Are you tired of the battle to motivate your kids to brush their teeth? Brushing and flossing can be a breeze for parents and even fun for the kids with the right techniques. Here are some fun ideas that will make brushing teeth more of an activity than a chore.
A “Play” Toothbrush
One way to make brushing teeth more fun is to give your child a “play” toothbrush that is different than his/her actual toothbrush. Then encourage him/her to brush their stuffed animals or dolls teeth to practice. You can even let them brush your teeth if you want. This will get your child into the habit of brushing teeth and will make them want to brush their own teeth.
Making it a Game
Make brushing teeth a game for your kids. You can try having them pretend they are a different animal each day of the week, and they get to act like that animal while they brush their teeth. Another option is to have a race to see who can get to the bathroom, get out their toothbrush, and get toothpaste on it first, then brush their teeth for the recommended two minutes. There are endless options for games that can be made up here, and your kids may find it even more fun to help make up the game!
Play a Song or Do a Dance
Play a song or do a dance while brushing teeth. As mentioned earlier, you should brush your teeth for two minutes. Find a song or make a playlist of songs about two minutes long and have your kids brush their teeth, and even dance to the song if they want, for the duration of the song. Sometimes two minutes seems like an eternity for a little kid, and so having something fun to distract them from how long they have to brush their teeth will make the process go smoother.
Motivation
Motivate your kids to brush their teeth. Kids love to check things off lists! Whether it’s a star on a poster board or a piece to move forward on a chart, they love to be able to visually see their own accomplishments. Make something that your children will see every time they go into the bathroom that makes them excited to brush their teeth. From the chart, you can also add a rewards system. This way the chart will have more meaning because your kids will be motivated to get to the prize at the end. Another way motivate kids to brush their teeth at night is to stop in the middle of a movie you’re all watching, or game you’re playing and have them brush their teeth before they can resume the activity. This makes the kids very motivated to brush their teeth because they want to continue the activity they are doing. This also helps the often occurring situation when at least one of the kids fall asleep during a movie and brushing their teeth is then out of the question.