick up on our habits more than we realize...or maybe it's just luck like you said. Either way, glad to know I'm not alone in this struggle!
We've been through the dinosaur flossers phase too—funny how quickly the novelty wears off, right? My daughter was all about the glittery princess ones for about a week, then they were suddenly "boring." What actually worked for us (at least somewhat) was letting her pick out her own floss at the store. I gave her a small budget and let her choose whichever floss she wanted—bubblegum flavor, neon colors, whatever. She seemed way more invested when it was her own choice. Of course, some days are still a struggle, but hey, progress is progress.
Honestly though, I think you're onto something with just casually flossing next to him. Kids really do copy us more than we realize—even when we wish they wouldn't...like when they repeat our not-so-great habits in front of company, haha. Hang in there, sounds like you're doing great!
