Are you struggling to get your toddler to brush their teeth?

Say no more momma!

Trying to brush toddler teeth can be a struggle. I have a little one myself and he used to scream and cry every time that I would say “let’s brush your teeth”.

I’m going to be honest sometimes I would just brush for as long as he would let me, even if it was just 2-3 seconds. There were even times when I would think “forget the toothbrush” and I would use a small towel instead.

I really got tired of the tantrums so I started to try new things to get him to let me brush his teeth. And I finally learned a few tricks to get him to sit still and allow me to brush his teeth without the whining!

Keep reading for tips on brushing your toddler teeth without a tantrum.

Tips On Brushing Your Toddler’s Teeth Without The Usual Tantrum

Step 1

Have your toddler sit down, preferably on the bathroom counter so you won’t have to kneel down to get on his level. It’s going to be extremely difficult to get it done if your child is standing on the ground.

Make sure to remove all items from the counter and out of his reach because he/she will start to do what kids do, which is touch everything.

Step 2

Give your toddler his favorite toy or any item that will keep them busy for at least a minute. I usually give him any random product after making sure that it’s sealed tight so he won’t open it.

He gets so entertained trying to open the bottle. I usually style his curls right after too while I have him nice and calm lol!

Step 3

Gently hold their face still and start brushing their teeth. At the same time, talk to them and tell them how good of a job they are doing. My baby moves his head away every few seconds so, every time that it happens I clap or say “yay” or “hooray”. This helps keep him in a positive mood and it show him he’s doing great.

Then, I go back in with the toothbrush and I repeat over and over again. Sometimes I even sing to him, he likes to hear the “ABC” song or any of his other favorite songs.

Other times I give him my toothbrush and ask him to brush my teeth, it keeps him busy while I clean his.

Step 4

After we’re done, I continue to talk to him with more positive phrases like…

“You did a great job”

“Thank you for letting me brush your teeth”

“Wow! Now you have clean teeth”

“YAYYYY!”

“Now we can go play!”

I feel like doing this makes him feel like brushing is fun and not something he shouldn’t want to do.

Remember…

Be patient, it can be frustrating sometimes but if you do it with a negative energy, they might not want to do it the next time. Your child might feel like it’s something that can get them in trouble. So, just make sure to make it fun.

And as mentioned, give them something to keep them busy while you are brushing. And if your toddler is still refusing to brush their teeth, take a break and try again after a few minutes.

I also found that doing something fun with my child right before brushing his teeth gets him in a good mood and it’s easier to talk to him and keep him still. You can try simple things like tickles or even blow some bubbles.

These tips have works so well that my son now comes to me and asks me to brush his teeth randomly throughout the day. He sees it as an activity, something fun that he now enjoys to do. He’ll also hold his own toothbrush sometimes and brush his teeth on his own, it’s amazing.