Remind kids to brush teeth if they forgot
Instead of chasing the kids before bedtime to make sure they brush their teeth, let’s make the smart home do it for us. That way we as parents don’t have to be the bad guy since we’re not the ones telling the kids to brush.
Use cases
Bedtime Routine
- Evening Reminder - Announce reminder if teeth not brushed by 9 PM
- Consistent Habits - Build routine without nagging
- Parent Relief - Smart home is the "bad guy" instead of you
Morning Routine
- Morning Reminder - Before school reminder if not brushed
- Tracking - Know if kids actually brushed
Products needed
Essential Equipment
Must be charged via plug (not battery-only)
Detects when toothbrush is placed back on charger
Amazon Echo, Google Home, Sonos, etc.
The electric toothbrush charger is plugged into the smart plug. When the child brushes their teeth and returns the toothbrush to its charging base, the power consumption increases as the charger begins recharging the depleted battery. The smart plug detects this power spike (typically from near-zero to 2-5 watts), which tells your automation that the toothbrush was just used.
Basic automation setup
Step 1: Detect Toothbrush Usage
Triggers
- Plug's power consumption rises above 2 watts
Conditions
- None - we want to track all usage
Actions
- Set variable "toothbrush_last_used" to current time
- OR Turn on virtual switch "Teeth Brushed Today"
Step 2: Evening Reminder
Triggers
- Time is 8:30 PM (or your chosen reminder time)
Conditions
- Toothbrush power hasn't risen above 2 watts since 6:00 PM
- OR "Teeth Brushed Today" switch is OFF (reset at 6 PM)
Actions
- Announce over the speakers: "It's time to brush your teeth, kids!"
Step 3: Reset Daily
Triggers
- Time is 6:00 PM (before bedtime routine)
Actions
- Turn OFF "Teeth Brushed Today" switch
- Reset tracking variable
Platform-specific examples
Home Assistant
SmartThings
Hubitat
Apple HomeKit
Alexa
Google Home
Advanced features
Multiple reminder levels
Escalate reminders if not acted upon:
Level 1 (8:00 PM):
- Gentle announcement: “Remember to brush your teeth tonight!”
Level 2 (8:30 PM):
- More direct: “It’s time to brush your teeth, kids!”
Level 3 (9:00 PM):
- Urgent: “Brushing teeth required before screen time!”
- Optionally pause TV/gaming until brushed
Multi-child tracking
Track each child separately:
Setup:
- Separate toothbrush per child (different charger locations)
- Separate smart plug per toothbrush
- Individual tracking switches
Personalized Reminders:
- “Emma, time to brush your teeth!”
- “Jack, you still need to brush!”
Morning routine integration
Track morning brushing too:
Morning Tracking (6-9 AM):
- Detect morning toothbrush usage
- Reminder at 7:30 AM if not used
- Different announcement: “Brush teeth before leaving for school!”
Reset Logic:
- Evening tracking: Reset at 6 PM
- Morning tracking: Reset at 6 AM
Reward system integration
Gamify the process:
Tracking:
- Count consecutive days of brushing
- Log brushing times
- Weekly/monthly streaks
Rewards:
- Dashboard showing streak
- Special announcement for milestones
- Integration with reward chart
Screen time gating
Tie brushing to privileges:
Logic:
- TV/gaming only available if teeth brushed
- Smart plug on entertainment controlled by brushing status
- Turns off at 9 PM regardless
Setup:
- Teeth brushed → Enable entertainment plug
- 9 PM → Disable entertainment plug
- Next day → Repeat
Troubleshooting
Issue: Charger always draws power
Causes:
- Toothbrush charger has constant standby power
- Power detection threshold too low
- Charger design varies by model
Solutions: ✅ Measure baseline power with toothbrush NOT on charger ✅ Measure power WITH toothbrush on charger (charging) ✅ Set threshold between these values ✅ Some chargers only draw power when toothbrush is actively charging
Issue: Multiple false positives
Causes:
- Charger power fluctuates
- Threshold too sensitive
- Toothbrush replaced on charger multiple times
Solutions: ✅ Add debounce: Only trigger once per time window ✅ Increase power threshold ✅ Add cooldown: Ignore triggers for 30 minutes after first detection ✅ Focus on first detection in window only
Issue: Reminder announces when kids already brushed
Causes:
- Power detection missed
- Switch didn’t set
- Timing window issue
Solutions: ✅ Verify power monitoring is working ✅ Check automation logs ✅ Adjust time window for tracking ✅ Lower power detection threshold
Issue: Toothbrush used but power doesn’t spike
Causes:
- Toothbrush fully charged (minimal draw)
- Charger design doesn’t show usage
- Wrong plug or device monitored
Solutions: ✅ Test when toothbrush is partially discharged ✅ Try different toothbrush model ✅ Use vibration sensor as alternative ✅ Manual button press option as backup
Best practices
Age-appropriate messaging
Younger Kids (5-8):
- Fun, encouraging tone
- “Time for sparkly teeth!”
- Consider character voices if available
Older Kids (9-12):
- Matter-of-fact reminders
- “Teeth brushing time”
- Don’t be too cutesy
Teenagers:
- Simple notifications
- Optional: Skip audio, use phone notification
- Respect independence
Timing considerations
Window, Not Single Time:
- Allow flexibility in brushing time
- Remind only if NOT brushed in reasonable window
- 8:00-9:30 PM is reasonable evening window
Avoid:
- Reminding too early (annoying)
- Reminding too late (already in bed)
- Multiple rapid reminders
Positive reinforcement
Focus on Success:
- “Great job brushing your teeth!” when detected
- Streak tracking and celebration
- Avoid negative messaging
Avoid:
- Shaming or guilt-tripping
- Constant nagging
- Punitive automation
Related automations: