This paid post is brought to you by the new free Oral-B Disney Timer App as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.
Do you remember in the movie Uncle Buck when John Candy’s character Buck threatens to do a DNA test on Miles and Maizy’s toothbrushes to make sure they actually brushed their teeth?
Welcome to my world! If you have ever felt the same, check out these 5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Brush.
- Tell a Story – Stories go a long way with kids. Anytime my kids ‘forget’ or fib to me about brushing their teeth, I bring up their Great Uncle. He was a random brusher, who now has dentures.He’s taken his teeth out to show them, and encourage them to brush their teeth. We also Google, “What happens if you don’t brush your teeth” and search images. ICK! That even makes me want to brush more!
- Set an Example – You’ve probably heard it a million times. “Kids learn from what you do, not what you say”. If they don’t see you regularly brushing and taking care of your teeth, what makes you think that they are going to? I actually brush my teeth with my 5 year old every morning and night (when possible). Sometimes we ‘race’ to see who can make bubbles the quickest, and other times we do a little jig. Setting an example will help them make better choices when you are not around.
- Make Bubbles – I have told my kids over and over again, you have not fully brushed your teeth unless your mouth is full of bubbles! The gel toothpaste should disappear, and you should be foaming at the mouth like a crazy dog (that one always makes them laugh!) Like I said previously, make a game of it. It seems less like a ‘chore’ and more like fun!
- Timer – Having a timer set so the kids know exactly how long they are brushing is key to sparkly whites! Check out the awesome Disney Magic Timer app by Oral-B. This will help any kid keep on brushin’ with the fun tunes from Disney. Make sure to purchase one of the great Oral-B products so you can download the app for free. Even my oldest enjoys getting down while brushing to this app – what I love is it’s not a timer that I have to pack when we go on vacation or to visit relatives. The app can be downloaded directly to your phone so you can use it whenever, wherever!
- Rewards – Some parents don’t agree with giving rewards for things children should just automatically do. But I think kids should be acknowledged for it. Just because I do my job while at work, doesn’t mean I don’t like to hear ‘good job’ from my boss, or to get a bonus at the end of the year because I worked hard! Kids will work harder if they know there is a reward in the future. We incorporate teeth brushing into our chore chart where my kids work towards a goal – whether it be money, going to a movie, or with my son, Lego sets!
What are some of your favorite ways to get your kids to brush?
This paid post is brought to you by the new free Oral-B Disney Timer App as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post. Featuring sixteen of your favorite Disney and Marvel characters, use this app to seamlessly encourage your kids to brush longer. Collect a new digital sticker after each successful two minutes of brushing; track progress with stars and milestone badges on the Brushing Calendar. Longer, happier brushing for your little one is just a download away!
Getting them to brush isn’t always easy, but for me, the key is the flavor of the toothpaste. It took us a while to find one both of them liked, but I finally did it!
My oldest doesn’t like to brush because she has so many wiggly teeth, but we sing songs and talk about oral health. Thanks for the tips!
My toddler thinks it’s funny to brush his teeth now! I’m sure he will reach a stage when it’s harder to get him to brush, but for now, he loves it!
Great tips! My daughter can be difficult about brushing her teeth. But she’s two so she likes to just say no to everything!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! I don’t have kids yet but these are good tips to remember
We are loving our timer. Red chose Sully and Dusty has his characters, and we already have unlocked several of the sticker books!
my kids know if they dont brush, mommy will. one way or another. they all learned early to just give in or it would be no fun for anyone!
These are great tips! I have found a timer to be incredibly useful. They know what to expect and how long to do it!
My 18 month old already loves to brush his teeth – thank goodness. I’m sure he will go through a stage of not wanting to brush, so these are great tips!
we’ve tried timers, new toothpastes and brushes and threats. I swear they think they are going to miss something during the 2 minutes they are in there
My kids are usually pretty good at brushing their teeth. All I have to say is they will rot and fall out if you don’t :)That gets them moving pretty quickly 🙂
These are great oral hygiene tips for parents to get their kids to brush their teeth. Your great uncle needs to come talk to a LOt of kids, LOL!
At the store, we always let our 3 year old pick out a new toothbrush when his old one needs replacing. During brushing, we sing a song and let him brush on his own after we’ve brushed his teeth for him. All those work well for us!
Great ideas to get kids to brush! My kids always insisted on a cute character toothbrush to make them want to brush.
Great tips! Our boys are getting much better about brushing now that they are older (thank goodness).
I need that app so bad. I tell mine to grow brush their teeth and they take like 10 seconds.
The app is such a great idea. Two minutes seems like forever for kids so they often cut their brushing short.
I’m going to check out that toothpaste and I’m definitely downloading the app. My son will love that!
Hahaha! Uncle Buck was a funny movie! I’d forgotten about that scene!
I remember this battle well. That’s a neat timer, kids will love it!
These are some great tips. I’ll remember them for when my grandkids come over.
good tips on brushing. teach them early how to brush their tongue as well
We just tried this app recently and LOVE it! My son asks for his timer now when he brushes!
I forgot about that scene from Uncle Buck! How funny! I will probably have to do that with my son…but the timer trick seems to work well too! Thanks!
Right now my boys are more excited about eating the toothpaste! HAHAHA! I love your list. Good tips
The mouth full of bubbles makes me laugh. I guess that’s totally true though that it would be a sign of good brushing!
I just wrote a simular post. Brushing your teeth and teeth health is so so so important.
Very cool! Every incentive helps, and you want them to WANT to keep their teeth clean.
Oh my brushing is so important. I know how hard it is to get little ones to brush. Whatever you can do to get them to brush I say do it.
Oh cool. We have to get some of that toothpaste. We all LOVE those super heroes. I’m so happy my kids love to brush their teeth, great tips.
Very clever ideas. The bubbles “game” always worked for kiddo. We made it a competition of who could make the best bubbles. He really wanted to win so he brushed well!
I think having super cool toothpaste and toothbrushes get kids more motivated too! Thankfully, my little ones love to brush!
Your little one is adorable! My toddler loves to brush his teeth all the time. I think it has to do with the toothbrush characters and toothpaste.
Great tips! I think having a fun toothbrush or a cool type of toothpaste is another great way to encourage brushing 🙂