Hygiene for Kids: Tooth Brushing Game

Cavity-free smiles and tear-free bedtime routines really can exist in the same home.

Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf

Your kid loves to brush his teeth ... if you call sucking the toothpaste off of his toothbrush brushing. If your attempts to actually scrub or clean in there are met with a clamped jaw and a stream of tears, tempt him into submission with this cute tooth-brushing game.

Your kid and his pearly whites:
(Bonus points if the pearly whites are stained blue from a Popsicle.)
A stool:
Optional, but comes in handy when your kid decides to spit "just like Daddy does."
A toothbrush
Toothpaste

Gather your supplies and your kid near the sink.
Go hunting: Peer suspiciously inside his mouth and announce loudly what you see in there. Is there a dog feasting on a chunk of leftover broccoli? Is there an elephant trampling on his tongue?
Let your kid know that it looks like the dog in his mouth needs a serious bath.
Scrub. Scrub. Scrub: It's amazing how wide he'll open (and how little he'll whine) when he thinks you're scrubbing the dog in his mouth instead of his teeth.
Repeat. Tomorrow night he may have cars in need of a carwash. The next night it will be dirt bikes in need of a hose-down. You never know what you'll find in there—but whatever it is, it will definitely need a bath.