Looking for some ideas on how to get a 20 month old active boy to start and like brushing his teeth. We like to only suck on the toothbrush right now with a little toothpaste on it.Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Do you have one of the electric toothbrushes. My kids like those and even if they suck on them, they are doing some work in the front.
Another idea is to brush for them and then let them suck on it. If they'll let you :)
Good luck
Buy a second toothbrush for you to use on his teeth. Tell him to brush (even if he just sucks on it), then tell him it's your turn and to open his mouth. Take turns, make it fun, keep it light and simple.
IF your son doesn't like it, I envision he is behaving as my son did, which was to either only suck off the toothpaste, or resist entirely with screaming fits.
Using a mirror and helping him brush seemed to get some interest from my son, but it wasn't always working.
Frankly, I held my son upside-down whenever he clammed up.
It seems he instantly opens his mouth while hanging and he couldn't fight me...so I would get the brushing done fast. I probably had to get this extreme only a dozen times.
He really ended up laughing as I tell him "haha, you silly goose, you can't cry upside-down".Sounds crazy, but it turned into a really fun routine.
Now my son is 30 months, and he giggles and jokingly puts his face in the pillow when he sees the toothbrush coming... We count to 10 as we brush each section of teeth. Then he says "let me do it", so then he gets the toothbrush to finish the job (he still can't quite brush). In the end, I give him all the praise for doing such a great job.
Note: this makes brushing a 5minute deal .. leaving all the time for books and games!
Simple, you and your husband take the time every day to brush your teeth while your child is watching and/or brush your teeth with your child, he'll eventually want to "brush" his teeth and will eventually allow you to guide him in doing so.
Have fun!
My 21-month-old does the same thing. Sometimes it helps if we brush our teeth together. Other times, I put my hand over her hand and help her brush so she feels like she's doing it herself. She doesn't always like that though. Most often, I brush her teeth for her while singing or making silly faces to distract her. Then I let her finish brushing herself.
I used to tell my kids that I had to check to make sure all the sugar bugs were gone and then I would brush them.
You can also tell him a story while you brush them - it keeps them busy lisening to the story while you brush.
Or sing a song - make one up or the show Barney had a good song that my kids liked. It is a song about brushing teeth so you brush while you sing it. These all worked for me - good luck - get those suger bugs!
I agree with the other poster, let him "brush" first and then you do the thorough cleaning afterwards. At 20 months his fine-motor skills are probably not developed enough to brush on his own anyway, but letting him try and slowly develop a good routine over the next 2 or 3 years (not months!) is the right way to go. Encourage him every time you see him doing the right movements and comment on what you do when you brush his teeth. Most importantly, keep it fun and do not make a power struggle out of it.
I would sit in front of a mirror with your son
and go thru steps of brushing your teeth.
My children do whatever i do.. and it worked..
Also, I would go to sesame street and i bought a dvd and played it over and over again so my kid would get the concept.
It's high time for him to have his teeth brushed. You may need to do it for him til he learns how, most kids do just suck or bite the brush at first. Make a game of it if he is resistent, let him "brush" your teeth and then you can brush his.
