While you may know the importance of maintaining your child’s oral health, chances are that they don’t find it to be quite as important. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to help them maintain a daily routine of brushing and flossing. But how do you do this when your child is adamant about not doing it?
There are a few different ways to help get your child excited about brushing their teeth or at least to make the activity bearable. However, some kids are easier to convince than others, so you may need to get creative and switch things up every now and then for the best results. Here are some ideas and strategies to use that will help you encourage your child to brush their teeth:
Start Young
You should begin brushing your child’s teeth as soon as their first tooth erupts and until they are old enough to start doing it one their own. Not only is this beneficial for their oral health, but it makes brushing their teeth an automatic thing.
Make it Routine
Along with starting young, making twice daily brushing and daily flossing part of their routine will also help to make oral hygiene automatic. Most children respond well to routines, therefore implementing oral hygiene into their daily routine will help things go smoother.
Let Them Pick Their Toothbrush
For some children, being able to pick their toothbrush gives them a sense of responsibility and control. For others, having a toothbrush with a special cartoon character makes them more excited to brush their teeth because they see their toothbrush as a toy. Whatever the reason, having your child pick their toothbrush is one way to get them to brush their teeth.
Let Them Pick Their Toothpaste
It may also be helpful to let them pick their toothpaste for the same reasons. Additionally, you may also discover that they prefer certain flavors of toothpaste. To make brushing their teeth fun, you can buy different kinds of toothpaste and do a “taste test” with them while brushing their teeth. However, be sure to stress that they should not swallow the toothpaste.
Be an Example
Most children learn by mimicking their parents, so why not use yourself as an example of how to brush and floss? Even if you’re not planning on brushing at that moment, brushing your teeth with your children can encourage them to brush theirs as well. Not only that, but you can use this as a way to demonstrate the proper technique.
Make It Fun
Making oral care more like a game and less like a chore is another way to get your children excited about brushing their teeth. Nowadays, there are plenty of apps available to make oral care fun. You can also play a Youtube video while your child brushes, or even a favorite song. It may also be helpful to have a video or song that they are only allowed to use while brushing their teeth.
These different strategies can be used to help make your child more excited about brushing and flossing their teeth. Depending on your child, some strategies may work better than others. However, the important part is to be creative until you find something that does work. You may also need to change things up every now and then to keep your child engaged.
