Time to call out shit parenting!

[RedHot2025]

Just watched an article on BBC breakfast about decay in children's teeth.

Professional talked about scheme where teachers teach children to brush teeth each day since many children don't brush their teeth or get shown how to.

The presentator Nagga said is it right for teachers to do this and have time to do this surely parents should. The professional did everything to not blame poor parenting.

I mean, why don't we just say things as they are anymore? The parents are not parenting if they cannot be bothered to teach children to brush teeth twice a day (or for that matter toilet train). Why is it now down to teachers?

Some parents appear to do sod all but just churn out children.

Note. This is not SEN children, just children in general in particular areas. Again same with teaching to use toilet, not sen related.

some schools have washing machines so the kids can have clean clothes

YANBU. My son is 4 and there are 2 kids in his reception class who have cavities.

@forgotmyusername1 I know a number of schools that have washing machines for this purpose. Also know of Primary schools that offer showers to children that aren’t getting them at home. Feel like we are going back in time

I don’t believe it’s quite as simple as perfect parents raise children with perfect teeth though.
None of my children have had a filling or an issue with their teeth ever, into adulthood. As small children we didn’t give fizzy drinks or excessive sweets really but definitely once they reached the teen years and got Saturday jobs they’d buy themselves gobstobbers and McDonald’s sodas and all manner of crap.
My sweet neighbour who raised her child on the healthiest diet ever had a nightmare with her little ones teeth, extractions, fillings everything. She was really distressed about it for years. There must be hereditary reasons that some people have weaker teeth too.

Do you think that if an expert had come on and said loads of parents are so appalling they aren't teaching their children to brush their teeth it would make any difference to children's dental health? The aim here is to improve dental health in order to save money (and teeth!) down the line. The most reliable way to do that is through professional intervention, which in best case scenario will then be supported by parents. To achieve that you need to get buy in and engagement from parents, which you'll not get from telling them off. There is really no point in putting principle before practicality. We need to deal with what we have, not what we think should be the case.

The professional said £40, million on extractions and as you show that's just due to decay not other problems. Crazy.

I remember this happening with a friend and his child in the early 2000s, he said his child didn't like, and so refused to drink, water, so had to have juice. My friend is very middle class/ back to nature/camping holidays/all natural organic diet, yet instantly capitulated on any dietary demands the child made, including buying Nestlé cereals which previously he would have never, ever done. He could not deny his child anything.

@RedHot2025 YANBU!

A boy in reception at my kids school had little brown stumps for teeth as his parents had never made him clean them.

I'm all for shock tactics; showing kids what will happen if they don't clean them.

The cost to the NHS is ridiculous.

As an aside note, my 9 year old has severe tooth decay. His molars and incisors (baby teeth) came through with very little enamel, so just rotted and are falling apart. Nothing we can do other than hope the adult ones are ok. His twin has perfect teeth.

This is the product of generations families that have kids that don't learn basic skills.

Children whose parents and grandparents didn't learn to clean their teeth either.

Ditto with reading at bedtime, ditto with eating junk food, ditto with not respecting adults, ditto with not bothering with school or learning manners.

Sometimes I have to hold my 2 year old daughter's arms with one hand and brush her teeth. It's not fun, I don't enjoy it, but I'm a fucking parent so I do it.

I'm sorry but poverty isn't an excuse. If you aren't capable of buying a tooth brush you shouldn't be having children.

SEN isn't at all related to this either, there's no excuse for letting a childs teeth rot.

Absolutely. My severely disabled 12-year-old niece has beautiful teeth because my sister has brushed them twice a day, every day, since they first appeared.

It used to take three of us to brush my daughter's teeth: me to brush, my wife to hold her arms down and Mr Tumble to distract her! She's now old enough to be bribed with star stickers.

I don’t believe it’s quite as simple as perfect parents raise children with perfect teeth though.

^
Well....no???

Lots of people dont like water. I hate water. My kids are too old for fruit shoots but drink capri suns, coke, fanta etc. But they brush their teeth and the dentist is happy, so thats all that matters

In an ideal world children would have free dental appointments where these issues would be picked up on and dealt with

There must be hereditary reasons that some people have weaker teeth too.

There are. My mum had all her teeth removed when she was 21. My brother didn’t have a single filling at that age. Fortunately both of us inherited the good teeth gene from my dad.

Erm...they literally do with the NHS

Many have their books full and don't take on new patients though

Erm tried finding one lately?

We used to have a school dentist

Well fair enough, my dad would not of given a fuck if I tried saying I didn't like water as a kid no way he would of wasted money on fruit shoots. He'd probably say to that you give them the option to not like water how can you not like something tasteless.

*Disclaimer this is what he would say not me
**Another disclaimer exceptions for special needs kids because people always bring that up whenever someone says stuff like this

Try literally finding an NHS dentist.

I'm A 70s kid and we used to have people (not sure who) coming in to primary school to talk to us about teeth cleaning.

One time we were even given a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste to take home. So exciting!

There were also lots of posters in health centres etc promoting tooth brushing.

So to an extent I agree that lazy parents should get off arses , but also think that educaction in schools is not just the 3Rs and should include some health education too.

We also had a school dentist in the 70s. Hated the school dentist but it did make sure that all the kids got seen before things got out of hand.

It’s completely ridiculous.

In an already jam-packed curriculum, when exactly am I going to find time to brush 30 children’s teeth?!? We do already teach about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, oral health and exercise in our RHE lessons. I agree it’s definitely important to teach children these messages which they may not receive at home, but to actually take over the parents role and brush their child’s teeth for them?! Bonkers.

I actually despair at the state of education right now. I can’t help but wonder what it’s going to be like 10/20/30 years from now. I think I need a new career🤣

This is crazy!! Surely that constitutes as neglect!?

What do you do then if they clamp their mouth shut, run away and flail around dangerously hitting themselves and others?

Do you prise their jaws open? Because that's quite different to holding their arms...