One of the greatest challenges that parents will face is getting their child to brush their teeth twice daily, especially during their formative years. If your child looks afraid when it’s time to brush their teeth or they simply refuse to, you may have to find other ways to motivate them.

Teaching your child to develop good oral hygiene is essential. However, since your child hates to brush their teeth so much, here are some ways in which you can help to motivate them.

Let Them Pick Their Own Toothbrush and Toothpaste

Letting your child choose their toothbrush and toothpaste is one sure way of getting them interested in brushing their teeth. Toothbrushes and toothpaste come in an array of colors and sizes that your child can choose from. They can choose from cartoon characters such as Disney princess for the girls and Ninja Turtle for the boys.

There are many toothpaste flavors available for children, such as bubblegum and strawberry. With so many different flavors available, your child will find a flavor they like. That will help to motivate them to brush their teeth better, especially since they’re the ones who chose.

Brush Your Teeth Together as a Family

Children tend to replicate what they see their parents do, therefore when it’s time for them to brush their teeth, it will be more fun to do it as a family. A child will use their parents’ clothes to play dress-up because they’re pretending to be them. Therefore, you can use that same energy to get them to brush their teeth.
Brushing your teeth together will also help you ensure your child is brushing their teeth properly.

Reward Your Child After Each Session

People like to be rewarded when they do anything and it’s no different with children. Therefore, you can give your child a present after every brush. This is another way you can help to motivate them. You can also create a chart to keep track of their brushing habits and at the end of a specific period, they’re rewarded.

Turn Brushing Into a Game

Most children like to play games. So, why not consider turning their brushing habits into a game. You can tell them a story about the importance of brushing their teeth. You can also tell them how they can become superheroes for fighting off plaques, amongst other things. This area is where you can let your imagination run wild.

Motivate Them With Music

If you know your child’s favorite song, you can play it when they’re brushing their teeth. Doing so will help them pass the time quicker. The required time to brush for children and adults alike is two minutes each session. Therefore, you can find a song that will last for the duration of brushing.

Your child will like the music and will develop a habit of brushing more often. The ideas mentioned above are to give you different ways in which you can motivate your child to brush their teeth. Allowing your child to be a part of the selection process will surely get them to be motivated when they’re brushing. Keeping these tips in mind will help the process stay in the two minutes instead of an hour.