Progress over perfection—can’t argue with that. I remember when my own kids were little, it was a small miracle if we made it through toothbrushing without someone staging a protest. Now with grandkids, I’ve learned to just pick my battles. If they’re brushing, I’m not sweating whether it’s with a singing unicorn brush or the “fancy” electric one.
Funny thing, my youngest granddaughter is all about the routine at the dentist, too. She’ll open wide and let them do their thing, but at home? Suddenly she’s the boss, and heaven help us if we try to use the wrong toothpaste or brush. I used to think the electric ones were supposed to be more fun for kids, but turns out, it’s only fun if they actually want to use it. Go figure.
I do think giving them some control makes all the difference. My daughter lets her little one pick a new toothbrush every few months—sometimes it’s a manual one with glitter in the handle, sometimes it’s an electric one that lights up. Either way, as long as there’s no meltdown and those teeth get cleaned, I call that a win.
And honestly, I still prefer my old-school manual brush. The electric ones always feel like they’re rattling my fillings loose. Maybe I’m just set in my ways... or maybe it’s nostalgia for when things were simpler (and quieter). Either way, you’re right—it’s not about doing it perfectly every time, just about building good habits without turning it into World War III in the bathroom.
Kids are stubborn little creatures, but they keep us on our toes.
Totally relate to the “pick your battles” approach. My daughter’s only five, but I swear, she could negotiate peace treaties if she put her mind to it—at least when it comes to brushing her teeth. We started with a manual brush because that’s what I grew up with, but she wasn’t having it for long. The electric one was a hit for about a week (the lights and noises were a novelty), then suddenly she decided it was “too buzzy” and went back to her Elsa manual brush. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but honestly, just getting her to brush at all feels like an accomplishment some days.
I’ve wondered if the electric brushes actually clean better for kids who aren’t so thorough, or if it’s more about what they’ll use without a fuss. Anyone else notice their kids switching preferences all the time? It’s like every month is a new phase—first glitter handles, then cartoon characters, then back to basics.
I’m with you on the manual brushes for myself. Those electric ones make my teeth feel weird, and let’s be real, I’m already anxious enough in the dentist chair without adding extra vibrations at home. But maybe I’m just old-fashioned or stuck in my ways.
Does anyone else stress about whether their kid is brushing “well enough”? I keep hearing about cavities in baby teeth and it freaks me out. My dentist said as long as she’s brushing twice a day and we help out sometimes, it’s fine... but I still worry. Do you let your kids do it themselves or always supervise? Sometimes I feel like I’m hovering too much, but then again, when she does it alone there’s toothpaste everywhere except her mouth.
At the end of the day, as long as there are no tears and the teeth get some attention, I guess that counts as progress. But man, whoever said parenting would be easy clearly never tried wrangling a stubborn five-year-old at bedtime.
My six-year-old is basically a toothbrush connoisseur at this point. We’ve gone through so many—one month it’s Paw Patrol, next it’s “the sparkly purple one,” then suddenly she insists on the plainest brush in the pack. The electric one lasted about three days before she declared it “too loud for her brain.” I do still step in to help at least once a day, because if I don’t, she ends up brushing her lips more than her teeth. I get the worry about cavities, but honestly, if we get through the bedtime routine with minimal drama, I call that a win.
- Totally get the “toothbrush connoisseur” thing. My kid’s the same—if it’s not themed or sparkly, apparently it’s not even a toothbrush.
- We tried electric too. It was a bust. He said it “tickled his brain” and refused after day two. I guess the noise and vibration just aren’t for every kid.
- Manual brushes seem to work best for us, but only if he picks them out himself. If I buy in bulk, he’ll ignore them until there’s a “cool one” left.
- I still have to supervise or take over at least once a day. Otherwise, he does this weird side-to-side motion and misses half his teeth. Not sure how anyone expects a six-year-old to be thorough on their own.
- Not gonna lie, sometimes I let technique slide if it means less drama before bed. A quick once-over is better than a meltdown.
- On the plus side, we’ve avoided cavities so far... but I feel like it’s mostly luck and fluoride toothpaste doing the heavy lifting.
- Anyone else notice that the “fun” brushes actually make things go smoother, even if they don’t last long?
My youngest is all about the “fun” brushes too—if it doesn’t have a dinosaur or glitter, it’s basically invisible. The electric ones were a total fail for us. Too noisy, too much vibration, and he said it felt “weird in his head.” Manual seems to be the only way, but yeah, technique is a struggle. I’m with you—sometimes I just accept a quick swipe if it means we avoid bedtime battles. Honestly, I think fluoride toothpaste is doing most of the work here... I just hope we’re not rolling the dice too much.
