Brushing teeth - so sad I am crying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop fighting with him and start taking away privileges. You have to figure out what his currency is- cool clothes? Video games? Playing with friends? My sister had a similar issue with one of her kids. He came home one day to find every single thing in his entire room was bagged up in trash bags and he had to earn them back. He only only had his bed and dresser (empty). It really turned everything around. For once, the kid knew that mom meant business.

Definitely, consequences are important. I would take away sugary treats- that can’t be allowed if they won’t brush their teeth.

[Anonymous]

My 13 and 16 yr olds still forget to brush their teeth. I'm pretty sure if I didn't check the 13 yr old every few days, they'd just not brush their teeth.

I know your kid has issues with the dentist, but does the dentist put fluoride polish on their teeth? They should do that.

You have to just check everyday. I touch the bristles to verify. Sometimes DC says they did brush, but then when I immediately check the bristles, it's bone dry. I think DC has issues with past/present/future, because DC thinks they did something but clearly didn't, and I think DC is thinking that DC did it yesterday and getting that confused with today. I say this because DC knows that I'll check, and that DC would get into trouble for lying.

I honestly think it's crazy that I'm still having to check my teenagers to make sure they are taking care of their hygiene, but I don't want my kids to get cavities. I had tons of them, and it was painful to deal with. So, I'm trying to help them avoid what I went through, but they are making it hard for me to help them.

Sheesh.