How I Turned Toothbrushing Battles into Laughter-Filled Moments

It’s no secret that kids often resist basic hygiene tasks or everyday chores around the house. Brushing their teeth? A classic battleground. But what if I told you that my kids now racing to the bathroom to brush their teeth every night after dinner without even asking them to? They even say thank you when they receive new toothbrushes or toothpaste—without any prompting from me. Sounds unbelievable, right? I was in shock myself.

Let me tell you, it wasn’t always like this. There were days when getting them to brush even once a day felt like a massive victory (don’t judge). Now, they do it automatically and—dare I say—with enthusiasm and fun. So, what changed?

Playful parenting.

For context, playful parenting doesn’t mean being carefree all the time or skipping out on responsibilities. It’s a versatile approach that helps you connect with your children, understand them better, and turn mundane tasks into enjoyable or, at the very least, manageable experiences. Here’s how we applied this principle to the toothbrushing dilemma in our home.

A Fresh Start

In our household, bedtime routines used to be my partner’s domain. However, toothbrushing became a major source of stress for him and the kids. It was often skipped or “forgotten” to avoid the anxiety it brought. We decided to make a change: I took over the toothbrushing responsibility entirely to remove the negative associations tied to my partner.

You know how a change of scenery can relieve stress? Sometimes, all you need is a change in who is executing a task.

Introducing Playful Parenting to Toothbrushing

Once I took the lead, I infused toothbrushing with playful energy. Here’s what that looked like:

• Turning it into a game:

  • “First one to the bathroom gets to tickle the last one!”

  • “The first to finish brushing gets to pick the movie tonight!”

  • “Whoever still has bad breath in 15 minutes will face the tickle monster for 10 whole minutes!”

    
    

    These little competitions created excitement without serious rewards or punishments (don’t worry, I never tickled anyone for 10 straight minutes!).

• Adding silliness to the routine:

  • Blowing bubbles from toothpaste foam.

  • Splashing water while making funny faces.

  • Competing to see who could squeeze water the furthest or make the weirdest faces in the mirror.

These playful moments transformed the task into a bonding opportunity full of laughter.

Finding Balance

You might be wondering: Doesn’t this take forever? Surprisingly, no. These small changes add just a couple of minutes to the process and significantly reduce the drama and resistance. We don’t do this every single night—about 2-3 times a week is enough to keep the momentum going. Whenever we notice avoidance creeping back, we dial up the playfulness to rekindle their interest.

Playfulness doesn’t mean shirking responsibilities or adding tons of effort. It’s about sprinkling humor and lightheartedness into everyday moments to make them more enjoyable for everyone involved.

A Final Note

Toothbrushing battles are now a thing of the past in our home. By using playful parenting, we’ve turned a dreaded chore into a time for laughter and connection. If you’re struggling with similar challenges, I encourage you to try adding a touch of playfulness to your routine. You might just be surprised at the results!

All the bests,

Luna