Pick Your Brush
What you need
- two toothbrushes they could use
- a smear of toothpaste
How to do it
- Hold up two toothbrushes and let your toddler choose which one is theirs tonight.
- Put a smear of paste on the one they picked.
- Let them start with it while you get your own brush ready.
- Finish their teeth with the same brush they chose.
Why it matters
Brushing is something that happens to a toddler whether they like it or not, so handing them one real decision about it changes how the next two minutes go.
What they're learning
- Making a choice
- One real decision inside a routine they don't control makes the rest of it easier to accept.
- This one's mine
- Knowing which brush is theirs is the start of the whole thing being theirs.
- Having a go
- A brush they picked is a brush they're readier to put in their mouth.
What to look for
Watch for them going for the same one every time. That's a preference, and it's worth honouring.
A tip
Both options need to be ones you're happy with, because whichever they pick is the one you're using.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: offer the same two brushes every night so the choice is familiar
Harder: let them choose and then fetch it themselves
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