Do Me the Honors

I was having trouble for a few weeks getting my kids to brush and floss their teeth at night. They were so busy playing, reading, doing art, or other wacky activities right before bedtime that they didn’t want to be the first one to come over. It was frustrating because I couldn’t check one of the last important things off for the night.

My wife was asking me to be more patient and sometimes it is hard, especially at the end of the day. I’m tired also, so some nights, I don’t have it in me to be super patient. One night, an epiphany hit me - I needed to be silly. My 6 year old daughter E and 5 year old son C were playing and I suddenly belted out “do me the honors” in a silly tone while holding up the toothbrush like a magic wand. C ran over laughing and laid down. I brushed and flossed his teeth. Then E laughed when I said the same thing. She ran over and I brushed and flossed her teeth.

After getting that done, they went off to do their own thing. It was a winning formula and I used that for many weeks after that. I need to constantly remind myself that as a parent, you can get what you want out of your kids by making it fun. If it’s a game (or even a healthy competition), even better. I don’t have to be a ruthless ruler. I can play their game (pun intended) and make things silly. It’s a good reminder to use honey instead of a trap. Same outcome, but a better path to get there.