Most kids love a good challenge, and if you can somehow turn that challenge into a healthy one it’s a bonus for you too! The New Year is still fresh and it’s a perfect time to start new habits that will last them a lifetime.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention CDC dental caries (tooth decay) remains the most chronic disease in children.
Brushing and Flossing Every Day
So what can you do? The obvious is cutting back on sugary treats and drinks, but making sure your kids are brushing and flossing every day is even more important.
The good news is we have found this downloadable calendar for your kids to keep track of their new habit!
This calendar has three blocks on each day, two next to the toothbrush symbol and one next to the floss. This is how many times a day they should be performing these acts. This calendar also has an outlined drawing on the top of each month for your child to customize and color to their liking.
Brushing Challenge
If you want to increase the challenge offer a small prize or a special outing at the end of each month for doing such a good job. Have your kids compete to see who can get the most x’s each month. As an added incentive throw yourselves into the mix, if they have a chance to beat Mom and Dad it will only increase their drive to do better!
As a parent, you know that any way to make a boring chore easier will only result as a win in your book. Of course, having your child visit their pediatric dentist every six months will aid in this new found habit. They can also give you more tips and tricks to make brushing and flossing even easier.