Honestly, I think the rewards were more about keeping my daughter from staging a full-on toothbrushing protest than actually teaching her lifelong habits. She loved the app for like a week—then it was back to me doing my best stand-up routine just to get her to brush. As for brushing quality, I didn’t notice a huge difference between the fancy features and just using a timer. Maybe a little more enthusiasm at first, but it faded fast. Kids, right?
She loved the app for like a week—then it was back to me doing my best stand-up routine just to get her to brush.
That made me laugh—pretty sure I’ve done my fair share of “toothbrushing comedy hour” too. I totally get what you mean about the novelty wearing off. My son was obsessed with the rewards at first, but then he started negotiating for extra bedtime stories instead of brushing longer... so yeah, the motivation shifted fast.
Honestly, I didn’t see a dramatic difference between Sonicare and Oral-B either. We tried both, and the apps were cute, but after a while it was back to me hovering in the doorway, timer in hand, making weird animal noises just to keep him brushing. I do think the vibrations helped him get used to brushing on his own, but I wouldn’t say it magically solved things long-term.
I guess for us, it’s been more about finding what keeps things from turning into a total meltdown each night. Sometimes that’s a fancy brush, sometimes it’s just letting him pick his own toothpaste flavor (bubblegum is apparently life-changing). It’s definitely a process… and some days are just better than others.
Bubblegum toothpaste is a total game-changer at our house too—who knew? I get what you’re saying about the apps. My daughter got bored after a few days and now she just wants to see how much foam she can make. Some nights, I feel like I’m auditioning for a clown show just to get through it. But hey, as long as those teeth get clean... whatever works, right?
I totally feel you on the clown show thing... some nights it’s like, whatever gets us through, right? Honestly, if bubblegum toothpaste keeps her brushing, that’s a win in my book. The apps lost their sparkle for us too after a while. It’s not always picture-perfect, but those little routines add up. You’re definitely not alone in the nightly circus—hang in there.
Bubblegum toothpaste is basically the only reason my kid even acknowledges toothbrushing exists, so I hear you. The apps were fun for like, a week, and now it’s just background noise while he tries to brush his stuffed dinosaur’s “teeth” instead of his own. Anyone else notice if one brush makes the nightly chaos any less... chaotic? Like, does Sonicare actually help with getting them to do a decent job or is it just another gadget collecting dust?
