I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for LISTERINE. I received samples for this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.
As parents there are thousands upon zillions of things we are responsible for teaching our children. However, one of the most important lessons we can teach our children is how to take care of their overall health and well-being. It is easy to be passive and dismissive about our oral health i particular, but we really shouldn’t be. Our oral health might affect (or be affected by) various diseases and conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and more. The key to a long and successful life really begins with a healthy body from head to toe. Taking just a few minutes to care for our mouths each day can help us establish healthy habits for a lifetime.
Teaching Oral Health To Kids Is As Easy As 1…2…3
To teach my kids the importance of a healthy oral care routine, I break it down into 3 steps and I make each step as fun as possible. The key to getting kids enthusiastic about a healthy oral care routine is by making it interesting and fun. Use these simple steps to help the process of teaching kids oral health habits!
1. Brush
Teaching kids how to brush their teeth does not need to be complicated. Simply start with a small dab of fluoride toothpaste on their favorite toothbrush. Show them how to move the toothbrush back and forth in small strokes on the front, back and sides of their teeth.
2. Floss
Teaching kids how to floss is my favorite step in teaching kids oral health habits. I have taught my oldest son how to wrap about 1 inch of the floss around is middle fingers and pull the floss tightly between his hands. Then, push the LISTERINE Healthy White Mint Floss in between his teeth to grab food particles that brushing may have missed. I prefer teaching kids how to floss with LISTERINE shred resistant floss because it won’t get stuck in between kids tiny teeth.
3. Rinse
Did you know that brushing alone actually misses 75% of your mouth? That’s why it’s essential to rinse with LISTERINE Antiseptic in order to reach nearly 100% of your mouth and get rid of the germs that cause plaque and gingivitis. I have taught my oldest son how to use LISTERINE Smart Rinse mouthwash, it is perfect for him. Simply squeeze a small amount of the mouthwash into the holding capsule and teach kids how to swish and swash the mouthwash without swallowing.
Throughout each of the above 3 steps, we sing little songs like “brusha, brusha, brusha” while brushing and “swisha, swasha” while rinsing. We have managed to make teaching kids oral health habits fun and I hope you can too!
Check out the LISTERINE Healthy Habit Heros on YouTube.
