6 Tips for Taking on a Challenge

We had a hard time getting our little guy to brush his teeth. He did not like it. At all. I read a post from Today's The Best Day a while ago about 10 healthy habits for your kids. Obviously brushing their teeth was one of them, but she encouraged moms to tackle one habit at a time. Brushing his teeth was my new challenge.

The first step of this challenge was for him to understand that his brush was his, not his sisters, not the dogs, and it was not a sword. It is his toothbrush...for his teeth. My daughter needed a little reminder too. Somehow their toothbrushes end up in the weirdest places. Anyway, I digress. Once he knew what his toothbrush was for we worked on getting the right end in his mouth. He likes to chew the bottom. *Sigh* We had the most success when he saw all of us brushing our teeth together because he wanted to mimic what we were doing. Every morning and night the three or four of us go in and brush our teeth together as part of our new routine. He tries to brush and it is adorable. He may not get all of his teeth, but he is getting down the idea. If he lets me, and I have to be crafty, I can hold the brush to guide it to his back teeth. Phase two will be using toothpaste. He does not like it.

6 tips for taking on a challenge

1. Take on one at a time -- don't overwhelm yourself or them. Be patient because before you know it they have mastered a challenge and are ready for the next.
2. Help your little one understand -- Explain to the best of your ability the how's and why's of what you're trying to accomplish. Be there to guide them with hands on help and let them mimic you.
3. Make it fun -- try singing a song about what you're doing, make it a game, or go all out and over the top with excitement. Bubble Guppies & Daniel Tiger have a lot of great songs for doing things like potty time, brushing teeth, trying new food, etc.
4. Stock up/Take your time -- make sure you have enough supplies to encourage the new habit. If you only have 1 toothbrush and it "disappears" for three days you will lose your momentum. Dollar Tree is a great place to stock up and it won't break the bank. If supplies aren't an issue (maybe your challenge is an earlier bed time) give yourself plenty of time so you don't feel stressed. Just take your time.
5. Be consistent -- This is my biggest challenge. Some things, like brushing our teeth, have become a part of our routine and it's been easy. Other things that aren't routine are harder for me to keep up with, like my son learning to use a spoon.
6. Celebrate the successes -- whether big or small, let your little one know that they've done a good job! We did this for my daughter and now that she is potty trained she tells me, "don't be happy mom" because it is old news now and she is done with the bathroom celebrations.  

See him watching me?! That's how they learn :)