I totally relate to what you’re saying about having to keep things interesting. My youngest was the same—if I tried to just say “time to brush,” she’d look at me like I was asking her to eat broccoli for dessert. We went through a phase where she’d only brush if we pretended her toothbrush was a spaceship and her teeth were planets that needed “cleaning up.” It was honestly exhausting some nights, but if I skipped the act, she’d clamp her mouth shut and that was that.
I remember thinking, “Aren’t kids supposed to just get used to this after a while?” But it never happened for us, at least not quickly. I do think personality plays a big part. My older son was fine with the routine after a couple weeks, but his sister…nope. She needed the variety, and honestly, I did too because it kept me from losing my patience.
One thing that helped us was letting her choose her own toothbrush every few months. Even if it meant going to the store and standing in the dental aisle for way too long while she debated between unicorns and dinosaurs. Sometimes it was a pain, but it made her feel like she had some control over the whole thing.
Now that she’s older and has braces like me, she’s finally more consistent—probably because she knows skipping isn’t an option anymore. But I still remember those days of singing silly songs and making up stories just to get through two minutes. It’s not always sustainable, like you said, but sometimes you’ve gotta do what works for your kid, even if it means brushing feels more like improv theater than a routine.
That whole “brushing as improv theater” thing hit home for me. My daughter went through a phase where she’d only brush if I did a different silly voice every night—sometimes I was a pirate, sometimes a robot, once even a grumpy old troll (which, to be fair, is how I felt some evenings). If I tried to just do the routine straight, she’d give me that look—like, “Nice try, but not tonight.” It’s wild how much energy it takes just to get through two minutes.
I used to wonder if we were making it harder on ourselves by turning brushing into such a production. Like, maybe if I just stuck to my guns and kept it boring, she’d eventually cave? But honestly, that never worked for us either. She’s stubborn in her own way. The only thing that seemed to help was switching things up—new toothbrushes, letting her pick the toothpaste flavor (we’ve had some questionable ones), and sometimes even letting her brush my teeth first just to get her in the mood.
I totally agree about personality making such a difference. My nephew is the type who’ll follow any rule without question—he’s been brushing solo since he was three and never complains. Meanwhile, my kid needs novelty or she’ll flat-out refuse. I used to feel like maybe I was doing something wrong because it wasn’t “easy,” but hearing other people say they’ve had similar struggles makes me feel better about it.
One thing that surprised me—when we started using those little disclosing tablets that turn plaque pink or purple? That actually made brushing kind of fun for her. She loved seeing the color and then trying to brush it all away. Not saying it works for everyone, but it bought us a few weeks of less resistance.
It’s definitely not sustainable long-term to keep up with all the theatrics every night, but you do what you have to in the moment. And yeah... now that she’s older, it’s not nearly as big of a deal. But man, those early years were something else.
I get the whole “make it a game” thing with kids, but honestly, sometimes I wonder if we’re setting ourselves up for more drama down the line. Back in my day (yeah, here comes the old timer story), my folks just told me to brush and that was that. No pirates, no robots, no purple tablets—just a firm “do it or no cartoons.” Did I love it? Nope. But eventually, it just became a habit.
Now, I’m not saying the old ways were perfect—half my generation ended up with fillings galore. But I do think there’s something to be said for not making brushing *too* entertaining. My grandkids expect a Broadway show every time they pick up a toothbrush. If I don’t do the silly song, they act like I’ve ruined their evening. Makes me wonder if we’re teaching them that brushing is this big event, instead of just another thing you do to take care of yourself.
That said, I get why parents do it. Those little ones can be stubborn as mules. And sure, I’ve done my share of silly faces and monster voices just to get through the bedtime routine when I’m visiting. But sometimes I try to sneak in a “let’s just brush together and get it done” night, just to see if the novelty’s worn off. Usually ends with a pout or two, but every once in a while, they surprise me.
I guess what I’m saying is, maybe we don’t give kids enough credit for being able to handle boring routines. If you keep switching things up all the time, they might start expecting constant entertainment, and that’s a tough bar to keep raising. Then again, maybe I’m just grumpy because I never got bubblegum toothpaste as a kid.
Either way, I agree—the early years are wild. You do what keeps your sanity intact, but don’t feel bad if you need to dial it back now and then. Teeth still get clean, even without pirate voices... most of the time.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve noticed with my daughter that “just do it” didn’t really work for us—she’d fight it every time. When we started making it fun, it wasn’t about turning brushing into a big deal, but more about getting over the initial resistance. Once she got used to the routine (with a few silly songs here and there), we slowly dialed back the theatrics. Now, she brushes without much fuss most nights.
“maybe we don’t give kids enough credit for being able to handle boring routines.”
Totally fair point, but sometimes a little creativity at first makes the habit stick long-term. I figure as long as we’re not making every single night a production, they’ll adjust just fine.
“maybe we don’t give kids enough credit for being able to handle boring routines.”
Yeah, I get that, but honestly, I’ve seen the same thing with my twins—if it’s just “do it because I said so,” they dig in their heels. Making it playful at first totally lowered the drama. Once the habit was set, we could drop the circus act. I think it’s less about underestimating kids and more about meeting them where they’re at developmentally. Sometimes you gotta pick your battles, right?