Does your child refuse to brush their teeth? These 5 tips will help you avoid disaster!
Photo: wisheezy / AI generated
Stay calm and give them space
I am not an expert in nonviolent communication, I am an impatient person myself, and I would rather relax in the evening than get my children ready for bed. But that doesn't help, because my own restlessness only makes things worse.
Take a deep breath and be emotionally prepared for the fact that brushing teeth can sometimes take a whole quarter of an hour or even longer. Plan for this time from the outset so that you don't get stressed. Children can sense this, and brushing teeth will immediately turn into a complete disaster.
Renowned GfK trainer Kathy Weber has described how to best communicate with your child when brushing their teeth in her blog post: "As parents, we decide WHAT we do. HOW we do it – the child can help shape that. Your attitude is crucial here, because your child senses your attitude. [...] We look for loving ways and rely on voluntary action. Yes, it works!"
Create your own series universe
The Marvel universe offers endless possibilities for stories, keeping its fan base happy with new movies and series. I've applied this concept to brushing my teeth and have had incredible success:
In our house, there are little creatures living under the chair and table legs that only come out at night and must not be seen by us humans. You would be amazed at what they get up to at night. It's totally exciting and sometimes even has dramatic cliffhangers at the end of a new episode.
The best thing from Dad's point of view: I only tell the stories while brushing their teeth, so all I have to do is get the toothbrush ready and call out that the new story is about to start, and the kids come running.
Photo: wisheezy / AI generated
Books about brushing your teeth
It's actually a no-brainer, but for some people it could be a breakthrough. We had enormous difficulties brushing our son's teeth when he was 1 and 2 years old. Talking to him didn't work at all, but he was always interested in books. He was particularly fascinated by interactive books with buttons to press, music, or voice output. So we were able to act out the toothbrushing stories from the books in quiet moments and then transfer them to real life in the bathroom. At least sometimes 😌
Be a joker
Your child would much rather play and have fun than sit boringly on your lap and open their mouth. That's completely understandable, and you can use it to make brushing their teeth easier. In addition to the series universe I created myself, which I mentioned above, I have other little helpers in my toolbox:
- I have a fixed melody from a children's song, into which I keep incorporating new lyrics. Sometimes about farts, sometimes about dinosaurs, sometimes about farting dinosaurs. Sometimes the children have requests about the content when I start singing. When that happens, the biggest hurdle has been overcome.
- I play silly games with the child that revolve around the toothbrush. For example, I say that I want to brush the bottom teeth, and then "accidentally" brush the top teeth. My child finds this super funny and is always willing to open his mouth wide.
Choose a new toothbrush together
I always find it funny how proud my children are of a new toothbrush. I take them to the store where they can choose one, or look online with them for cool ones. When they unpack their new toothbrush in the evening and put toothpaste on it themselves, they are willing to have their teeth brushed without resistance. Of course, the effect only lasts for a very short time, but it shows me time and again how cooperative our children can be when we give them a little bit of autonomy.
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