Brush Your Teeth

Thoughts for Thursday:

I recently had a family that was concerned about difficulty during the teeth brushing routine using a vibrating toothbrush. I recommended a vibrating toothbrush, for good oral health & hygiene, as well as "awakening the oral cavity" for speech, language, and oral feeding. I suggested the following methods   and steps that have worked for some of my other families:

1. Singing songs & reading books about brushing teeth

2. Having playtime with the toothbrush to prepare for brushing teeth, rewarding with (stickers, TV/iPad time, etc.) 

3. Allowing the child to touch his preferred toothbrush and allowing them to choose when they would like to touch the less desired one, etc.

4. Modeling several people use the toothbrush to prove there is nothing to be afraid of

5. Not forcing the vibrating toothbrush right away, but instead introducing it in phases: tolerating it in the area, next to them, on their body or in their hand, turning it on etc.

Keep Pushing!

Motivational Monday:

Happy Monday! I have recently been visiting several countries, islands, places, etc. throughout the year and have thoroughly enjoyed my trips. I love to learn about different cultures, the different way people live their lives, and learning new languages. I recently vacationed in a country where the primary language is Spanish, and although I speak Spanish, my friend who accompanied me is in the early process of learning the language. My advice to her was that when forced or required to "survive" by trying to put her knowledge of this language to use, she would do what she had to do to get her needs/wants met. I often also share that small piece of advice with my families as well. I advise them to require their children to "work" for their wants and needs whether the child uses sign language, gestures, makes a sound, etc. because allowing the child to cry/tantrum and get what they want, helps no one, especially the child. In addition, it teaches the child that if they cry and scream, mommy/daddy will give in and I get what I want, ultimately making crying an effective way of communicating and leaving parents frustrated and dissatisfied. I also understand and am very empathetic to the fact that it's very hard to hear your child cry and be upset, however, I also remind them that there will be a time where the child will go out into the world (school, daycare, etc.) and need to be somewhat independent regardless of the school and/or program they are enrolled in. So…I challenge all therapists to share this advice with their families, and challenge families to "keep pushing", using models, prompts, cues, etc., requiring the child to use a preferred mode of communication, and to "work" to get their needs/wants met :)