Did you ever try making flossing into a game or challenge? That was the trick for my stubborn nephew—he loved keeping score.
Yeah, turning it into a challenge usually works way better than just nagging. I’ve seen some families do sticker charts or little prizes for consistency. Group routines help too, but honestly, I get a little nervous about making it too competitive—sometimes kids get discouraged if they “lose.” Still, anything that gets them flossing regularly is a win in my book.
- Agreed, competition can be a double-edged sword. I’ve seen sticker charts backfire—my niece got so bummed when she missed a day that she almost quit entirely.
- What’s worked best for us:
• Letting the kids pick their own floss (those crazy dinosaur-shaped ones are a hit).
• Using a timer or a short song—keeps things light and gives them something to focus on besides “Am I doing this right?”
• Occasional small rewards, but nothing major. Sometimes just letting them stay up an extra 5 minutes if they’ve flossed all week.
- I’m with you on group routines. Makes it feel less like a chore and more like just “what we do.”
- One thing I’d add: modeling the behavior. When my son saw me flossing every night (even when I was tired), he started reminding me if I forgot… tables turned.
Not every trick works for every kid, but mixing it up seems to keep things from getting stale. And yeah, as long as the floss is moving, I’m happy.
Letting kids pick their own flossers is genius—my nephew’s obsessed with the shark ones. I’m in braces right now, and honestly, even as an adult, I find myself wanting the fun colors just to make it less of a drag. Have you ever tried letting them “floss” your teeth as a joke? My niece thought it was hilarious and started taking it way more seriously after that. Does anyone else feel like modeling works better than any kind of reward chart? For us, seeing me struggle with my braces routine actually made them more willing to try.
I totally get what you mean about modeling—my little cousin was way more into flossing after she saw me awkwardly trying to figure out those little floss picks (I’m new to all this dental stuff, too). She thought it was hilarious when I kept dropping them, but now she actually reminds me to do it. I tried a sticker chart for her once and it just turned into a sticker collection, not much flossing. I think seeing adults struggle a bit makes it less intimidating for kids, honestly.
That’s funny about the sticker chart—I tried something similar with my nephew and he just stuck the stickers all over his toy box instead of using them for flossing. I wonder if it’s more about the shared moment than the actual reward? Has anyone had luck with making it into a silly game or challenge?
