{"id":77,"date":"2022-08-24T14:58:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T14:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texaschoicedental.com\/blog\/?p=77"},"modified":"2022-09-26T15:03:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T15:03:47","slug":"praising-children-for-brushing-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texaschoicedental.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/24\/praising-children-for-brushing-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Praise Your Child for Brushing Their Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Every child should learn to brush their teeth early in life, but if they consider the task hard or unfun, they may not brush as long or as often as they should. So what can you, as a parent, do to make sure they\u2019re brushing enough? Surprisingly, some studies suggest that the answer could be as simple as praising them for making the effort! The following post explores how you can use praise to encourage the right habits for brushing teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Do the Studies Say?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A study published in Child Development <\/em>looked at toothbrushing behaviors in children who were three years old. They found that parental praise was linked to how long children persisted in brushing as well as how likely they were to remember to brush at all. The exact amount of time each child spent brushing varied from day to day, but they did tend to brush longer on days where they received praise. They also seemed to respond better to praise than being told how they should brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, the research suggests if your little one has been having a hard time getting in the habit of cleaning their teeth by themselves, praising them could make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Should You Praise Your Child for Brushing Their Teeth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Step one is to let your child hold their toothbrush so that they can brush on their own. You can help them clean the hard-to-reach teeth near the back of their mouth, but otherwise, your little one should be able to steer the process. This helps them develop their brushing skills and gives you the opportunity to praise them for doing a good job without your intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way you give praise can affect the way your child interprets it, so make sure you keep these tips in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n