I hear you on the chaos of race games—my niece once tried to “win” by brushing her cat’s teeth instead. The smart toothbrushes are definitely a game-changer for some kids, though I do wonder about screens in the bathroom too. Have you noticed if he’s actually brushing better, or is he just watching the app? Sometimes those rewards keep them glued to the screen more than focused on their teeth. Still, if it gets them brushing for two minutes, that’s a step up from the old “rinse and spit” routine.
The cat’s teeth—now that’s next-level creativity. I get your concern about screens, though. My nephew got so into the app, he’d sort of space out and forget to actually move the brush. Have you checked his teeth after to see if they’re cleaner, or is it just more screen time in disguise? I’m all for two minutes, but if it’s two minutes of staring at cartoons, not sure it counts...
"if it’s two minutes of staring at cartoons, not sure it counts..."
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually seen some of those brushing apps work wonders—when they’re used right. My youngest used to fight me every single night, but once we found that silly dinosaur brushing game, he suddenly wanted to brush twice as long. The trick for us was making sure the app was interactive, not just a cartoon playing in the background. He had to move the brush to make the animation do anything, so it kept him engaged and actually brushing.
Honestly, I’d take a couple extra minutes of “screen time” if it means no more bedtime battles and cleaner teeth. I still check his mouth after (old habits die hard), and it’s made a difference. Not every app is created equal though—some are just distractions. But when you find one that makes them part of the action? Total game changer in our house.
I get being cautious about screens, but sometimes they’re the motivator kids need. Just gotta keep an eye on how they’re using it, like with anything else.
We tried a bunch of those apps too. My daughter wasn’t into the dinosaur one, but she’s obsessed with unicorns, so when we found a brushing app with a sparkly unicorn that “grows” every time she brushes, it was like magic. She actually reminds me now if I forget to set it up. Before that, it was a total struggle—she’d just sort of wave the brush around and call it done.
I get being wary about screen time, but honestly, I’d rather her have a couple minutes with the tablet if it means she’s actually brushing her teeth instead of fighting me every night. Plus, we talk about what the unicorn is doing, so it turns into a little bonding thing. I do wish there were more non-screen options that worked as well, but for now, I’ll take what I can get. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles, right?
Sometimes you just have to pick your battles, right?
Totally get that. My son went through a phase where he’d only brush if we did a “toothbrush race”—we’d each pick a silly character voice and see who could brush “the most teeth.” Not high-tech, but it worked for a while. I do wish the non-screen stuff lasted longer, but honestly, whatever gets the job done without tears feels like a win.