How can I get my 9 year old to brush his teeth?

I've made a checklist with his daily responsibilities, so forgetting is no longer an option. He has to complete 5 days worth of checklists to get a prize. He is still having trouble brushing his teeth, even with the incentive. Any ideas? I don't want him to lose his teeth at an early age or ever for that matter.

How can I get my 9 year old to brush his teeth?
first things first, numerous studies have proven that when children receive external rewards for a behavior they are less motivated internally to continue the behavior. basically, your son isn't finding any good things in brushing that would cause him to continue on his own, instead he is completely depending on the reward. this type of conditioning has a high extinction rate, meaning that the behavior (brushing his teeth) will eventually stop because the reward is dull or doesn't provide the same sense of satisfaction it initially did.





instead, here are some other things you can try:


-brush with your child


-purchase fruit flavored toothpaste. perhaps he hates the minty flavor. you can find these next to the kid's toothbrushes.


-make a FUN routine out of brushing. sing a song, listen to a favorite song while brushing, etc


-make it a contest: ask your dentist for those tablets that show plaque. brush with your child to see who can get rid of their plaque the best. after brushing, both of you take a tablet and see who won the challenge. do the challenge every once in a while for fun, not every night or it will get boring.





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Reply:I actually use a kitchen timer set for 2 minutes with my son. But I've heard music can help too. Maybe record his favortie song or only play "that" song while he brushes for two minutes. Try showing him pictures of rotted out teeth online too, it might scare him straight LOL. Good luck.
Reply:Call me harsh, but I showed my daughter pictures of magnifyed germs and how icky they are, and then people with severe gum problems.(the pictures also worked for hand washing) Cured that right up. She even flosses every night. I recommend the floss that is on the u shaped plastic. It's easier for their hands. Has he been to the dentist? Any cavities? That also helped my daughter. The dentist had a talk with her.





Also I purchased one of the spinning toothbrushes that I can replace the head and she enjoys using that.
Reply:buy bubblegum flavored toothpaste
Reply:I think that you should get some good tasting toothpaste.
Reply:they have that kids mouthwash that shows all the buildup on their teeth so they know where to focus most when brushing. show your child how nasty his teeth are. oral hygiene is a must. gl as i have 4 children and for the life of me dont understand why we have to fight them to brush their teeth. they also have toothbrushes with timers in them so your child brushes for the right amount of time.
Reply:Why don't you take him to the store and let him pick out his own cool toothbrush and toothpaste. That way he feels like he is involved instead of just being told LOL It helped my stepson to get this kid's toothbrush that when you press the end ...a light flashes...and you are supposed to brush as long as the light flashes.





Also, I agree about brushing with him.
Reply:I have always had the same problem with my son. I just remind him in the morning and in the evening to brush. He's 11 now and he is getting better about it as he gets older. He still forgets sometimes in the morning, but he takes his shower at night and usually when I ask him if he brushed he has. I realize that he needs to take responsibility for it. But I am the mom and it is my responsibility to remind him if he forgets.
Reply:i bought my 5 and 8 year old boys this stuff called "firefly" mouthwash...when you pour the mouthwash into the top, there is a flashing light timer that goes off for 30 seconds to tell them its time to spit it out..they have wanted to brush 3 times a day since i got it...i think i found it at k mart.....
Reply:I like a lot of the suggestions here. Really cool toothbrushes help too - ones that blink while you brush (auto shut off after two minutes), Hot Wheels, superheroes, the spinning ones with batteries...whatever he likes. The other thing that helped us with our 9 year old boy was doing a "bath basket" that his toothbrush and toothpaste were included in (as well as deodorant so he could mirror his older brother, soap, Q-tips, nail clippers, hairbrush, bubble bath, colored bath tablets and silly foam soap), so it was easier to work into the routine instead of forget, checklist or no.
Reply:Sorry to say so but in our household the kids don't get rewarded for doing things they SHOULD be responsible enough to do for themselves (brushing their teeth, taking a shower, not throwing their clothes on the floor, etc)... so we dock them a dollar of allowance every time we find out they've gone without brushing their teeth all day. We have a 10 year old, 11 year old, and a 13 year old... and the 13 year old is routinely the hardest to get to do ANYTHING having to do with hygeine. So he ends up with the least allowance from time to time until he decides to be responsible. Sorry to put it out there but we tried reminding him repeatedly- we tried giving them points for doing what they were supposed to do- praise, etc... nothing worked except making their finances hurt. And yeah, they have their favorite toothpaste, cool brushes, time to do it-- they just choose not to.





Admittedly, 9 is a little young for our method but in the end, most people end up where we have- by having to make a harsh decision in order to help them be responsible.
Reply:a character battery powered toothbrush costs 500 at walmart and kids Aquafresh toothpaste
Reply:Do what I did.Go in the bathroom with him and watch him.After awhile he'll get sick of it and start doing it right...Good luck



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