How to motivate children to brush their teeth

Most parents are quite aware that brushing their little ones' teeth is not always an easy task. Many times to the extent that neither the child likes it nor the parent can handle it. Whining, whining, whining and more whining, for many parents ends up giving up and simply ignoring brushing the child's teeth. Unfortunately, there is no golden recipe for how to go about this as every child is different. But we do have some tips.

1. Ditch the boring toothbrush.

Use an iSiBRUSH or an electric toothbrush instead. The iSiBRUSH is specifically designed to motivate children to brush their teeth. Even an electric toothbrush is so much more fun for the child than a classic toothbrush. As the child also gets to feel a bit "big" and take responsibility by using the electric toothbrush.

2. Brush your teeth together.

Take the opportunity to brush your teeth while your child is brushing theirs. It goes without saying that brushing with someone else isn't as boring. Plus, they see you doing the boring stuff too, so it's more okay for them to do it. If there are several children in the family, try to arrange for everyone to brush at the same time, and it can suddenly become a fun thing instead.

3. Use an hourglass or some kind of clock (e.g. an egg timer)

Taking time to brush your teeth is good, especially when we have to brush our teeth for a certain amount of time. But by having an hour glass (small glass that sand runs through for a certain amount of time), it increases motivation and makes it more fun for the child, a bit like a challenge, as they have to keep brushing for as long as the sand runs. If you don't have an hourglass, you can also use an egg timer that rings when the time is up.

4. Tell a story, sing a song or play music

Make toilet time fun. The reason children don't like brushing their teeth is because it's so boring and nothing new happens. Which is probably what most adults think too, but we know it's a must, unlike children. Try singing a song they like or telling a short story, or reading from a storybook. Alternatively, you could start with the story in the bathroom at night and continue with the rest when they're in bed.

5. Don't be so square with the location

Yes everyone knows that you brush your teeth in the bathroom, even the little ones know about it. But sometimes you might have to pick your battles and realize that it's actually better that they actually brush their teeth than not at all. Let them brush their teeth in the hallway or in front of the TV, it's not the end of the world.

6. A little brushing is better than no brushing.

If you manage to brush just a little, it's better than nothing at all. That said, don't give up too easily. If you manage to brush for 20 seconds instead of 2 minutes, sometimes you should see it as a victory instead of a defeat. But again, a little is better than nothing.

7. The toothpaste

Choosing a toothpaste that they like is also important so that it doesn't become both boring and disgusting for the little ones. There is a plethora of toothpastes on the market, but by testing it out, it usually doesn't take too long to find one they like.

Here you'll find several products to help motivate children to brush their teeth. This is exactly what our main product iSiBRUSH is for, available in different varieties and colours. In addition, there are child-friendly toothbrush holders, tasty toothpastes and hourglasses.