"Kids really do copy us more than we realize—even when we wish they wouldn't..."
Haha, isn't that the truth? My son started flossing regularly only after he saw me doing it every night. Still not perfect, but hey, baby steps...and fewer dentist lectures for both of us.
That's great your son picked it up from watching you. Modeling definitely helps, but sometimes kids need a bit more motivation. When I had braces, flossing was a huge pain, so my mom got me those flavored floss picks—sounds silly, but it actually made flossing less of a chore. Maybe try letting him pick out his own floss or picks next time you're shopping? Little things like that can make a surprising difference...
"Maybe try letting him pick out his own floss or picks next time you're shopping?"
This is spot-on advice. Giving kids a sense of control really helps. Ever tried making it into a game or challenge with rewards? Sometimes a little competition or incentive goes a long way...
When my grandkids visited last summer, I tried something similar—letting them choose their own floss flavors. Worked surprisingly well, actually. But now you've got me wondering...does the novelty wear off eventually, or does it stick long-term?
We've done flavored floss at our house too, and honestly...it does kinda lose its charm after a while. My kids were all excited at first—bubblegum, watermelon, you name it—but after a few months, it became just another routine thing. What really helped long-term was pairing flossing with something else they already enjoyed, like storytime or music before bed. Flavors are great starters, but building it into their routine is what makes it stick.
