1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to sidebar

Topics:

Learning to brush teeth

Brushing takes time to perfect.

By
//
Originally published in Today's Parent May 2010


Brushing another person’s teeth isn’t the easiest job in the world. By the time kids hit the preschool years, they’re ready to start learning to do it themselves. But they still need some help from their parents.

Stephanie Gouthro says the first thing she did was take five-year-old Quinn and Jenna, three, to the grocery store to pick out new brushes. “Winnie-the-Pooh and Diego! Woohoo! We’re good to go!” says Gouthro.

At first, says Gouthro, she tried to teach her children perfect technique, but this soon proved frustrating for both her and the kids. “So I relaxed, handed them the toothbrush, and they stuck them in their mouths. I would brush at the same time, and they would watch and copy me.”

Kids are about ready to manage this task on their own when they can tie their shoes and colour in the lines, says Jennifer Tulk, a dental assistant in the paediatric dentistry department at IWK Health Centre in Halifax. “Until that point, we recommend parents brush their kids’ teeth — or at least help.” Read on for some tips.

Subscribe to Today's Parent for just $14.95* That's only $1.25 an issue!

May We Also Suggest...

What do you think?