By Leah
Having given birth to a child who has since developed an unnatural passion for dental hygiene, we've never had trouble getting him to brush his teeth before bed every night, and yet here I go anyway, giving you advice about how to get your kid to brush his teeth.
(I'm not a big believer in tricking kids into doing what they're supposed to do by going out of my way to make those things seem fun! and exciting!, but a few bells and whistles never turned anyone into a sociopath, so I figure what's the harm, especially if the alternative is extensive orthodontia.)
What is it? It's a [crappy photo of a] light-up toothbrush! The light's on a timer, so your kid knows how long he needs to keep brushing.
My son got his during a daycare sleepover (we forgot to pack his toothbrush from home and he was apparently so distraught Daycare Lady had no choice but to give him a light-up one she had in storage for her daughter), and I can't find that exact brand available anywhere in the U.S., but here's a two-pack from Dr. Fresh on Amazon. They're like WHOA expensive for a toothbrush, but certainly less expensive than a root canal, so do what you gotta do, I guess.
Happy brushing, kids.
We got my son one of these for Christmas (I think it was a Spiderman version) and he loves it. I was going to get one of the kids spin-type brushes, but thought at just 3 he might be a little young for the toothbrush action. The light is great for timing. We found it at our local superstore for just a couple of dollars.
Posted by: Sarah | February 13, 2012 at 03:46 PM
My son loves toothbrushes too. We get our firefly lightups at Target. They are just a dollar or two for one.
Posted by: Colleen | February 13, 2012 at 06:13 PM
We get ours at Target too.
Posted by: Melanie | February 13, 2012 at 08:51 PM