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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Bloody toothpaste on ds jumper everyday!

21 replies

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 07:58

Every day I tell my ds 9 to brush his teeth before he puts his school jumper on. Does he do this? No. Never. So he then has splodges/ splatters of toothpaste all over his nice clean jumper arrrgghhh! I am sick of hearing myself repeat myself every bloody day. WIBU to scream my head off and throw all his jumpers away? Or dies anyone have any advice that would help me to get him to understand that toothpaste does not look good! It seems like a small problem but it is really starting to annoy me.

OP posts:

imsorryiasked · 14/06/2018 08:00

Can you put his jumper in his school bag do he doesn't automatically put it on?

NameChangeCuddleBums · 14/06/2018 08:00

Keep his jumper by the front door and then he can put it on just before he leaves the house?

Original poster

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 08:34

Whenever I have left his jumper downstairs in hope that hell brush his teeth before putting it on he stomps round asking where it is. I tell him , he then puts it on and brushes his teeth I need to be firmer and make sure he doesn't do that but I'm rushing round tryi g to get everything done before we leave and sometimes forget....I just wish he would listen and do as I ask really

OP posts:

peachypetite · 14/06/2018 08:35

Hide it somewhere he can't find it. You're in charge here.

Original poster

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 08:42

Yes you're right I need to get a bit tougher. I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow fingers crossed..I'm sick of him looking so messy so I have to do something more than hope he'll suddenly listen to me I suppose.

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 14/06/2018 08:45

Get him to brush his teeth before breakfast and getting dressed. The dentist will back you up on this if you need ammunition!

BlueBug45 · 14/06/2018 08:51

As NoSquirrels said. Maybe odd for you to do but I've always cleaned my teeth that way.

Gunpowder · 14/06/2018 08:53

Yep agree with no squirrels too. We do teeth as soon as we wake up before breakfast, getting dressed etc.

Whitecurrents · 14/06/2018 08:54

Does this really matter? After many years of child rearing I've learned to pick my battles. Sooner or later he will learn not to do it.

Fluffyears · 14/06/2018 08:55

He should brush his teeth when he gets up then wash and dress.

KindergartenKop · 14/06/2018 08:56

Surely brush teeth after breakfast?

sirmione16 · 14/06/2018 08:57

Alternatively, set a goal and reward system for him! Say to him "look, for every day you put your jumper on after your teeth and there's NO toothpaste on your uniform, you can have {extra screen time, or extra outdoor play time or extra bit of pocket money} :)

Original poster

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 08:58

Well he does brush his teeth before breakfast everyday as he goes to breakfast club at school which he loves. In fact he refuses to have it at home as he loves it so much I'm going to speak to him tonight and explain again why he needs to do it before and if that doesn't work tomorrow I'll have to start hiding them. It's just me being a bit lazy I suppose wanting to get out on time and expecting him to do the right thing even when he never does. It's obviously not working

OP posts:

megletthesecond · 14/06/2018 08:59

Brush teeth while still in pj's after breakfast.

TinselAngel · 14/06/2018 08:59

If he can't remember, then make him responsible for washing and drying his own jumpers, and he has to do it out of the time he'd usually spend doing something he enjoys.

Original poster

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 09:03

Whitecurrents I suppose in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter that much.....It's just so annoying to have a lovely clean jumper looking so messy he could look so smart but always looks like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards. All the other kids at school seem to look all nice and clean and he looks like horrid Henry

OP posts:

Original poster

bobblechops · 14/06/2018 09:05

TinselAngel oooh I think I will try that.

OP posts:

IWantMyHatBack · 14/06/2018 09:45

Brush teeth when still in PJs. So much easier that way round.

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 14/06/2018 09:57

Napkins are the way forward.

My DC all wore napkins round their necks when they were younger (still sometimes do) and the deal was that the napkins had to stay on until after teeth had been brushed for this very reason.

I know that your DS eats at breakfast club, but you could keep a napkin in the bathroom especially for teeth brushing. Pop a wee sticky hook up on the wall for it to hang on and keep a clothes peg with it to clip it together at the back of his neck. (We never tucked napkins into collars because they never stayed - always used pegs to clip them in place.)

Get him used to popping the napkin on before teeth brushing and then you only have to wash the napkin and he still gets to get fully dressed first thing.

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 14/06/2018 10:00

Goodness I just realised I missed a few important words out there - my DC didn’t wear napkins as part of their daily clothes - just when they were eating!

I also meant to say that having a napkin for teeth brushing also takes the issue away from the jumper - it just subtlety changes it all

TinselAngel · 14/06/2018 10:01

Thanks @bobblechops, in my experience kids will continue to "forget" stuff unless there are consequences to them doing so that inconvenience them. Once I started making DD pay for new school jumpers when she lost them, she soon stopped losing them!

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