Whatever Works

I could not stop my toddler from brushing his teeth tonight. It was almost a battle royale. Read that again. The most horrendous chore in our house of late and I have Blippi to thank for it.

I first met “Blippi” a couple of years ago when our neighbors invited us over to their little one’s birthday party. Dad nailed the part- complete with oversized glasses, blue & orange attire and the trademark laugh.

Little did I know that just a year or so later, my own toddler would become enamored by this cartoonish YouTube creation. Irksome laugh aside, Blippi takes toddlers on many virtual adventure, introducing them to science, sports, their community and more.

And I have to confess, a strategically placed iPad and a toleration for that laugh lets us have 30 more mins of sleep on Saturday mornings.

Mine can’t get enough of the short episodes online. Writing this, I can hear the theme music and tagline as well as the spelling of the website. Toddler can’t spell his name, but he has Blippi’s down pat.

Here’s the thing about children with disrupted early childhoods: routines can be a challenge. Add in normal three-year-old angst and some things can be downright dicey. Like brushing teeth. Neither mom nor I relish our turn at that task.

That is until Blippi intervened.

We were at the $5 or less store the other day looking for stocking stuffers and we’ll, I’ll admit it, presents that wouldn’t break the bank. I spotted the Blippi toothbrush pack (brush + cap + floss + timer) and threw it in the basket.

I mean- at some point we have to get a good teeth brushing in and well frankly, whatever works. It was my Hail Mary let’s try it (probably a waste of money) and see what happens attempt.

This child ya’ll, is over the moon about brushing his teeth. Morning and evening it’s what he lives for. Tonight he had to flip the little sandglass timer over 3 times because apparently Blippi’s face on the toothbrush made it so much fun.

Yes, soon enough he will lose interest. But we haven’t had a toothbrush battle in a week. I may be a corporate sellout, part of the problem with American consumerism, but I’ll tell you what- I haven’t had to stare down a tiny tot with bad breath in days.

I promise this isn’t an ad. It’s just… whatever works.