7 Tips to a Happier Teeth Brushing with your Baby
Usually, anything that has to do with practical life and self-care leaves an impression on a young child and makes them a willing participant to learn. However, there’s just something about teeth brushing and general dental health care that makes it a bit challenging to get our kids easily onboard. At least that was the case for me. So from one learning parent to another, I’m going to share with you some of my tips that I used to help you avoid the huge power struggle of teeth brushing.
1. Have a routinary song you both can sing when it’s brushing teeth time.
Singing songs is usually one of the best ways to help teach your kids almost ANYTHING in a fun and engaging way. For this case, I just made up the lyrics about brushing teeth and sang it to the tune of “are you sleeping”. I tweaked it, even more, to make my kid open his mouth wide. And I promise you, your kid will never judge your singing voice. Maybe they will judge it when they get older, but definitely not now. So choose any tune, make up the lyrics, preferably one that makes them say “aaaah” and “iiih”, and brush those teeth. After a few rounds and nights of singing the same song, my kid opens his own mouth automatically whenever I begin the first lyrics of our brushing teeth song.
2. Let your kid have their turn.
Kids love being given a sense of control. So giving them the opportunity to actually hold on to their toothbrush and the ‘responsibility’ to get their own teeth clean gives them a sense of independence and self-confidence that they can actually do this themselves. Even if they don’t get to do it properly, what’s important is that they get to practice it on themselves. You can then ask for your turn afterward by asking for their toothbrush and making sure to get the job done. Be prepared to execute save-the-toothbrush-from-being-thrown-to-the floor-maneuver or the great toothbrush tug of war but just gently and firmly take it away from them and that it’s ok for them to be upset. Let them know that it’s okay for them to feel their feelings and just try your best to efficiently clean their teeth. Eventually, they’ll accept it as part of their routine if you consistently do this every day.
3. Avoid the kitchen or pantry after teeth brushing.
Avoid in the sense to keep all the snacks and other tidbits that they’d want to suddenly have and eat away from their eyes. I greatly believe in the saying that out of sight for our little ones means out of mind. So ideally by the time bedtime is nearing and brushing teeth is done, your kid won’t be seeing the tiny pieces on the floor and begin eating them off. But if they do, give yourself grace because y’know, we can’t be everywhere all at once brushing off every crumb we see around. If you’re living with other family members who love to snack around (count yourself as well), try to not eat around them too after their teeth are brushed because chances are, they’d suddenly want to eat your snack too.
4. Brush teeth together.
Be the model. Repetitively show them that you also consistently do this practice to take care of yourself as a person. Maybe even let them brush your teeth every now and then (friendly reminder to steel yourself for the inevitable gum charring motions they may inflict on your poor mouth). Because sometimes the reason why they don’t want their teeth to be brushed is that they feel a lack of control, or they simply are unsure how to do it. So letting them observe how you do it and even letting them brush your teeth gives them a little bit of confidence and sense of ‘power’ that they have over.
5. Roleplay your teeth-brushing extravaganza.
This is another useful strategy that gives them a sense of control, power, and practice as well! Have them brush the teeth of their toys. Or maybe even trucks (creative and imaginative playing, right? why not?). A more practical approach is to have the actual dentist model of the entire mouth for them to see that their mouths have different parts, such as the tongue, teeth, and gums. And that all of these parts need to be properly cleaned and brushed. So later when you actually have to do the teeth brushing, let them practice in front of the mirror and say things like, remember what you practiced earlier on? These are the gums, teeth, tongue, and brush them gently with their toothbrush.
6. Read books about brushing teeth.
You can also feature books with characters getting ready for bedtime (that include teeth brushing). It was a challenge for me to always remind myself that I needed to brush my kid’s teeth. But because of all the bedtime storybooks we read, I’m given a HUGE reminder. Storybooks that particularly have a touch and feel (sensory play, anyone?) make them develop even more interest in what the characters are doing, so borrow those books from the library and read them all up. Your kid not a huge fan of reading? Check out my blog post on how to help encourage your kids to develop a love for reading here.
7. Set up a bedtime routine chart.
Remember that our kids’ brains are still developing. So we need to give ourselves grace if they don’t remember their routine down pat even if we do the exact same thing every.blessed.day. We adults also tend to be forgetful sometimes anyways. How much more for our growing little ones? So set out a visual bedtime routine chart (or if you brush teeth both mornings and evenings, a morning routine chart as well) And have them stick stickers on the chart after each task is done as a sign of their job well done. This gives them a sense of control and helps to avoid power struggles.
So there you have it, dear parents. Hopefully, these tips would be of some help to you. Do take note that even with these seven tips and hacks of mine, there are still those days where I’m chasing my kid with the toothbrush and coaxing him to open his mouth. But those days are getting farther and farther in between, it’s just a matter of choosing what works and consistently implementing them. Do share in the comments below what strategies are helpful for you! Or if you have your own that isn’t mentioned here, I’d love to hear them! You got this, mamas and dadas!
