- Totally get the disappearing brush head thing... I keep finding them in weird places (one turned up in the LEGO bin last week?).
- We tried electric for my youngest because she thought it was fun, but honestly, she just ended up playing with it and pretending to brush more than actually brushing.
- Manual brushes seem easier for us. They're cheaper, and I don’t get as stressed when one goes missing or gets chewed on (why do kids do that?).
- The reminders are still constant either way. I’ve started using a silly timer app—sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.
- I’m tempted by the “cool” factor of electric, but for now, manual is less hassle and less $$ for us. Maybe when they’re older and not so distracted by the buttons...
I get the appeal of manual brushes—definitely cheaper and less stress if they vanish or get wrecked. But honestly, we found electric brushes (the basic, non-fancy ones) actually helped my oldest brush longer. She’s not a fan of brushing, so the vibration at least gets her to do a half-decent job even if she’s distracted. The upfront cost was a bit more, but we just swap heads (when we can find them, haha). For us, it’s a tradeoff: slightly more hassle, but better brushing overall.
That’s pretty much our experience too—manuals are easier on the wallet, but the electric ones actually get my kid to brush for more than ten seconds. The novelty factor helps, I think. Swapping out brush heads is a pain though... why are they always out of stock?
Swapping out brush heads is a pain though... why are they always out of stock?
I actually went the total opposite way and ditched the electric one after the third meltdown over a “weird” buzzing feeling. My kid treats brushing like an Olympic sprint, electric or not. We just stick stickers on the manual brush and cross our fingers... at least I never have to hunt for brush heads in the wild.
We just stick stickers on the manual brush and cross our fingers... at least I never have to hunt for brush heads in the wild.
Honestly, the sticker trick is genius. I keep trying to sell my kid on the “cool” factor of electric brushes, but he’s more interested in the Paw Patrol sticker than any fancy features. Brush head stock issues drive me nuts too—why are they always sold out when you actually need them? Manual brushes might be less techy, but at least you can grab one anywhere, anytime.
