Flavored flossers can definitely help, at least initially. My kids went through a strawberry phase that lasted a good couple of months. But honestly, the novelty does wear off eventually—kids are fickle creatures, after all, haha. What I've found works better long-term is making flossing part of a consistent routine rather than relying solely on flavors or gimmicks.
Here's what worked for us: First, we started flossing together as a family every night. Kids tend to mimic what they see, so if you're flossing too, it normalizes the habit. Second, we made it into a mini-game—like counting teeth or seeing who could floss the longest without giggling (spoiler alert: no one ever won that one). And third, we kept rotating the flossers—sometimes flavored, sometimes character-themed, sometimes just plain ones—to keep things interesting.
So yeah, flavored flossers are a good starting point, but mixing things up and making flossing a fun, regular habit seems to be the key to long-term success.
Have you tried just letting them pick out their own floss at the store? My grandkids got way more into it when they felt like it was their choice. Flavors and games are fine, but sometimes simple autonomy does the trick.
Letting them choose definitely helps. My daughter used to hate flossing until I let her pick out this sparkly unicorn floss—honestly, I thought it was silly, but she loved it and started flossing regularly. Sometimes it's just about giving them a little control...even if it's glittery unicorns.
"Sometimes it's just about giving them a little control...even if it's glittery unicorns."
Haha, totally get this! My son went through a similar phase, except instead of unicorns it was superhero floss picks. Honestly, I thought they were overpriced bits of plastic at first, but hey, whatever works right? He'd spend ages deciding between Spider-Man and Batman each night—like it was some life-altering decision—but the important thing was he started flossing regularly without me nagging him.
Another thing that helped us was making flossing part of our bedtime story routine. I'd read a page or two, pause for flossing (dramatic pause included), and then finish the story afterward. It became like a little ritual he actually looked forward to. Weirdly enough, now he's older and outgrown the superhero picks (sadly), but the habit stuck around.
I think you're spot on about giving them some control though. Kids don't get to decide much in their daily routines, so even something small like picking out their own floss can feel like a big deal to them. Plus, let's face it—sparkly unicorn floss sounds way more fun than plain minty string anyway.
Has anyone else tried turning flossing into a game or challenge? We had a "flossing streak" calendar on the fridge for a while...it worked wonders until he lost interest after about two months. Still, two months of solid flossing isn't bad at all in my book.
Anyway, kudos to you for finding something that works—even if it is glittery unicorns. Whatever gets those tiny teeth clean is a win in my book.
"Another thing that helped us was making flossing part of our bedtime story routine."
That's a clever approach. My grandkids stayed with me last summer, and I found that turning flossing into a mini science lesson worked surprisingly well. We'd floss, then I'd explain how plaque builds up or why cavities form...they were fascinated (or maybe just humoring me, ha). Either way, they kept it up without much fuss. It's amazing how kids respond when you make something routine into something interesting.
