It’s bedtime. You’re tired and so is your toddler. It’s about to get a whole lot worse because it’s toothbrush time, and your child hates brushing teeth.
When Toddlers Hate to Brush
Many parents are caught in a battle of wills with their child over brushing their teeth. On one hand, teaching correct oral hygiene while they’re young is a must. On the other hand, you don’t want to force the issue and create lifelong feelings of revulsion toward the toothbrush.
Make Brushing Fun
If you’re wondering, “How do I get my toddler to brush?” then read on for some fun suggestions:
- Buy a special lighted toothbrush or a musical toothbrush that signals how long to brush. For many kids, this is all it takes to make them like brushing their teeth.
- Some kid-friendly fluoride rinses turn plaque into brightly-colored blue or green patches to brush away. Some kids love using them before toothbrush time.
- Play “name that tune.” Instead of words, your child sings “ah, ah, ah” to the melody of a song like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” while you try to guess what they’re singing.
- Watch “The Little Mermaid” and have them sing the “ah-ah-ahhhh” song that Ariel made famous. To make it extra fun, you can periodically yell out “keep singing!” in your most evil-sounding voice (like Ursula does in the movie.)
- Let your child brush their own teeth while watching you brush yours. They won’t do a good job, but it just may satisfy their need for independence so they'll let you help them.
- Try a good old-fashioned sticker chart. Every time they brush, they get a sticker. If they fill the chart, a special reward is in order.
- Let them choose a special song for you to sing each night. If they turn away or bite down on the brush, stop singing immediately. They only get to hear the song if they agree to let you brush their teeth.
- It may sound odd, but try brushing their teeth in the bathtub. If they let you brush their teeth, then they can even brush all their tub toys’ teeth afterward as a reward.
- If all else fails, tell them to yell “Aaaaahhhh!” as loud as they can. (You may get a headache, but they’ll probably enjoy being allowed to yell indoors so much that they won’t even mind that you’re brushing while they do it.)
So if your child hates the toothbrush, don’t give up yet. It’s all about making it fun. A special song, a make-believe game, a sticker chart, or a children's fluoride rinse or special toothbrush with all the bells and whistles just might do the trick.
