Brushing your teeth is an important nightly ritual that your youngster needs to get into the habit of doing from an early age. When they were young, you would have spent time brushing their teeth for them, but as they grow, they will need to start to do it themselves so that it is a fixed habit by the time they reach the tween years.

 

Tell them why they need to brush their teeth

Your big kid probably knows a little about why they need to brush their teeth, but it is important you remind them on a daily basis. So rather than them looking at brushing as a chore, it should become something they want to do.

 

Lead by example

Your child will look to you to see how to keep their teeth clean and healthy and one of the easiest ways to do this is to brush together. While they aren’t likely to see you brushing them at night, the morning, before you all leave the house, is a great opportunity to all brush as a family.

 

Make it fun

Brushing your teeth can be boring; standing there for two minutes doing the same thing is not going to be appealing for young kids, so try to make it fun. When it comes to cleaning teeth, the more bubbles in the mouth the cleaner they will be so why not have a bubble producing competition, hum a song or give them an egg timer that they can use while brushing alone.

 

Let them choose their toothbrush

One of the most effective and simple ways to get your child to brush their teeth is to allow them to pick out their own toothbrush and toothpaste - the brighter the colour the better. This will encourage them to want to do their teeth rather than it being something they have to do.

 

Reward chart

Kids love praise and reward charts are always a great motivation to get your child to do something. Why not give them a star or a tick every time they brush properly or go into the bathroom without fuss, with an exciting reward at the end.

 

Getting your big kid to brush their teeth can be a bit of a nightmare if we are being honest, but with a little perseverance and patience they'll be brushing in no time. 

Latest

Trending