Flossing is an essential part of any oral care routine, even for kids. Baby teeth are vital to development. Flossing should start when your child has two teeth that touch to remove plaque and food debris. Once they’re old enough to start doing it themselves, they may become less motivated to stick with it. Here are a few tips to help you teach kids to floss and encourage them to make it a lifelong habit!
1. Floss Family Style:
A family that flosses together has healthier smiles together! Kids love to mimic what their parents are doing. Lead by example and floss with your kids. This is perfect for extra bonding time and allows you to notice any issues your child might have with flossing too hard or missing the molars.
2. Sing a Song:
Music can help make your child’s oral care routine more fun. Make up a melody unique to flossing. Here’s one to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”:
Floss, floss, floss your teeth,
Do it every day,
Gently floss between the teeth,
Pluck the plaque away.
You can do this with any children’s song. Try changing the words to fit their favorite song!
3. Create a Reward System
Telling your child they’ll have a healthy smile if they floss every day may not be convincing enough. Kids love having a fun reward to look forward to at the end of a task. Make a reward chart for brushing and flossing. At the end of the week, give a reward. You can even set higher reward goals for flossing for the entire month.
How do you make flossing fun for your kids? Share your ideas in the comment section!