Teddy's Teeth First

What you need

• a soft toy
• a spare toothbrush with no toothpaste
• their own toothbrush

How to do it

1. Sit down with a soft toy and a spare dry toothbrush.
2. Show your toddler how to brush the toy's teeth: round and round, top and bottom.
3. Let them have a go at brushing the toy themselves.
4. Then say 'your turn' and do the same thing with their own brush and a smear of paste.

Why it matters

Doing it to a toy first turns brushing into something they're in charge of, so by the time the brush reaches their own mouth it's already familiar.

What they're learning

Rehearsing

Practising on a toy takes all the pressure out of a movement that's about to happen to them.

Looking after someone

Doing a caring job for a toy is the beginning of doing it for themselves.

Having a go

The brushing action on a toy's mouth is the same one their own mouth needs.

What to look for

Watch for them copying the bit you make most obvious, usually the round-and-round.

A tip

Keep the toy's brush separate from theirs and don't put paste on it. A brush that's been round a soft toy isn't going back in anyone's mouth.

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