LISTERINE and REACH Healthy Habits for a Lifetime Oral Care Challenge

My family is pretty good about brushing regularly. I am lucky. My kids understand the importance of brushing their teeth or at least they believe me when I tell them that their teeth will fall out of their mouth if they don't brush.

One of the ways that we encourage good oral care habits is by regularly letting them pick out new toothbrushes and toothpaste. If they want to try cool, kid flossers, then I throw them in the cart as well.

I am a fanatic when it comes to my own oral care so I happy to be raising kids who care so much about their teeth.

For the past month, during this oral care challenge, our focus has been on the beyond brushing part. While my kids may be good about brushing, they are not so good about flossing or using mouth rinse.

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This past month, that all changed. My kids got into flossing and mouth rinse. And honestly the characters helped. A LOT. My son who loves Phineas and Ferb now loves using the mouth rinse on a regular basis. Same thing with my girls on the pink mouth rinse.

This was a fun challenge for my family. We were already doing a lot of things right. Now we are doing it even better.

Tips for Engaging Kids Early in Oral Care*

Ages 6-7:
Make oral care fun. Turn flossing into a funny-face contest, or make brushing a “Simon says” game by calling out different parts of the mouth. Try rinsing as a family and see who can go the longest without laughing.

Ages 8-10:
Clean to the beat. Brushing, flossing and rinsing are all rhythmic activities. Play music to help kids enjoy oral care routines. On average, brushing should last two minutes and rinsing 60 seconds. Together, these activities last the length of a typical song.

Ages 11-12:
Recruit others. Enlist older siblings and other family members to encourage proper oral hygiene. Another voice for good care can be influential and make a powerful impact on kids’ behavior.

* From the ListerineKids Lifetime of Smiles Tips Sheet found on Walmart.com

WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY'S ORAL CARE ROUTINE?

I received product and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.