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Parents who struggle with their children over dental care can sometimes feel like they are the only ones who have a child who absolutely refuses to brush their teeth. Well we are here to tell you that you are not alone. This struggle goes on in every bathroom at one point or another. Don’t feel guilty about occasionally giving up and don’t feel like you are alone. Instead figure out what is causing the battle and turn it into a success.
The potential reasons behind your child’s dislike of dental care are endless. Your child may be trying to assert their independence and refusing to let you brush their teeth seems like a great way to do that. Some children simply don’t like toothbrushes because they are uncomfortable or they aren’t used to them yet. Others seem to refuse for no apparent reason at all. Whatever the reason behind the struggle over good oral hygiene remember one thing, you are not alone and there are some great tricks for overcoming this challenge.
- Let your child pick out their own toothbrush. There are often fun cartoon characters on children’s toothbrushes so it can be fun to let them pick out which one they like. If they like their toothbrush they are more likely to use it.
- Let your child brush his or her teeth first so they begin to understand how to clean their teeth and feel part of the process. You will likely need to finish things up to make sure the teeth are actually clean.
- Make sure your child’s toothbrush is designed for his or her age group. Many of the toothbrush manufacturers have different toothbrushes for different ages. This will help make sure the toothbrush is the right size for your child’s mouth and the bristles are soft enough.
- Consider buying a few books about dental care. Children learn a lot from reading and seeing pictures in books. You can begin reading these books at a young age so your child is familiar with dental care from early on.
- Build dental care into your child’s routine early. Before your child has teeth you can use wipes or a wet cloth to clean their gums. When your child gets their first tooth you can begin introducing the toothbrush. If your child knows that brushing their teeth is part of the routine everyday they are more likely to be accepting of it.
- Brush your teeth together as a family. When it is time for your child to brush their teeth, brush your teeth as well. Make a game out of it. Your child is more likely to agree to brush their teeth if they see that it is something that everyone in the family does.
- Take your child to the dentist early. The American Dental Association recommends that children see the dentist when their first tooth appears, or at least by their first birthday. Dentists are great at making children understand the basics of oral hygiene and helping get kids involved in their own dental care.
The tricks and techniques that work for your family will depend heavily on what the cause of your child’s dislike of tooth brushing is and the age of your child. Young children may be more open to things like books about dental care or choosing their tooth brush, while older children may get the most out of a trip to the dentist. The most important thing to do is to build dental care into your child’s routine early. Children appreciate routines and are more likely to actively participate in something, like brushing their teeth, if it is expected at the same time every day. Set an example for your children by practicing good oral hygiene yourself and encourage your children without getting frustrated with them.
Sources and Additional Resources
Children don’t generally use the “nice” words like remembering to say hello and good-bye, please and thank you or sorry until they are well into their preschool and school-age years. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t begin the training process for the use of these words much earlier. Although they won’t necessarily remember to say the words at a younger age doesn’t mean they aren’t observing how you use them.
Parents and other grown-ups in a child’s life will often use prompting as the major teaching method for these words by saying things such as “What is the magic word?” or “What to do you say now?”. However, child development experts recommend steering clear of this approach and instead using example as your means of teaching your child how to and when to use “nice” words. Children learn very well by example so by using the words you wish them to learn you have to use them in your own communication with your children. Be sure to say “please” when you ask your child to do something and to say “thank-you” when they perform the task.
So what can you expect from your child when it comes to “magic words”.
At age 4:
- Your child will remember to say please and thank-you some of the time.
- Your child will generally remember to say hello and good-bye to his or her parents.
At age 8:
- Your child can ask about your day and genuinely care about the response without prompting.
- Say “I’m sorry” and mean it.
- Say please and thank-you most of the time.
Being polite in your own life, both with your child and with others, will help your child learn and understand the importance of nice words and when/how to use them. Setting a good example can go a long way.
I’ve started teaching my 15 month old daughter to say please and thank-you. She doesn’t say them yet, although she will sometimes sign “please”. I know she is absorbing a lot right now from her surroundings so making sure she sees her parents using the words will help her grasp the concept.
The recommendations on when it is OK to introduce peanuts to your child vary widely from 12 months all the way up to 7 years. On average pediatricians recommend waiting until 2-3 years of age before introducing peanuts into your child’s diet. With such a wide range of recommendations parents are often left wondering what the right thing to do is.
An allergy to peanuts is one of the most common food allergies affecting 1.3% of the general population and the leading cause of a severe food allergy reaction. Due to the severe reactions that people often have to peanuts parents can often be very worried about that first introduction and making the right decision on when to introduce them.
So, how do you weed through all the varying recommendations and determine when the best time to introduce peanuts into your child’s diet is? Well, that depends on your child’s allergy history and your family allergy history. If your child has other food allergies or if there is a family history of food allergies you should not introduce peanuts until your child is 3 years of age. If there is no personal or family history of food allergies you may be OK to introduce nuts as early as 12 months. However, it is a personal decision that should be made with the consultation of your child’s pediatrician.
When you do introduce peanuts it should be in the form of peanut butter or ground up in other dishes to prevent choking. Whole nuts pose a severe choking hazard. You should monitor your child very closely for signs of any reaction. The signs of reaction to look for include:
- Skin reactions: itching, redness, swelling or hives.
- Gastrointestinal reactions: vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, or cramping.
- Respiratory reactions: runny/stuffy nose, itchy/watery eyes, sneezing, wheezing, difficulty breathing or asthma.
- Cardiovascular reactions: light headed or fainting.
If you see any signs of an allergic reaction contact your pediatrician right away, if the reaction is severe head directly to the emergency room or call 911.
Sources and other helpful websites: