Here’s what’s worked (sometimes, anyway) with my 4-year-old: I let him pick his own toothbrush at the store. He went for the Spiderman one, and you’d think it was a magic wand. We also put on his favorite song and make a game out of brushing until the song ends. Sometimes we even “race” to see who can get their teeth the cleanest (he always wins, somehow).
I’ve tried those disclosing tablets too—turns teeth purple where there’s plaque—and he thought that was hilarious. Not sure if it’s the best long-term solution, but it made him way more interested in brushing for a while.
Curious if anyone has tricks for flossing with kids? That’s where I’m struggling… he acts like I’m trying to lasso a wild animal. Any hacks or products people swear by?
Curious if anyone has tricks for flossing with kids? That’s where I’m struggling… he acts like I’m trying to lasso a wild animal. Any hacks or products people swear by?
Flossing is such a different beast, right? My daughter was the same way—she’d clamp her mouth shut and squirm like crazy. What finally helped us was those little animal-shaped flossers (the ones with handles shaped like dinosaurs or sea creatures). She still resists sometimes, but if she gets to “pick” which animal does the job, it goes a bit smoother.
I’m curious—has anyone tried letting their kid “floss” your teeth first? I read somewhere that giving them a turn can make it less intimidating, but I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet. Wondering if that just turns into a mess or actually helps them feel more in control.
I’m curious—has anyone tried letting their kid “floss” your teeth first? I read somewhere that giving them a turn can make it less intimidating, but I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet.
We actually did try this once with my son. He thought it was hilarious and, honestly, it did lighten the mood, but I ended up with a face full of drool. It didn’t exactly help him want to floss his own teeth, but he did stop fighting me as much after that. Has anyone tried using songs or timers for flossing, like people do for brushing? I wonder if making it a “challenge” would help or just drag things out.
Has anyone tried using songs or timers for flossing, like people do for brushing? I wonder if making it a “challenge” would help or just drag things out.
We’ve used timers for brushing, but I’ll admit, flossing is still a struggle. The timer helps keep things on track, but my daughter gets bored halfway through. I do think making it a challenge sometimes works—she likes to “beat the clock”—but other days, it just feels like an extra step and she loses interest. It’s definitely a balancing act.
We’ve used timers for brushing, but I’ll admit, flossing is still a struggle. The timer helps keep things on track, but my daughter gets bored halfway through.
Flossing is definitely the harder part here. My son’s not a fan either—he acts like the flossers are some kind of medieval torture device. I’ve tried the animal-shaped flossers from the drugstore, which are a little pricier than regular floss but at least he’ll tolerate them for a minute or two. Still, it feels like we’re burning through a box every week.
Honestly, I just aim for “good enough” most nights. If we get a few teeth done, I call it a win and don’t push too hard. The dentist said at this age, some effort is better than none, so that made me feel less guilty about not getting every tooth every time.
I’ve looked at those water flossers for kids but they’re kind of expensive and I’m not convinced he’d let me use it anyway. For now, we just stick with the cheap animal flossers and hope he grows out of the squirmy phase soon…
