Are Parents Good Models for Brushing?

Most children idolize their parents and even go as so far as to mimic their behavior. It is not uncommon for a child to try out their mother’s makeup or even repeat that inappropriate word they shouldn’t have heard. Mimicking behavior in children often alerts parents to adjust their behavior to be a better influence on whatever child may be watching. This mimicking behavior can also be very helpful for a parent to encourage good behavior. They can use this modeling technique to convince their child to help clean or even eat their vegetables. Sometimes, however, you may find that you alone are not enough to convince a reluctant tot to do something they don’t want.

One such task is teeth brushing. At a young age, many children are not able to understand the importance of dental hygiene. To them, tooth brushing is just another inconvenient or even unpleasant task that they want to get themselves out of. While the encouraging enthusiasm from a parent or guardian may be enough to convince some children that they should brush their teeth, there are still quite a few reluctant brushers who need a little extra incentive.

For these children, you may want to try to add some flair to brush time. You may let them pick out their brushes and toothpaste on their own. It might even be a good idea to try to adopt some more innovative techniques. You can try playing your child’s favorite song to dance to or even offer prizes for good brushing behavior. There are even toothbrushing games available with tested results. One such game, Brushies, even incorporates a Bluetooth attachment and your smart phone in order to encourage proper brushing technique while allowing you to track your child’s progress.

With things such as these available, you may ask yourself whether or not you actually serve as a brushing role model to your child. It is important for you to remember that even if it doesn’t seem like it, your child is always watching what you do and looking to you as reference for how to act. Even for those children stuck in the phase where they no longer find their parents “cool” anymore, you may still find that they still adopt a variety of mannerisms from their parents.

It is also important to remember that “do as I say and not as I do” parenting techniques are often less effective than when a parent is actively engaged with their child’s life. A child is much more likely to participate in certain behaviors if they see their parents doing it first. You never want to give your child the opportunity to use the excuse “but you don’t do” when it comes to brushing your teeth.

Overall, though, you should want to be your child’s brushing model. Even if you have to incorporate other means of brushing incentives, remember that dental hygiene is important at any stage in an individual’s life. You should want to have good brushing technique as much as you want your child to. Managing your health is not only beneficial to you, but it also lays a baseline for your children that you want them to follow.

�