We tried flavored floss too, and yeah, same thing happened here. My daughter was super excited about strawberry flavor for maybe two weeks, then it just became another chore. What actually helped us was using a little sticker chart—she loves stickers, so it made flossing feel more like a fun game than a boring task. After a while, she didn't even need the chart anymore; it just became a habit. I like your idea about pairing it with storytime though...might try that if she ever starts slipping again. Thanks for sharing!
"What actually helped us was using a little sticker chart—she loves stickers, so it made flossing feel more like a fun game than a boring task."
Sticker charts worked wonders for us too, at least initially. But after a while, my son started losing interest again. We ended up switching to a kid-friendly flossing tool shaped like animals, and that seemed to rekindle his enthusiasm. Has anyone else tried these novelty flossers, and did they help sustain your child's interest long-term? Curious if it's just a short-lived novelty or actually effective...
We ended up switching to a kid-friendly flossing tool shaped like animals, and that seemed to rekindle his enthusiasm.
We gave those animal-shaped flossers a shot too, and honestly, they were a hit for longer than I expected. My daughter liked collecting the different animals, and she'd even make up little stories about them, which kept it fun for a good while. But eventually, the novelty did fade a bit. I think that's pretty typical with kids though—nothing stays exciting forever, right?
What ended up working better long-term was just mixing things up regularly. Sometimes we'd bring back sticker charts briefly, other times we'd let her pick out a new toothbrush or floss flavor herself. One thing I've noticed is that keeping her involved in choosing how we approach flossing seems to help maintain her interest the most. Maybe it's less about the specific tool or method and more about giving them some control over the process? Just my two cents...
Haha, we tried those animal flossers too—my son turned them into a full-on puppet theater in the bathroom sink. Fun times, but yeah, novelty wore off quick. Now we just rotate through random gimmicks to keep things fresh...parenting, amirite?
We cycle through gimmicks too, but honestly, the best trick I've found is just flossing together. My daughter used to resist big-time until I started flossing alongside her—now it's our nightly ritual. No fancy gadgets needed, just some cheap floss and a little patience. Saves money too, which is always a plus in my book...
