When it comes to oral hygiene, using the proper flossing technique on a regular basis is crucial.
Flossing allows us to get rid of plaque and food debris that even brushing can’t reach.
However, flossing teeth is a chore and the average kid will do anything they can to get out of doing it. In order to get them to invest in the lifelong health of their pearly whites, it’s important to make flossing a fun activity.
Keep reading to learn about 6 ways to make flossing fun for kids.
1. Have Your Kids Choose Their Floss
There’s no reason that a child should have to stick to the same boring floss that their parents have. Rather, they can have the excitement of picking their own kind of floss, including a water flosser or a floss stick that’s made specifically with children in mind.
For example, floss sticks can come in a variety of colors, so they could pick their favorite color and feel like it’s their personal bacteria-fighting tool. Additionally, you can get a floss stick with different flavors and shapes. With that in mind, your child might be able to find a character from their favorite cartoon show or movie.
They even make water flossers for younger kids by adding extra safety features. To make the water flosser look cooler or more special, you should allow your child to add whatever stickers they want onto it.
When the flossing tool can feel like theirs and only theirs, they’ll be much more open to using it on a daily basis.
2. Use Positive Reinforcement
If you want to get someone to do something again and again, the tried and true way is by using positive reinforcement. With that concept in mind, your kids will be much more enthusiastic about brushing if you can set up a reward system.
For instance, you can give them a gold star sticker after every time they floss. Younger kids might be satisfied with just the gold star as their reward, but at a certain age, a child will want something more than just a sticker.
If your child is at an age when gold stickers are not enough, then you can tell them that, if they get enough gold stickers, then they can cash them in for a trip to the movie theater or the ice cream shop.
When they have a wonderful award waiting for them, they’ll do everything they can to get to it, including flossing with braces.
3. Buddy-Up With Your Kids
Flossing alone is about as boring as it gets, but if you volunteer to be your kid’s flossing buddy, you can have fun with them.
You can make it a friendly competition by seeing who can floss the fastest while maintaining proper technique. Alternatively, you can wiggle to the beat of the flossing dance while you go about your business.
The phrase ‘monkey see monkey do’ definitely applies to good oral hygiene habits. If your kid can see you flossing every night and even do it with you, then you’ll become their clean-teeth idol. You can even get the whole family in on it.
Time flies, but if you can spend quality time with your kid every night, they’ll have even more fond memories of you to look back on when they’re all grown up. Plus, they’ll have white and perfect teeth.
4. Educate them about the Consequences of Not Flossing
It’s a common practice for parents to warn their children of a bogeyman so that they’ll behave. Well, a bogeyman may not be real, but rotten teeth and gum disease are the true oral monsters.
The key to prevention is education. You can’t expect kids to be serious about flossing if they don’t know why it’s so important.
If you show your child educational videos that emphasize good oral hygiene and explain to them the consequences of not flossing, they’ll be much more likely to floss on a regular basis.
5. Encourage the Use of Music
The recommended amount of time one should brush their teeth is about two minutes. On top of that, flossing takes time. Then there’s tongue scrapping and mouthwash.
All of these chores can add up to a lot of time that your kid could be playing video games or shooting hoops. To make all of that time a lot more fun, you can encourage your children to make a playlist of their favorite songs.
That way, they can jam out as they floss, brush, and more. There are many streaming services out there that can allow you to make a family-friendly playlist with ease, such as Spotify or Pandora.
6. Frame Your Child as the Hero
Children really respond to storytelling. They’ll be much more likely to get into the spirit of flossing if you tell them all about the evil plaque army that invades the kingdom of their mouth every day.
It’s up to them, the prince or princess, to fight off the evil plaque army with a magic lasso called floss and their toothbrush as an epic sword.
Children often look up to heroes and, when it comes to oral hygiene, they can be their own heroes.
Are You Ready to Make Flossing Fun?
Now that you know all about six ways to make flossing fun for kids, you can ensure that their teeth remain perfect throughout their childhood and beyond. The best way to develop great oral hygiene habits is by starting as early as possible.
Westport Dental can provide you and your family with high-quality dental services, from cosmetic dentistry to preventative and restorative dentistry. Our knowledgeable staff members can make your children feel comfortable and help them learn healthy oral hygiene habits.
If you have any questions about our highly-rated dental services, feel free to contact us. We’re always happy to help out.
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