i can not get my almost 10 year old to brush teeth and hair help plz

I have one question Who is the parent in this house? if you are having this problem at 10 of her telling you what she will and wont do what do you think it will be like at say 17. I would not allow her to go out the door unless her hair was brushed children are a reflection of there parents. good luck.

I was a real tomboy when I was a kid too, I have always had long hair. And I too can remember being yelled at to brush my hair, I hated to because it pulled . . . Mom ended up geting me a spray on conditioner to handle the tangles and pony tail hair clips. Her deal was that If I couldn't keep it brushed, then I needed to pull it back into a pony tail. I at the time wanted my ears pierced and so in order to get them I had to show I could care for myself like I would of the earrings. As for the teeth, After my first serious teeth cleaning at the dentist . . . I always brush my teeth. My son though, he's only 5, but I let him pick out his own tooth brush, and got him that blue mouthwash, that you use before you brush your teeth, it turns the plaque blue so they know where to brush. He loves it, he went from not brushing..to brushing like 3 times a day.... They have those musical brushes now too, maybe one of those would help...

I have 3 girls 22, 14 and 12. We have gone through these battles from time to time. Not to worry this too shall pass. My middle daughter was a tom boy and she sounds just like your daughter. Instead of threatening things she knows you won't do I would suggest saying if this isn't done then you won't get to do... (I use computer time) Follow through with it. In a few years you won't be able to get into the bathroom because she will want to be perfect everyday.

stop yelling and screaming about it...if she doesnt brush her hair then either really get it cut or stop saying things you dont mean...she obviously doesnt believe you...have you asked her does she want short hair?...as for her teeth she needs to brush...maybe make a deal if you dont brush you get no candy or sweets only fruit for snacks...she is old enough to sit and talk about these things instead of screamimg...they just tune us out anyways

I was exactly where you were four years ago. My daughter who had very long hair wouldn't brush it either and she had an issue with her toothbrush as well. The more I complained, the more she resisted. All I can tell you is that she outgrew that stage and now that she is a teenager, her hair is her crowning glory and she is very fastidious about herself. So don't threaten or scream, just let some time go by and before you know it you won't be able to pry her away from the mirror. Good luck!

You do have to be careful about letting kids get away with stuff, but this does seem to be a "tomboy" thing (I have four girls and two have already been through this stage and one is currently going through it). I would buy her some de-tangler or spray in conditioner (the good stuff) and make it easier to keep her hair brushed. I would then offer to braid her hair. She can keep it braided for long periods of time without having to brush it repeatedly. I would take the brushing teeth part more seriously. That is a health concern. Personally, I would not let her go out to play or work on the car with Dad or anything unless her teeth were brushed. You might also want to pick up a bottle of mouth rinse, one with germ fighters, because no matter how much hand-holding you do, she's probably not going to do a great job on her teeth. The rinse will help kill stuff that will otherwise harm her teeth, and she probably won't mind doing a rinse (just make sure she doesn't replace brushing with it). It sounds as if she just doesn't want to spend the time on hygiene because she'd rather be doing something else, and that seemed to be the case with my kids as well. Don't worry, they do outgrow it! :o)

From your story, I can imagine what a lovely and cute girl you have, I like girls like that. because of this, she is unique,lovely. Do not worry about the problem of her brushing teeth and hair. wait for another two years, she will do it by herself. you know what I mean? LOL.....

She sounds like a carefree happy little girl, without a worry in the world. She will probably grow out of it. All I can think of is if you brush it for her in the morning and put it in a plait. It will stay neater this way. Theres loads of kids like this. One of my brothers went through a stage where he didnt stop washing his hands. Fortunately he grew out of that too. I just hope her does not tangle though.

I also have a daughter like that,she is 10 years old and she has long hair that i am always telling her i am going to cut off if she doesnt brush it. i have came very close in doing that too. it goes down to her but almost and i love long hair. i cant get her to brush it though. i have to chase to get her to do it. she just puts on a hat and says here no one can see it, i have to tell her to brush her teeth too. she will brush them but only get the front and is ready to do other things, but when she comes in she will fight for the bath tub. she is a very clean kid till it comes to hair and teeth,I never stop talking to her to clean her hair and her teeth.

Kids that age just don't get why they should look neat and tidy all the time. They have no idea why they need to brush their teeth and don't care if people think they are dirty because sadly, that is how they like to be, You have made threats and not followed through about her hair, so she knows you really aren' tserious about her brushing it. Your only alternatives now are to either brush it yourself, or cut it to a more manageable length, which actually sounds like the better idea, since having very long hair is a burden to small kids. You may think its pretty, but look at it from her point of view, She CAN'T brush her hair properly if its actually longer than her arm can reach. Cur her hair to shoulder length, and just stick with the tooth brushing battle for now.

This is something not very often to hear, for a ten year-old.I think your daughter needs to listen to some sweet talks instead of yelling. Children always want to test parents' patience; how far they can push the limit. Encourage her by showing her pictures of little girls with pretty hair, she might be inspired.

i think yelling & screaming is not a good idea. you know how kids are these days.. very smart... your daughter is already 10 and she's old enough to understand things. try to talk to her calmly and discuss with her the effects/ results if she will not brush her teeth properly. like she would have bad breath and would wear dentures at a very early age... and her friends might turn away from her if they smell she has bad breath. stuff like that. and i also suggest that you cut her hair really short so that she would realize that you are serious in what you say. Good luck.

haha.. poor thing.. maybe.. u can show her how pretty she might be by following all ur instructions? like u have said.. she had pretty hair right? erm.. i guess.. gurls with pretty hairs usually look good.. maybe u can show her how she should appreciate herself?

I use it for shaving on any areas of unwanted hair including my underarms. It has too different settings one for underarms or more delicate areas and one for legs which can stand a longer blade. It is electrically charged and it sits back on its charger once I have finished using it. I was so desperate so I just cut it short.

Ten is ricky age...I was bit of tomboy too...and I had my hair grade 1 shaved at back and spiky on top until I was 18 and decided to grow it...ask her if she wants it cut - just because she is girl doesn't mean she should have long hair...she will probably look gorgeous with a shorter style that shows off her face more.. With regards to brushing her teeth - you can only explain that they will fall out if she doesn't brush them...I think when she starts next school she will care more about herself..she's still young - besides grunge is quite cool for kids..just go with the flow a bit more and let her use her independence a little

easymoney~ I ready most of the other posts before responding and it doesn't really sound like I am going to tell you anything new, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to sound in. lol You should really just ask your daughter if she wants her hair cut. Otherwise you need to put your foot down for good and make her do it. No yelling, just no anything else either. She is at that age where boundaries are extremely important and if not followed through on she will just keep pushing. The teeth thing I would be more worried about, just because I am assuming that she already has most of her adult teeth in already. So permanent damage can be done without proper care. I too was one of those wild child long hair blonde girls that didn't want to brush their hair and take care of their teeth, and now I am regretting the teeth part as I am starting to get a little older. :( I really wish my mom had sat me down and explained to me that I could do damage to my teeth by not brushing them properly and everyday. Maybe you have, you really did not say in your post, but if you haven't you really should as it is really important. The hair is just outward appearances and will right themselves with time and trying to fit in with social peers and pressure at school, I am sure. The teeth can last a lifetime. JMO