Teeth
The word ”teeth” sounds small but holds a lot: paste that stings, a tap that runs loud, bristles that tickle the gums and spit that has to land in the right place. The steps below break it down into smaller parts.
Mouth with teeth
A cartoon illustration of an open mouth showing white teeth.
Open mouth with white teeth
A cartoon illustration of an open mouth with white teeth.
About this visual support
Sensory-wise the bathroom is one of the noisiest rooms in the house. The light is sharp, the tiles bounce sound, toothpaste explodes in flavour onto an already tired mouth, and the whole moment is often labelled simply ”brush your teeth” – as if it were one thing. For many children it’s five.
With visual support each small part can have its own picture: wet the brush, dot of paste, start top right, spit, rinse. That makes the moment predictable and removes the surprise element that often triggers protest. A concrete tip: try a mild, uncoloured toothpaste with its own clear image in the routine, so the child sees this as a different experience, not ”the same thing that didn’t work.”
Let the child set the pace where possible – let them point to which picture is next. In the Routined app you can build a short evening flow where the teeth sequence sits tucked between pyjamas and bedtime story.