Toothbrushing

This is the way I brush my teeth, brush my teeth, brush my teeth!

Marissa likes to brush her teeth by herself - just like her brother. We usually bring the kids to our bathroom to brush their teeth every night before sleep.  Evan brushes with toothpaste but Marissa is still getting acquainted with the toothpaste's funny taste. The both of them get to brush to their hearts' content then, Larry and/or yours truly will finish up the job for them. It's only brushing once every night. Haven't started brushing in the mornings for them (too many things to get done in the mornings!)

Some general tips for parents who are having battles with their kids with regards to toothbrushing....

1) Let them choose their toothbrush when out shopping. There are lots of toothbrushes with cartoon characters eg Hello Kitty, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse etc

2) Let them hold their toothbrush or even play with it.And while they are distracted with theirs, try using another toothbrush to brush their teeth.

3) Resort to some form of bribery/rewards program

4) Start the habit early and don't forget to make it fun!

5) If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again

6) If brushing is still very difficult make sure you control the amount of sugary food intake.  Ditch the bottle filled with formula milk. Kids tend to suck on it for longer period and sometimes use it to soothe themselves to sleep. Introduce a cup as soon they can drink from it.