Trying to brush my toddler’s teeth was like wrestling a Tasmanian Devil – I found an easy mum hack & saved so much time
A MUM has discovered a simple trick to help prevent tantrums when it comes to brushing her toddlers teeth.
Like many parents will understand, Madison Barbosa regularly struggled when it came to making sure her kids’ oral hygiene was good.
Every time it came to brushing her children’s teeth, the mum-of-two found that it would be like “wrestling a Tasmanian Devil.”
But more recently she came over a revelation, and it has since made teeth brushing so much easier.
Madison, who goes by the name of @madison_barbosa on TikTok, shared a video on her social media account and it has since gone viral.
Talking to the camera, she first started off by saying: “You’re telling me that for a whole year, I have been fighting for my life, morning and night trying to brush my toddler’s teeth?”
The mum, who had two children under three years, continued: “When all I had to do was give her my tooth brush and let her brush mine.
“If your toddlers a little a**hole and they won’t let you brush their teeth and you have to fight them, they are kicking and screaming and biting and punching and clawing.
“If you find trying to brush their teeth is like riding an ostrich, wrestling a crocodile, hippo or chasing a tasmanian devil if any of that resonates with you, try letting them brush your teeth.
“Give them your toothbrush and say, ‘can you brush mummies teeth?’ and they get so excited, because they have control.
“It’s like, I get to brush mummies teeth. I get to put the toothbrush in mummies mouth
“This idea came to me, I was like ‘why don’t I let her do it to me and then maybe she will let me do it to her and it worked.’
“Let them brush your teeth. They are not going to do a good job, for obvious reasons – you will still have to brush your own teeth.
“But then they will let you brush theirs.
You’re telling me that for a whole year, I have been fighting for my life, morning and night trying to brush my toddler’s teeth?
Madison Barbosa
“I’ve wasted so much time.”
The video sparked a big conversation in the comments section with over 1,200 people sharing their thoughts.
One wrote: “I’ve tried that. She immediately slammed my toothbrush right to the back of my throat. Never again.”
To which Madison replied: “Yea you most definitely will get gagged.”
Another parent asked: “Why is teeth brushing and nail clipping hell?”
A third parent praised the trick, having already done it themselves.
They wrote: “We started using toothpaste so early and that did the trick!”
“Please tell me this will work with my 14 month old,” pleaded another parent.
To which Madison replied: “It’s been working for over a week for us! Fingers crossed lol.”
Another parent shared: “I just told my toddler there’s bugs on her teeth and now she brushes three times a day.”
Time-saving mum hacks
Morning Routine
Nighttime Preparation: Set out clothes for yourself and the kids, pack lunches, and organise backpacks before bed.
Effortless Breakfasts: Keep simple, healthy breakfast options on hand, such as overnight oats, smoothie packs, or pre-made breakfast burritos.
Meal Planning
Weekly Meal Prep: Dedicate time each week to plan your meals to eliminate daily decision-making.
Bulk Cooking: Prepare larger quantities and freeze portions for future use.
Hands-Off Cooking: Make use of slow cookers or Instant Pots for easy, unattended meal prep.
Ready-to-Use Veggies: Purchase pre-chopped vegetables or chop them all at once to save time during the week.
Household Chores
Daily Laundry: Do a load of laundry every day to prevent a buildup of dirty clothes.
Continuous Cleaning: Encourage kids to clean up after themselves and perform small cleaning tasks throughout the day.
Efficient Multitasking: Fold laundry while watching TV or listen to audiobooks/podcasts while cleaning.
Organisation
Family Command Centre: Set up a central hub with a calendar, to-do lists, and important documents.
Daily Decluttering: Spend a few minutes each day decluttering to maintain an organised home.
Organised Storage: Use bins and baskets to keep items neat and easy to locate.
Kid Management
Prepared Activity Bags: Have bags packed with essentials for various activities (e.g., swimming, sports).
Routine Visuals: Implement visual charts to help kids follow their routines independently.
Task Delegation: Assign age-appropriate chores to children to foster responsibility and reduce your workload.