My baby has let me brush her teeth and enjoyed it up until now. Now she wants to do it by herself. I try to brush them and then let her play with it afterward but she will clamp her mouth shut and not let me. What do i do? Any suggestions?
I've tried letting her brush them herself but then she doesn't want to give me the toothbrush. If I ask her nicely she gives it to me sometimes but then wants it back and starts crying or snatches it out of my hand.
I tried singing to her and that didn't work. I tried putting her in front of the mirror so she can see what's going on and she loved it! She was totally cooperative and let me brush her teeth :)
I used to tell me little ones that I could see Elmo or any of characters he liked at the time dancing on his teeth.
Then I would be very animated and say " Oh, let me get that tooth way in the back, I can see Mickey Mouse back there, and my kids would laugh so much that they would open wide and let me brush, worked every time, even as they got older :)
Lucinda,
don't give up! we are constantly trying new tactics as our daughter's temperament towards teeth brushing changes. Here are some we've tried...
-sing while brushing (this is our favorite)
-both of you hold the handle together
-let her hold one toothbrush while you brush with the other
-have 2 brushes and let her pick which one to use that day
-take turns
-let her sit in a new spot while brushing (like the countertop or on your lap)
-lots of positive praise for a good tooth brushing session
...and yes, we've also resorted to :-(
-pin her down and do it while she screams (stay calm and don't get angry, just do it in a matter-of-fact way. *I promise we NEVER hurt her doing this)
luckily, we didn't have to pin her down too many times, but she got the message that brushing her teeth is not an option and now she pleasantly opens wide for us to brush.
I am sure others have already said this, but have you used any toothpaste? There is controversy out there if you should use fluoride or not so check with your Pediatrician, but there is great tasting and fun toothpaste with and without fluoride. What you could do is say if she wants the toothpaste, mommy has to do it first and then you can have it to brush and make even more bubbles. But mommy has it first. You could also sing a song to her while you are doing it and say that mommy has to finish the song before you can have a turn. My daughter loves the toothpaste and she loves the independence of doing it herself so I use that as a bribe (did I just say I bribe my child???), I meant to say reward for allowing me to brush first ;). Good luck! Oh yeah...one more thing. Dentists suggest that you sit on the floor, place her head in your lap (legs facing out) and brush that way. Just like as if she is at the dentist. You can really get in there easier and it gives them a little lap time.
Let her brush her teeth first and then you can go in and finish the job. At this age, they want to be more independent and it is good to facilitate that. You can also "help" her by guiding the toothbrush to the spots you really want to hit but she is still holding it.
I have a 27 month old who does the same thing. What works for us, is I give her the toothbrush and she "brushes" her teeth why I am brushing her hair. The entire time I am singing, "This is the way we brush our teeth"... Then, when I am done with her hair, she lets me take the toothbrush and I finish up brushing her teeth. The fussing has gone. She clamps her teeth down on the toothbrush also and this is the only way that she will brush her teeth without clamping down. Best of Luck!
HI there,
I would just let her do it by herself. Even if she doesn't do that great of a job, it is a habit that she get used to.
I always brush my teeth with my daughter and say "do it like mommy!" As she gets older, she will get better at it.
No worries, it's not that big of a deal. Even if they "chew" on it, it still cleans the teeth. If you are worried about her teeth, then let her brush her teeth 3-4 times a day.
Take care!
Lucinda,
Maybe your child doesn't like the way you are brushing your teeth. Or maybe she doesn't like being overpowered.
Have you even had someone brush YOUR teeth? It is an awkward and uncomfortable situation.
Allow your daughter to brush your teeth so you can both experience the whole thing from your daughter's viewpoint. this will also give your daughter the experience of having the power.
Lots of Love,
Linda
www.RivieraPlaySchool.com
http://RivieraPlaySchool.blogspot.com
Hi Lucinda,
My son is this age & often doesn't like me to brush his teeth either. I try to make funny noises and/or faces so he laughs so I can get into his mouth (this is while he's laying on the floor after a bath). But, I've also discovered that he will be more open to it if I hold him in front of the mirror so he can watch himself while I brush them.
Hi Lucinda. I had the SAME thing happen with my daughter. What I've found works (for now) is laying her down on her changing table while I brush her teeth. Because there's no water and very little tooth paste involved, it's unlikely that she will choke. I let her hold the tooth paste to keep her hands busy. Of course, she still reaches for the tooth brush, but not as much so I can get the job done. Good luck! =)
My daughter was doing the same thing and is about the same age. What's working at the moment: I bought another toothbrush in a different color (but the same style). She "brushes" her own teeth for a minute or two, then, while she is still holding her toothbrush, I bring out the other toothbrush (which has been hidden) and brush her teeth. She only lets me do it for a minute, but I can usually scrub all over. I don't let her touch or look at the other toothbrush. It's been working for a few weeks thus far.
I went through the exact same phase when my daughter was 13-15 months. It was exactly that...just a phase and a few months later she let me start helping her brush again. One thing that helped us was an electric toothbrush with a character on it and talking about all the different food we had to brush off her teeth...ie "I see some strawberry on your teeth, let's get it!" Good luck. She will likely outgrow it soon.
There is a product my daughter uses on her 16 month old son. It is a plastic tube that fits over her finger and has little projections to catch food particles and she puts just a tiny bit of tooth paste on it and SHE goes over his teeth with it and he doesn't object and it is a first step in teaching the child about teeth cleaning. Try it. It might work.
Let her play with it and chew on it. I went through a phase with my daughter as well. After a few weeks she let me start helping her again. At this age I figure it's not worth the fight!
