I figure as long as their teeth get reasonably clean and nobody’s sprouting moss, we’re winning.
That made me laugh—pretty much sums up my approach. My daughter went through a phase where she’d only brush if I pretended to be “the Tooth Troll” and tried to steal her toothbrush. It worked for about two weeks, then suddenly she was “too old” for trolls (she was five). I tried those fancy musical toothbrushes but honestly, they’re pricey and the batteries never last. At this point, if she gets through two minutes without wandering off, I call it a success.
That “Tooth Troll” game sounds hilarious—kids are so weirdly specific about what they’ll go along with, right? Mine went through a phase where she’d only brush if we did “spy time,” which basically meant I had to narrate her brushing as a secret mission. That lasted maybe a month before it was suddenly “too babyish.” I think you’re onto something with just rolling with whatever works for a little while and then switching it up when they get bored.
And yeah, those musical brushes—totally with you on the price. I got one on sale and the thing chewed through batteries like crazy. Plus, the song got so annoying after about three days that I started hiding it. Now we just use a regular brush and sometimes I set a timer on my phone with some silly sound effect. It’s not fancy, but it works most of the time.
Honestly, some nights it’s more like a negotiation than anything else. If she gets through the two minutes, even if there’s a little wandering or daydreaming, I’m calling that a win too. Sometimes I wonder if all these “fun” tricks are more for us parents to feel like we’re doing something special than for the kids themselves... but hey, whatever gets their teeth clean without a meltdown.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone in this. I keep thinking there must be some magic solution out there, but maybe it really is just about lowering expectations and celebrating the small victories—like no mossy teeth and only minimal toothpaste all over the sink.
Totally agree that sometimes it feels like the games are more for us than the kids... but honestly, whatever gets those teeth clean without a meltdown is a win in my book too. I’ve seen families use everything from sticker charts to “brushing races” against a timer. My own nephew went through a phase where he’d only brush if his stuffed animals “watched” him—hey, it worked for a few weeks. Switching things up as soon as they get bored is pretty much the secret sauce. And yeah, two minutes with some toothpaste mostly in their mouth? That’s a parenting victory, for sure.
I get where you’re coming from with the games, but I always wonder if we’re setting ourselves up for trouble later. My cousin’s kid got so used to sticker charts and “prizes” that when she outgrew the novelty, brushing became this big negotiation every night—like, “What do I get if I brush?” It turned into a whole power struggle.
When I was younger (pre-braces), my parents were all about making brushing part of the bedtime routine—no fuss, just something we did, like putting on pajamas. Boring, maybe, but now that I’m dealing with brackets and wires, I’m kind of grateful brushing feels automatic. Not saying games are bad—sometimes you need whatever works to get through a tough phase—but I guess I worry about relying on too many tricks. Has anyone else had that backfire? Sometimes I think low-key consistency beats all the bells and whistles... though I’d probably have said otherwise when I was six.
That’s a really thoughtful point. I’ve definitely seen the “what do I get?” attitude pop up when rewards are overused—it can make brushing feel like a transaction instead of just part of life. Building that automatic habit early seems to pay off, even if it’s not flashy.