One thing that actually worked for my 6-year-old was pretending his toothbrush was a superhero fighting off “cavity monsters.” We even made up little voices for the germs, which he found hilarious. Sometimes we race to see who can brush all their teeth “sparkly clean” first (spoiler: I always lose). Anyone else have goofy tricks or games that make oral hygiene less of a struggle?
We got into using a toothbrushing app that plays music and has these goofy little monsters you “defeat” as you brush. My kiddo’s obsessed with unlocking new songs, so it’s like a mini dance party in the bathroom every night. Tech for the win, honestly.
I get the appeal of those apps—anything that gets kids brushing is a win. But I do wonder if relying too much on screens or music every time might make it tough when you want them to brush without the tech. My youngest got so used to a timer song that when we forgot the phone, he flat-out refused to brush. We ended up switching to a sticker chart and some silly made-up stories, just to mix things up. Sometimes low-tech works just as well...
We ran into something similar when my twins got hooked on a brushing video with dancing sharks—fun at first, but then it became a meltdown if I didn’t have my phone handy. I ended up setting a kitchen timer and pretending it was the “tooth fairy’s clock,” which weirdly worked just as well (and saved my phone battery). It’s funny how sometimes the old-school tricks are less stressful and, honestly, cheaper in the long run.
We ran into something similar when my twins got hooked on a brushing video with dancing sharks—fun at first, but then it became a meltdown if I didn’t have my phone handy.
That tooth fairy’s clock idea is genius—wish I’d thought of that before my kid decided only “robot voice” instructions would get him brushing. I’ve tried singing the silliest made-up songs (usually about broccoli, for some reason), but sometimes he gets so into it he forgets to actually brush. Low-tech seems to win out more often than not, at least until the next obsession hits.