It can be difficult to get children to routinely brush their teeth and it can sometimes feel like you have to nag them constantly to get them to do it. Follow these tips that will encourage your children to brush their teeth and take care of their own personal health.
Parenting on Female First
Make brushing teeth a family task – You are your child’s first role model and in order to get your kids to look after their teeth, they need to see you do it first. Do it together and your children are more likely to partake in the task as they will feel part of a group. Children love to mimic and this will be no exception.
Reward them – Create a reward chart and when your child brushes their teeth, give them a reward to congratulate them. This could be a simple chart where each time your child brushes their teeth, they are rewarded a gold star to half an hour of TV time for being well-behaved.
Take away privileges if they refuse – It can sometimes be hard to take away privileges from your children but if they learn that when they refuse to clean their teeth, something will be taken away from them, they are less likely to refuse you when you tell them to go brush. Tough love but it works!
Turn the brush in to a toy – Brushing doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be fun too! Let your child pretend they are brushing their teddies teeth instead. By teaching your children to think that toothbrushes are fun, they are unlikely to put up a fight when it comes to their turn to brush.
Tell your child why they need to brush – If you want your child to brush their teeth, they need to know why they have to do it. Inform them about the bacteria that can gather in their mouth if they do not brush, resulting in decaying of teeth and gum disease to name a few.
By Claire Lancaster