Every single night I prepared myself for a battle. The kids ate their dinner fine, bath time was a breeze, but then it was battle time over teeth brushing. The simplest little two minute task turned into a 20+ minute battle of wills between mom and kids, and I’ll admit that more than once they won while I walked away frustrated saying “FINE! THEY’LL ROT OUT OF YOUR HEAD!” Okay, so maybe I just thought that really loud in my head, but still, the point is this was a battle I was not winning. Thankfully, I’ve since learned these 7 crazy hacks for getting your kids to brush their teeth, and our evenings have been absolute teeth-brushy-bliss!
7 Crazy Hacks for Getting Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth
- Get Better Tasting Toothpaste – Seriously, get the “bubblegum candy swirl” flavored toothpaste if it makes your kids more willing to put it in their mouths!
- Find a Super Cool Timer – Kids. Love. Timers. ‘Nuff said.
- Try a Vibrating Toothbrush – Show your kids how the bristles “tickle” their teeth, and they’ll be begging for toothbrushing time!
- Give an Incentive – I’m not above bribing. Maybe they get a special book when they brush their teeth, whatever works, y’all.
- Get a Fun Character Toothbrush – Your kids won’t want to upset their favorite cartoon character, so get their very favorite character on their toothbrush!
- Have Dad Take Over Bedtime – Seriously, kids behave better for dad. When all else fails you can make it his problem!
- Use a Sticker Chart – Take the incentive hack to a new level by making a whole sticker chart. They get a sticker every time they brush their teeth without a fight, and if they get a full week of stickers they get a big prize! To make it even more engaging, consider using a variety of fun sticker ideas like stars, smiley faces, or their favorite cartoon characters.
I know how frustrating it is when your kids try to refuse to brush their teeth, but with these 7 crazy hacks they’ll be begging to keep their teeth pearly white! Even if brushing teeth has been an epic battle every night between you and your kids, you can prevail with these tips. I pinky promise, your kids will eventually learn to tolerate, and maybe even enjoy brushing their teeth!
For my kids, getting a character toothbrush and a super cool timer were the best ways to motivate them to brush their teeth each night without a battle. For other kids, a sticker chart is going to be totally life-changing. Try all the different hacks until you find the perfect combination to get your kids brushing their teeth! Make sure that you pin this post for later so you can always remember these 7 crazy hacks for getting your kids to brush their teeth!