Do you brush your DC's teeth in the morning (those in daycare)?

[Anonymous]

I can't believe that's even a serious question. Ugh.

It's not that hard. Having multiple kids is hardly an excuse. That's just gross, and not doing it now is hardly likely to make them good about doing it later on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a huge difference between letting a child sit in his own shit and brushing his teeth once and not twice a day. Apples and oranges.

What is it?...both cause your kid to smell, both cause immediate discomfort (plaque on the gums can lead to red/bleeding gums very quickly), both can have long term health consequences.

The only difference I see is that not brushing your kids teeth is easier to hide b/c it the smell is not as far reaching.

Can we add this to the "Define Douchebag" thread?

Only if I can add you when your toddler has to be sedated to have a root canal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a huge difference between letting a child sit in his own shit and brushing his teeth once and not twice a day. Apples and oranges.

What is it?...both cause your kid to smell, both cause immediate discomfort (plaque on the gums can lead to red/bleeding gums very quickly), both can have long term health consequences.

The only difference I see is that not brushing your kids teeth is easier to hide b/c it the smell is not as far reaching.

Can we add this to the "Define Douchebag" thread?

Only if I can add you when your toddler has to be sedated to have a root canal.

Blam....in your face!

[Anonymous]

4y old here - and yes we do it every morning before we leave. I agree that it is "just one more thing" to do - but my laziness won't teach him healthy oral hygiene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- boy, didn't mean to start anything. I guess I should have been more detailed to avoid the bashing. I have a 3 month old, whom I also have to get ready in the morning. My husband leaves for work at 6am, so he's no help. I really do try to brush the teeth in the morning, but lately that has been causing the terrible two's to come out and I end up spending 15 minutes trying to calm my DS down, get him dressed and feed him; while trying to my 3 month old ready. I get up an hour and a half before they do, and somehow I still run out of time. I will have a routine in place in the next few weeks -- all this is new and I'm adjusting to it all. I'm just trying to avoid the screaming in the morning, so my 3 months can stay asleep while I get the older one ready. I'm waiting on the white noise machine to arrive, so we can scream and brush in the morning.

OP, I'm in a similar situation, having two and not wanting to enforce the morning brushing so the little one doesn't wake up. We have white noise, etc., but I'm still not giving it a go until the little one is older and into a more stable routine. I do make sure that the toddler doesn't have anything to eat or drink (other than water) after the evening brushing, but that's about it. When I told my ped this, he said it wasn't ideal, but not the end of the world either. Of course, you may not want to take advice from me, because unlike some of the perfect moms on this thread, I have been known to leave the house in the morning without brushing my teeth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG totally no, I also do not change his diaper or get him dressed or feed him breakfast in the morning. I also don't bother to buckle the carseat.

It's all just so time consuming that I don't bother because life is about ME and I can't be bothered to get up 10 minutes earlier to take care of these things...I mean I feed him in the evening so it's totally cool to skip the morning feed? Right???

You are absolutely one of the biggest bitches on this forum, and that is saying a lot. Congratulations. You win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG totally no, I also do not change his diaper or get him dressed or feed him breakfast in the morning. I also don't bother to buckle the carseat.

It's all just so time consuming that I don't bother because life is about ME and I can't be bothered to get up 10 minutes earlier to take care of these things...I mean I feed him in the evening so it's totally cool to skip the morning feed? Right???

You are absolutely one of the biggest bitches on this forum, and that is saying a lot. Congratulations. You win.

Well, you might think she's a bitch but she makes a good point.

You have to think that the OP knows that she should brush her kids teeth twice a day....everyone has been told to do this since childhood. Neglecting your child's hygiene because it's too hard to fit in is selfish and that was the point of the post.

If it makes the OP and other non teeth brushers feel better about being selfish because other parents are also selfish than it is what it is. That's the whole point of questions like this, right?

[Anonymous]

Good points can be made without being a total bitch, and THAT's the point of this forum. I'm so sick of people being mean for the sake and sport of it, just to make people asking an honest question feel bad. It was an honest question, and she had no business being such a bitch about it. Nice try, but there is simply no excuse for such nastiness when people are looking for guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do with our toddler. She's young enough (15mo) to find it amusing, so she brushes her teeth when we do and loves to be in the bathroom with us brushing at the same time.

Same here. We all do it together, and she thinks it's a hoot.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had time to read all the responses on this thread because it looks like this conversation got interesting, well...at least entertaining.

Anyway, there seems to be at least a day or two a week we forget. But I try for every day. I'm already worried about tooth decay. I don't know how effective it is though, because we let our 11 mo brush his own teeth. He actually LOVES doing it, and he'll brush for as long or longer than I brush, but he won't let me do it for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had time to read all the responses on this thread because it looks like this conversation got interesting, well...at least entertaining.

Anyway, there seems to be at least a day or two a week we forget. But I try for every day. I'm already worried about tooth decay. I don't know how effective it is though, because we let our 11 mo brush his own teeth. He actually LOVES doing it, and he'll brush for as long or longer than I brush, but he won't let me do it for him.

I have more than 2 kids and the 1 that was a brushing/vitamin with fluoride problem was the only one with cavities. There are some HS girls now who don't brush everyday and had needed braces. Also don't shower daily even when they have their periods and/or work-out. Busy parents with plenty of money. It's a shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good points can be made without being a total bitch, and THAT's the point of this forum. I'm so sick of people being mean for the sake and sport of it, just to make people asking an honest question feel bad. It was an honest question, and she had no business being such a bitch about it. Nice try, but there is simply no excuse for such nastiness when people are looking for guidance.

Sometimes the point is lost if you try to dance around the issue.

I'm not sure what guidance the OP was requesting....she said she doesn't brush her kids teeth in the morning and wanted to know if she was the only one.

Hopefully the extra sarcasm got through to some of you and there will be a handful of kids with healthier smiles to show for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good points can be made without being a total bitch, and THAT's the point of this forum. I'm so sick of people being mean for the sake and sport of it, just to make people asking an honest question feel bad. It was an honest question, and she had no business being such a bitch about it. Nice try, but there is simply no excuse for such nastiness when people are looking for guidance.

You're bring overdramatic. It really wasn't that bitchy considering that the OP herself said that she didn't do it because it was too time consuming.

OP wasn't genuinely asking if it's ok to only brush a child's teeth once a day because she lacks knowledge of dental health. She asked because she wanted people to make her feel better for not doing something she knows she should be doing. Well, sorry, she didn't get what she wanted.

[Anonymous]

Oh my, the melodrama! The terrible mothers who don't make their toddlers brush their teeth! These are probably the same evil doers who don't make their kids eat 4 vegetables everyday, who allow them to have dessert, who let them go on day care field trips on school buses with no car seats........

OP, you are fine. Do what you can. If my 2 y.o. brushes her teeth once a day I consider it a victory. For Pete's sake she is TWO! She will get the hang of it and do it on a regular basis eventually, and the world will not end in the meantime.

Get a grip everyone!

[Anonymous]

I have a 3 year old and 1 year old (both are not keen on teeth brushing). I manage to get their teeth brushed every morning. We drop the youngest off at daycare in the neighborhood and the other goes to a special needs school 40 minutes away and then I go to work.

Every now and then we manage to forget to do it but it's honestly an oversight. It's part of the routine and the last thing done before we walk out the door.