To many kids, brushing their teeth seems an awful lot like a chore. Since kids, at least my kids, don't like chores - getting them to brush their teeth can sometimes be a bit of a chore....for me!

Here are a few tips I've found helpful when encouraging my kids to brush their teeth: 

~ Let them choose their own toothbrush. Yes, we know that toothbrushes don't need to have a character on them to work properly, but kids don't know that. If they choose their own tooth brush and tooth paste, chances are they'll feel better about using it.  

~  To get your kids to brush their teeth for as long as they should, consider getting one of these new Musical tooth brushes
. You can get tooth brushes that play songs from High School Musical songs, Hannah Montana, Sponge Bob, etc. Tell your children that they have to brush until the music ends.  

~ Make teeth brushing a game. Little kids, especially, love games.  Brush your teeth at the same time as them to see who can do a better job.  Tell them that you have to check their mouth after to check for anything they missed.  You might feel a little silly having a tooth brushing competition with your kids, but you'll be thankful when you have a small bill at the dentist! 

~  My kids love to use mouthwash. I'm not sure what's so appealing about it, but they know they have to brush their teeth and then they get mouthwash.  The excitement of the mouthwash alone is enough to get them brushing.