The Toothpaste Queen

Drew: Mom, next time you go to the store, can you get more toothpaste? I'm almost out.
Ellen: Mine is low, too.
Megan: I need more toothpaste, too.

OK, I'm glad that they are brushing their teeth. But this is what their drawer with the dental hygiene supplies currently looks like. We also have a Thomas tube somewhere that only Tim might find. I have no problem providing each child with their own tube, but this is insane.

So, I see Drew's empty SpongeBob. If the Barbie Colgate is indeed a different flavor, then I'll replace his. Otherwise, we just won't tell his friends that he's using Barbie toothpaste. Ellen likes Tom's of Maine. I like that it's natural and it indeed tastes different for the others. It's running low so the next time it's on sale I'll replace it.

Megan is our queen of toothpaste. All the other tubes in the drawer are hers. She is totally taken in by the character on the package. Then she decides that she doesn't like the flavor. Those characters con her every time. I'm going to make her identify a brand, flavor and texture (you know, gel or paste) that she likes and that will be her toothpaste for life. She always tricks me at the store because who is going to tell their kid that they can't have toothpaste to brush their teeth? She also likes to collect toothbrushes, but I'm on to that one. Ironically, she is the least likely to brush her teeth.

I was never toothpaste specific until last year. As a kid, I used whatever one tube was in the bathroom. I don't remember complaining about it or asking for something different. Now I'm sold on Colgate Total because my dentist recommended it for tartar and it does work better than the others that I have tried. For the 19 years before that, when I was responsible for getting my own toothpaste, I purchased whatever was on sale when I ran out. And not to jinx myself, but I haven't had a cavity since I was a kid. (I have had a few childhood fillings replaced.)

I don't think that Andy is brand specific. He uses whatever we have without complaining.

So how did we get Megan? And Timothy looks like he is heading down the same path. He likes to carry his Thomas toothpaste and his Baby Einsteins toothbrush, but he HATES to brush his teeth. If you are going to do it for him, it best be before his bath because he seals his lips and it ends up a giant facial mess. Maybe he would like to sample some different options.