Terri P.'s son love to brush his teeth, or at least to mimic the
gesture. But his mom says that he really just likes to eat the
toothpaste. She usually has to intervene to make sure the job
actually gets done. And she's not the only one; many parents
find that teaching their little ones to brush their teeth every
day, and to do it thoroughly, can veer on downright impossible.
Luckily, Circle of Moms members have shared some excellent tips
for getting past a toddler's or preschooler's resistance. 1.
Model Teeth Brushing for Your Child Elise C. reports that her
daughter is getting good at mimicking her behavior, so in the
teeth-brushing department she's had a lot of success modeling
the behavior. They brush their teeth together, and her daughter
watches for pointers. Then Elise brushes her daughter's teeth
again, to make sure they've done a thorough job. 2. Brush Each
Others' Teeth Kimberly P.'s son was cooperative when she brushed
his teeth as a baby, but no more. She now has to distract him by
allowing him to