Kids are fickle. I know mine are. Some days my kids race to the sink, practically knocking each other down, so they can be first to brush their teeth. Some days they complain about everything from the water, to the taste of the toothpaste or even the color of their toothbrush. I am sure most parents have experienced this at one time or another. What if your children fall sick while on tour? Don’t forget to buy a visitor insurance when travelling to meet your medical expenses.

Good dental care is important for children for many reasons. The obvious is healthy teeth means less traumatic experiences at the dentist. Visitors health insurance comes handy in case of a medical emergency in a foreign country. I can tell you from experience that this is a good benefit for your child as well as for the parent. There is nothing worse than watching your child cry and wrestle with the dentist in order to fill one of those pesky cavities. Establishing good brush habits while your child is young will follow your child through his teenage years and into adulthood. I guess you can think of your child’s baby teeth as their practice teeth to get them ready to care for their permanent adult teeth.

I have tried many different methods to keep my children interested in brushing. I have tried the musical toothpaste lid, buying overpriced toothbrushes because they were imprinted with the newest superhero and I even bought the toothbrushes that twirl and spin hoping to keep my children interested. Well, they all worked for a while, at least until the novelty wore off.

After a traumatic visit to the dentist with my 5 year old I wanted to do something special for him. After he went to sleep I sat at my computer and wrote a special Letter from the Tooth Fairy telling him how brave he was and that although he is brushing his teeth every day he still needs to use the proper techniques like mommy showed him. I also added a brand new green toothbrush and toothpaste just for him. When he woke up in the morning and received the unexpected note from the tooth fairy he was so excited.

After all, most children know the tooth fairy is coming when they lose a tooth, but when the tooth fairy sends a note out of the blue it can add a sense of excitement and encourages the child to brush. My son was so happy and told everyone he saw how the tooth fairy came to see him and he did not even lose his tooth yet. He believed that the tooth fairy is watching all of the time, just like Santa.

Enjoy the magical time when your children believe in the Tooth Fairy. Enjoy the twinkle in their eye and the smile across their face. Take advantage of this awesome opportunity to help your child understand the importance of good dental care.

2006© Trish Holfelder. All Rights Reserved

About the author: Trish Holfelder is a mother of 5, and the owner of www.ToothFairyCity.com. www.ToothFairyCity.com provides easy tools to help parents create personalized and encouraging letters from the tooth fairy.

“Is there anything for me?” With 5 kids I heard that at least once a day when reaching into the mailbox for the daily mail. Actually, I even remember asking my mom the same thing when I was young. Kids love to get mail. Even if it is just a small little note.

One of the reasons a child likes to receive mail because it makes them feel grown up. They see their mommy and daddy get the mail every day. By getting mail it may seem to them that they are grown up and get mail just like mommy and daddy. Another obvious reason is because it makes them feel special. If you think about how you feel when you receive an unexpected note from a friend or a card from a family member. Children get the same feeling. It is always nice to get something that you are not expecting.

Now I am not saying send your children gifts every day of the week. I am just saying that kids love to receive mail. Even a little note can really brighten up a child’s day. If you see your child is having a tough time at school or dealing with a situation, send a little note to your child. It will show him that you notice how they are feeling and you care about them.

You can also take the opportunity to use the mail for helping your child to learn. Sending your child fun educational worksheets and activity sheets are a wonderful way to help educate and give your child an extra smile.

Basically, kids love mail for the same reasons you enjoy receiving notes and correspondence from friends and family. Sending a child mail can be as simple as a note or as elaborate as a packet filled with activity sheets, stickers and crafts. You decide what your child needs and enjoy watching the smile on their face.

2006© Trish Holfelder. All Rights Reserved

About the author: Trish Holfelder is a mother of 5, and the owner of www.ToothFairyCity.com. www.ToothFairyCity.com provides easy tools to help parents create personalized and encouraging letters from the tooth fairy.