01 / KEEPING ROUTINES ALIVE WHEN THE SCHEDULE DISAPPEARS
D E N T A L S U R V I V A L G U I D E
01 / KEEPING ROUTINES ALIVE WHEN THE SCHEDULE DISAPPEARS
Routines are the invisible scaffolding of good dental health. During school terms, morning and evening brushing times are anchored to breakfast and bedtime, your child knows what comes next.
Take away the school routine and those anchors often drift with it. Bedtime creeps later, mornings blur into afternoons, and somehow the toothbrush never quite makes it into the routine.
The fix doesn ' t need to be military. For younger children, a simple visual schedule stuck to the bathroom mirror— even a hand-drawn one— gives them a sense of what the morning looks like, with brushing as a non-negotiable first step before the screen or the cereal bowl.
For children who love reward systems, a holiday brushing chart( easy to print online) with a small end-of-week reward can keep momentum going without it feeling like a chore.
Teenagers are a different challenge. The teen years already bring hormonal changes that can increase gum sensitivity and the risk of what we call " puberty-induced gingivitis ", and a two-week holiday of lazy brushing doesn ' t help.
For older kids it’ s autonomy rather than policing. Acknowledge that they ' re old enough to take ownership, set a clear expectation, and then check in rather than hover. Some teenagers find that switching to an electric toothbrush during the holidays adds enough novelty to keep them consistent.
If your family is visiting relatives or travelling during the break, pack dental supplies the same way you ' d pack a charger— as a nonnegotiable.
A travel toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and dental floss take up almost no space, and having them within easy reach removes the " we forgot it " excuse. Remember: brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing once a day is the foundation everything else rests on.
M Y K I D S D E N T I S T · T E R M 3 2 0 2 6