Every night is a battle to get my 5-year-old to actually brush his teeth for more than two seconds. He either wants to play with the toothbrush or just sucks off the toothpaste and calls it done. I’ve tried songs, timers, different flavors, even letting him pick out a dinosaur toothbrush. Nada. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like this is way harder than it should be? Any tricks that have actually worked for real kids, not just the ones in parenting blogs?
Brushing with my kid is like a WWE match every night. What finally worked? I started letting him “brush” my teeth first—he thinks it’s hilarious, then lets me do his. Not perfect, but at least there’s actual brushing happening now.
Brushing with my kid is like a WWE match every night. What finally worked? I started letting him “brush” my teeth first—he thinks it’s hilarious, then lets me do his.
Honestly, I get the appeal—anything that gets the job done, right? But do you ever worry he’s just playing along for now and might lose interest in the “your turn, my turn” game? Sometimes these tricks work for a week and then it’s back to square one. Have you tried letting him pick out his own toothbrush or toothpaste flavor? Sometimes the power of choice is weirdly motivating. I’ve seen some kids go from full-on wrestling mode to actually asking to brush, just because they got a dinosaur toothbrush. Kids are wild.
Letting them brush your teeth first is genius, but I totally get the concern that it might just be a phase. Kids seem to outgrow any “hack” as soon as you start thinking it’s finally working. I tried the power of choice thing, too—my daughter went through a rainbow toothbrush phase, then demanded a toothbrush with lights, and then suddenly refused all of them because she wanted the “grown-up” one. It’s like their preferences are powered by some random number generator.
Have you ever looked into those toothbrushing apps? Some of them turn brushing into a game with timers and music, and my kid was obsessed… for about a week. Then she decided it was boring. I guess the real question is, do any of these tricks work long-term, or are we just doomed to keep inventing new routines every month? Maybe it’s just about outlasting them until they decide oral hygiene is cool.
That “random number generator” description is spot on—my youngest went from loving the watermelon toothpaste to refusing anything but plain, then wanted to brush with a finger. It honestly feels like you just have to ride out the phases. I’ve noticed consistency matters more than the method; even if it’s a struggle, keeping the routine seems to help in the long run. Eventually, they get used to it (or at least argue less). Those apps and novelty brushes are fun for a bit, but yeah, nothing seems to last forever. Hang in there—it does get easier!