As a 27-year-old mom with a 3-year-old girl, it is not always easy to make a little kid understand and cooperate. After many breakdowns, I finally figured out a cute way to make the communication between me and my daughter smoother. My secret is strawberries.
Before I had a kid, I never knew it could be so stressful to persuade someone to brush their teeth. I am an anxious mom about dental health. I have chased after my daughter, Kay, for 30 minutes to beg her to open her mouth. That sounds crazy, and it is actually torturous for both of us. Finally, I realized that I must have been using the wrong method, and that it shouldn’t be this hard. I realized I had to find an easier and smarter strategy to take care of her teeth. Then I went to CVS, grabbed her favorite flavor, strawberry toothpaste, and started negotiating with my daughter.
I told Kay that if she brushes her teeth with the strawberry toothpaste, when she is at daycare tomorrow, the Strawberry Fairy will come to our home and give her a strawberry as a reward. She was very interested in the Strawberry Fairy and kept asking me questions about her.
“How does she come to our home?”
“Will she take my toys?”
“Does she wear dresses?”
I have a lot of patience to answer cute questions like these, and I do enjoy using the time we share to make up a story together, instead of chasing and screaming after her to open her mouth.
Little kids always buy the fairytale trick, but after a couple of weeks, they will get tired of the reward being just a strawberry. Yes, it is a creative challenge to be a mom, but don’t worry, mommy always has a plan. This time, it was strawberry lollipops.
Sometimes, I also have the Strawberry Fairy help Kay go to bed. I tell her if she closes her eyes, the Strawberry Fairy will come and give her a lollipop tomorrow. After this, Kay always sleeps with satisfaction and yearning. But I am also very anxious about her sugar control. (Actually not just for her, but also for myself.)
Here is my solution: I bring strawberries back home on barbecue skewers.
This is what a strawberry lollipop means in my house. If you want to try it yourself, my tip for this snack is to have a grape at the bottom to prevent the strawberry from moving around. Also, watch closely when they eat it, because sticks can be dangerous for toddlers if they are eating while moving.
It could be a healthy and boring snack for adults. But for a 3-year-old girl, it is a lollipop, and a reward from a fairy who wears pink dresses and has long pink hair. She would literally do anything for the lollipop, and she has been dressing herself every morning for it.
This is the story of my daughter, Kay, and her Strawberry Fairy. If you like this story and also have a toddler, maybe you can have a Grape Fairy or Blueberry Superman for your little one. It will always work!
Parenthood is a challenge, but Kay always manages to refresh my mind. I would say my daughter has made me a better version of myself and inspired how I approach my life and work. Thank you for letting me be your mom, little Kay. I will love you forever.
Happy Mother’s Day to every mom!
