<\/p>\nI’m the first to admit that I can be a bit compulsive about some things. For example, I probably don’t really need to brush my teeth four or five times a day, but I just love to have that minty-fresh feeling. So, you can imagine how 21-month-old Lucy feels about brushing her teeth these days. Or perhaps I should say, _not_ brushing her teeth. <\/p>\n
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p{color:gray}. Photo: Twenty-one months ago today, within two hours of birth — when she didn’t have any teeth to brush!<\/p>\n
By the time Lucy was about 15 or 16 months old, she seemed to have enough teeth to warrant a toddler toothbrush. She even seemed to enjoy the sensation of getting a good cleaning. We instituted regular tooth-brushings before nap and before bedtime, mainly because I myself cannot fathom going to sleep without a good brushing. When Lucy started to protest a bit, there was always a little something I could do to make the process more palatable: using a bit of toddler toothpaste, sitting her on my lap and giving her something interesting to look at while I brushed her teeth, allowing her to brush her teeth on her own for a bit before I took over, or some similar trick.<\/p>\n
But lately, our nearly-two-year-old has clamped her mouth shut on the whole system. We still go into the bathroom for the ritual twice a day (Lucy actually calls for it: “Brush! Brush!”), but the girl will not let me brush her teeth, nor will she brush them herself. I tried brushing my own teeth while she held her toothbrush, but she wasn’t taken with a desire to imitate. I tried asking her to “show me her big lion teeth,” but she caught on pretty quickly. I’ve tried “Harvey Karp’s”:http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0553381431\/octothorppres-20 trick of brushing her knee, her chin, her cheek, and then getting a few swipes at the dentition, but that’s out now too. I tried giving Lucy a toothbrush to hold while I brush with another, but now she wants to hold both of them. In fact, that is what our “toothbrushing” procedure has devolved into: Lucy holding two toothbrushes and sitting alternately on the bathroom stool and her potty chair, back and forth. <\/p>\n
I am a bit mystified on how to proceed. It does raise some questions about our child-rearing philosophy. Generally, we like to give Lucy choices and independence when we can. There are some things she *must* do for safety (like holding my hand when crossing the street or not touching electrical outlets). There are some things Lucy *must* do to contribute to our family life systems (like not throwing food on the floor or not playing in the trash can). But this situation feels different. Lucy doesn’t strictly *need* to brush her teeth. As an individual, she can respectfully decline the whole tooth-brushing process, at least until she is a bit older and can participate in reasoned discussions. And, anyway, it is pretty impossible to force a toothbrush into anyone’s mouth (and who wants to do that?). She is simply exercising her autonomy, which I can respect. And, wonderfully, neither of us is upset with the process — we just go into the bathroom twice a day, experience a variety of persuasive techniques, and then go on our merry way.<\/p>\n
But I feel like there must be a loophole somewhere, some new idea I haven’t thought of. Is she too young for sticker charts? Or should I show her how to brush her doll’s (non-existent) teeth? Or should we just give up for a week or so and try again later? As a dedicated tooth-brusher, this would be hard for me, but I’m willing to try it for the sake of Lucy’s future oral hygiene!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’m the first to admit that I can be a bit compulsive about some things. For example, I probably don’t really need to brush my teeth four or five times a day, but I just love to have that minty-fresh feeling. So, you can imagine how 21-month-old Lucy feels about brushing her teeth these days. … <\/p>\n