It can certainly be a challenge to get your children to brush their teeth properly. One of the more common issues is not brushing long enough. Dentists recommended that you spend roughly two minutes brushing your teeth. For a child, that may feel like an eternity, but there are ways to help this time go by quicker than they think. Learn three different timer options to ensure brushing is fun and at least two minutes.
1. Brushing Against the Clock
Keeping a timer in the bathroom is one quick and easy way to ensure your child brushes their teeth for the recommended two minutes. There are lots of fun and cute timers that may appeal to your child. There are even some explicitly designed to brush teeth and are set to chime after two minutes. Whichever design you choose to go with, a simple timer will help your child understand how long brushing teeth actually takes and will keep him on track.
2. Brushing to a Favorite Song
Having your child brush their teeth to their favorite song is one creative way to create a timer to brush teeth. Depending on the song’s length, they can brush to the entire tune or have “spit breaks” where they can sing along to the chorus and resume brushing again. This is not only fun for your child, but it will keep their attention from the amount of time that has passed so you can feel confident that their teeth are nice and clean.
3. Brushing During a Commercial Break
Another easy way to time your child while they brush their teeth is to brush during their favorite show’s commercial break. Commercial breaks average between two to three minutes, so that will give your child plenty of time to brush, rinse and spit before the show returns. You can have the toothbrush all ready to go, so once the commercial starts, they can run to the bathroom and begin. This way, they won’t feel that brushing their teeth gets in the way of their fun too.
Making toothbrushing a fun family activity will reinforce healthful behaviors that can last a lifetime. You can also switch between these timing activities and avoid oral care habits becoming boring.
Source: https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/kids-oral-care/3-teeth-brushing-timer-activities-for-kids