It is so important to instill good dental habits in your kids. Teaching them how to brush and floss properly not only protects their oral health but it also teaches them responsibility.
When your children first sprout some teeth to take care of, it is the parents that have to take full responsibility for the tooth care since the babies are too young. Just put a thin smear of toothpaste on a soft toothbrush and brush the teeth on all sides twice a day. I personally chose to use a toothpaste without flouride in it until my children learned to rinse and spit without swallowing.
You can start increasing the quantity of toothpaste a bit too as they learn to spit more efficiently. Also don’t overlook flossing! I made this mistake and found out at the dentist office that cavities can develop between the teeth when flossing is overlooked even in children.
Somewhere along the way, your little ones will want to start helping brush their teeth. This is great and should be encouraged. You want the child to build his ability and dexterity as he practices but you still want to watch and follow up with a good brush of your own because it is so important.
When kids first decide they want to help brush their teeth, they are usually very inefficient and ineffective. As a parent, practice patience and encourage their effort. Let them try and tell them what they did well. It is also good to give constructive feedback- “I think you did a great job brushing your teeth. We just need to do it a little longer and make sure you get the ones in the back.”
Eventually, after watching your child brush their teeth and inspecting the results, you feel comfortable letting them brush and floss themselves. Trusting your child is important for their self esteem and for your relationship. However, don’t just assume they can do such an important task all by themselves without a little follow up. Check up on your child every once in a while. Sometimes, just pop into the bathroom and check on the progress. Sometimes, inspect their teeth afterwards to make sure they are getting their teeth really clean. Sometimes, just check verbally. Varying your follow up techniques will keep them guessing and keep it from becoming a nagging thing or habit that you devalue.
Don’t forget to tell you kids how proud you are of the job they are doing! Positive reinforcement is not only a great motivator but also a great esteem builder.
About the author: Scarlet Paolicchi is the owner of Family Focus Blog, a family blog that reports on parenting, family fun, going green, family food, family travel and giveaways!