Parenting Tips for Everyone

How can I get my toddler to brush?

Q:I've tried everything to get my 2-year-old to allow me to brush his teeth. Is this normal, and how can I get him going?

A:This is a question I get asked daily in my practice and some of the most successful solutions I have heard and used for my own children are as follows. Bring your child to the store to pick out his own toothbrush. Make sure it’s the proper size and let him “own” a part of the process. Do the same for children’s toothpaste. Keep different toothbrushes at different sinks to make it more varied. You can also identify his favorite sweet and explain that he cannot have any more unless you brush his teeth two to three times daily. (This was very effective for my own children.)

 

Gregory F. George, D.D.S.
Pediatric Dentist

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Some parents choose to use only cloth diapers; some use only disposable diapers. Other parents use both. For example, you may decide to use cloth diapers during the daytime at home and disposable diapers at night and on outings when it’s less convenient to change the diaper. Or, you may decide to use cloth diapers in your baby’s first few months, when there are very frequent diaper changes, so you spare the impact on the environment. Then, when your baby’s older and using fewer diapers, you’ll change to disposables.

In the end, it’s a choice that has trade-offs on both sides, and you need to find what works best for you and your baby.