Hygiene Hysteria: How to Get Your HSC to Brush Their Teeth Without A Fight
A question you never thought you’d ask other parents when you decided to become a parent:
How long does it take your kid to brush their teeth?
Because you know that even though it’s an annoying and daily chore,
We all need to do it.
For at least two minutes, if we are following health guidelines.
So why does it take your kid 15, 30, or even longer to get through a two minute daily activity?
You’ve probably asked yourself that before.
And if you’ve asked other parents, they probably had a mouthful of information to share.
“I’ve just given up on brushing her teeth in the morning. We just do it at night.”
“This one toothbrush my son uses lights up and plays a song! It helps.”
“Just tell your kid their teeth will rot and fall out of their head. Fear works, mama!”
Some of these tactics may have worked for you temporarily,
But you know the problem is not just brushing their teeth.
Because this started when your kid was 3 and wouldn’t sit in the car seat.
Or get dressed before school.
And outright REFUSE to do things that you asked them to do.
So I’m going to bust some of the myths,
And then tell you exactly how to fix this issue for good.
“This one toothbrush my son uses lights up and plays a song!”
This might seem like the obvious solution: make brushing your teeth fun!
And that is a wonderful suggestion…
But your kid has to already be willing to brush their teeth.
And we’ve already established that it can take almost half an hour to convince your kid to even try it.
Plus if your Highly Sensitive child is stuck in the meltdown cycle,
Fun things can feel like an obstacle.
So they might not really care about what their toothbrush is like.
And even if they DO seem to brush better with a fancy new singing toothbrush,
This doesn’t really solve the problem.
It just makes the problem more tolerable for your HSC.
Because it’s not about the toothbrush.
It’s about them…
Lacking the skills to manage their emotions for two minutes to complete a daily ritual.
This leaves everyone feeling exhausted,
And you, walking on eggshells around the worries of cavities and tooth decay.
Because if you put fear in your child’s mind about cavities and say,
“Your teeth will rot and fall out of your head if you don’t brush,”
Now they’re afraid of the dentist.
So, then what?
You can’t avoid needing dental work from time to time…
So you feel like you need to choose.
Meltdowns before brushing,
Or potentially spending thousands in dental work due to avoiding the dentist?
To put it bluntly, that is no way for anyone to live.
On one hand,
Your HSC is having an exhausting emotional event DAILY (and possibly even multiple times a day), which is taxing on THEM.
And you are in the boat beside them, trying to let them steer in hopes to ease their suffering,
But they don’t know how to drive the boat from here…
Plus, they don’t have the skills or knowledge of what is going on in their own bodies to tell you that.
Your family deserves more than a coping mechanism to get through a meltdown.
Your family deserves a SOLUTION to end the meltdown cycle.
And your kid DESERVES healthy teeth.
“I’ve just given up on brushing her teeth in the morning. We just do it at night.”
Hygiene hysteria is REAL.
I don’t judge this parent one bit for practicing this band aid solution.
But that’s all it is. A band aid.
Giving into the problem is not solving the problem.
When you BEND your life to the meltdowns,
You are choosing to live a life that is not as fulfilling as it could be.
It’s not just hygiene.
You don’t want your kid to miss out on birthday parties because of their pre-party meltdowns,
Or miss field trips because they struggle with a disruption in their routine.
On those days, you don’t say “I’ve just given up,”
Because mama, you HAVE NOT given up!
You are here RIGHT NOW reading this because you have NOT given up.
And you will NEVER give up.
Because you are a FANTASTIC parent. I know that because you are here right now.
Doing your research. Finding answers.
And have started to think, “Maybe parenting isn’t supposed to be this hard.”
LIFE HACK: It’s NOT!
Your instincts are correct.
Parenting should not involve a 30 minute hostage negotiation about your kid brushing their 20 teeth.
You can change this pervasive pattern in as little as 8 weeks.
Our team of experts can show you exactly how to make teeth brushing a mundane, daily activity for your HSC.
You can show your kid that they can handle it when things don’t go their way.
Learn to be their own advocates, and feel confident when using their voice.
Understand their emotions, to tell you exactly what they need so YOU can help.
YOU are the leader, mom, dad, or co parent.
You can lead your family through the meltdown cycle and end it altogether.
Joy can be the main emotion held by the people in your household. You have the power to make that change for your kids, and your family. Book a call with our team today, and put an end to the hygiene hysteria for good.
