Causes of children not being willing to cooperate with teeth brushing:
pent-up feelings of powerlessness, frustration or fear.
Solution: Nonsense Play and power-reversal games.
There are lots of different versions of these games that you can use!
One is the ‘Silly Toothbrush’ game, where you pretend that you don’t know where their teeth are.
You might say something like, “Oh I know where your teeth are!” and try to brush your child’s arm.
They will probably keep trying to show you where their teeth are, and you can keep on pretending to be confused about where their teeth are, brushing all different parts of your body, saying things like, “Oh, your teeth are very furry today (when brushing their hair with the toothbrush.)”
Connection, healing laughter and cooperation are likely to result!
Attachment play is a profoundly powerful parenting practice that supports deep connection, cooperation and healing.
If you want to understand what all 9 types of attachment play are for and when you can use them, I have an Attachment Play Course!
You can find out more here: