Toothbrushing timer

Since Sparkle has had two cavities / fillings already, it's important that she brush her teeth. She was already in the habit of brushing twice a day (morning and evening). However, she would brush her teeth for only a few seconds and then want to be done. How was I to get her to brush for the full two minutes recommended?

I didn't want to invest in those fancy toothbrushes with the built in timers. I didn't want to be her personal watchdog. I didn't want an electronic timer that would have to be set each time. I wanted a simple, cheap device that Sparkle could use on her own to ensure that she brushed for two minutes.

I found a cheap sand timer at the local teacher supply store. They had these hourglass timers in intervals ranging from 30 seconds to three minutes.



When Sparkle starts brushing her teeth, she flips over the timer. When all the sand is in the bottom, she's done brushing and the timer is ready for next time. If she is interrupted and really needs to do something else, she can lay the timer on its side.

The timer worked so well that I got a second timer to use when I brush Glitter's teeth. Although Glitter isn't ready to brush her own teeth full time, I figure that I can get her in the habit of seeing how long it takes to brush for two minutes.

One disadvantage of the sand timer is that occasionally the girls knock them into the sink and they get wet. Normally it isn't a problem, and I can just wipe the outside of the timer dry. However, once the sand inside the timer got wet and wouldn't flow properly anymore. I was able to fix it by prying off the plastic cap, pouring out all the sand and dehydrating it, and then replacing the sand. I expect to get years of use out of these little plastic sand timers.