Developmentally, 1-year-olds thrive on mimicking adults—they learn through observation and repetition, so I used that to my advantage. Every time it’s time to brush, I brush my teeth with her. This tiny bit of control and inclusion makes a world of difference. I always start by brushing her teeth for her—because let’s be real, at this age, their technique is 90% chewing and 10% waving the brush around like a wand.