Is Toothpaste Food?

My daughter doesn’t like to brush her teeth but she likes to eat toothpaste. An interesting scenario. Here’s a typical teeth-brushing session:

Parent: Time to your teeth, Caitlyn.
Caitlyn: I don’t want to brush my teeth.
Parent: We have to get rid of the sugar bugs.
Caitlyn: Oh yeah. Okay.
Parent: Brush up and down. Get the ones in the back.
Caitlyn: I am.
Parent: Noooo! Don’t swallow it! Spit it out.
Caitlyn: But I like it.
Parent: It can make you sick, though. Here: rinse and spit it out.
Caitlyn. Okay.
Parent: Noooo! Don’t swallow it! Spit it out.
Caitlyn: That was good.

Since she consumes so much of it, I’m considering making my own toothpaste. I’ll post my experiment results if I get around to doing it.

• A Conversation with my Three Year Old Daughter
• Cereal and a Hug