Honestly, sometimes I just brush my teeth next to him and act like it’s the most exciting part of my day… which is either very sad or very effective, depending on how you look at it.
This cracked me up because I do the exact same thing—my daughter gives me this “are you for real?” look every time. I swear the more I hype it up, the more suspicious she gets. The only thing that’s stuck is letting her brush my teeth (with supervision, obviously). She thinks it’s hilarious and then lets me do hers. Not sure if that’s a parenting win or just survival mode.
The only thing that’s stuck is letting her brush my teeth (with supervision, obviously). She thinks it’s hilarious and then lets me do hers.
That’s actually genius. My son’s always been way more invested in brushing when he feels like he’s “helping” me first. If I just hand him the brush and say, “your turn,” he’s suddenly got spaghetti arms. But if he gets to brush my teeth (or at least try), he’s all in. I used to think it was a weird workaround, but honestly, whatever gets the job done. The dentist said his teeth look great, so I’ll take it.
I get the appeal—kids love feeling in charge. But I’ve noticed with my niece that if she brushes my teeth first, she sometimes gets distracted and rushes through her own after.
For us, a sticker chart worked better long-term. She likes seeing her progress, and it keeps the routine focused on her teeth, not mine. Might not be as fun, but it’s been more consistent.“If I just hand him the brush and say, ‘your turn,’ he’s suddenly got spaghetti arms.”
She likes seeing her progress, and it keeps the routine focused on her teeth, not mine. Might not be as fun, but it’s been more consistent.
The sticker chart idea sounds practical. I get what you mean about “spaghetti arms”—my nephew just zones out if it’s his turn after helping me. The visual progress seems to keep him on task longer. I guess making it about their own teeth helps focus.
The sticker chart idea sounds practical. I get what you mean about “spaghetti arms”—my nephew just zones out if it’s his turn after helping me. The visual progress seems to keep him on task longer. I guess making it about their own teeth helps focus.
That’s been my experience, too. Kids really do tune out fast if it feels like they’re just tagging along with your routine, or if it’s too much about what you want, not what they’re doing themselves. I’ve seen way more buy-in when my daughter gets to track her own brushing—she’ll even remind me if I forget the sticker sometimes.
I know some folks say rewards like sticker charts aren’t sustainable long-term, but honestly, whatever gets them brushing consistently is a win in my book. The “visual progress” thing you mentioned is huge—just seeing those stickers add up gives them a sense of accomplishment, and that seems to matter at this age.
The “spaghetti arms” description made me laugh because yep, I’ve watched my son literally flop over the sink when he’s not interested. It’s wild how quickly they can lose steam if they don’t feel like it matters to them.
I tried making toothbrushing a group activity for a while, but it ended up being more distracting than helpful. Once we switched to focusing on each kid’s own progress (with their own chart), things got smoother—less arguing, more actual brushing.
Some days are still a struggle, but honestly? Consistency beats fun most of the time. If stickers or charts help keep things moving, I say stick with it.