How your toddler's growing:He's becoming much easier to understand now that he often combines pointing with a word or two. And her growing independence is asserting itself in numerous ways: He can undress himself (dressing himself will come much later), brush his teeth without your help and feed his dolly. But you should continue to brush his teeth for him, until he truly masters the job. He can sort things by color, shape, and type, which makes toys that encourage sorting particularly popular now. If "no" hasn't already become his favorite word, he'll begin using it with a vengeance. He's gradually easing toward one nap each day, which means this is a transition period that's potentially hard on both of you. If he's having trouble sleeping, try cuddling up with his for a few minutes to make it extra cozy.
Question: My toddler screams, thrashes, and twists away every time I try to brush his teeth. How can I get him to cooperate?
Answer: The simple answer is "with difficulty"! Still, dental hygiene isn't something you can — or should — avoid for long. In fact, as your child gets more teeth and eats more foods (including sweets) that might get stuck between those teeth, regular brushing becomes increasingly important. Some tips:Toddlers love copying most everything their parents do, so it's well worth it to make sure that one of those things is toothbrushing. Start by buying identically colored brushes for him and you.
Next, sit with your child on the bathroom floor so he can see what you're doing with the toothbrush and try to mimic it. Use a cup for rinsing and a bowl or the bathtub for spitting; each time your toddler puts the brush in his mouth, he earns the right to spit (undoubtedly a toddler's favorite part of the process!).Once your child is willing to put the toothbrush in his mouth, let him take a turn putting it in yours. Make a game of it: Each time he brushes your teeth, you get a shot at brushing his. If this ploy works, move on to the next step: Letting him "brush" your teeth while you do a thorough job on his. If the ploy doesn't work, though, don't push it. As you've already discovered, you can't force the toothbrush into your child's mouth without hurting or at least scaring him.Some other tricks: Let your toddler climb up on a footstool (with you behind him for safety) so he can see himself in the bathroom mirror. As he stares at the reflection of the two of you, point to and count his teeth and yours. Then touch each tooth with the brush "to give it its share of toothpaste." (Don't let your child use fluoridated toothpaste, though, until he's at least 2. Just use water on the brush until then.)Use whatever kids' toothpaste he likes most — this may have more to do with what's on the tube than in it. No matter what kind he chooses, though, be careful to use only a tiny dab and store it in a place where he can't help himself. It may also help to name each tooth as you attend to it so he's persuaded that no single tooth should be left out. This will appeal to his sense of justice and help keep his mouth open when boredom looms.No matter how you tackle toothbrushing, don't assume that it'll be easy — and don't expect perfection. Few toddlers are consistently cooperative about getting their teeth brushed. What's more, even if your child becomes positively enthusiastic about dental care and brushes his teeth with gusto, he lacks the manual dexterity to do a thorough job. Match his tooth-cleaning attempts with thorough cleaning of your own.
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