It's funny how you go through phases, depending on the age of your kids. Take teeth brushing. My kids, at 7 and 4, are finally old enough to do it by themselves, and that means everything -- from putting the toothpaste on the brush to brushing, rinsing and even wiping the sink of all the leftover globs of paste.

But I still have a hard time getting them to brush for the dentist-recommended two-minute time period. We've tried various things, like making them sing Happy Birthday twice. (You - have - to- do - it - very- slowly.) We also bought one of those Firefly toothbrushes, which has a flickering light that stops when you are done brushing. That lasted till the battery wore out and was never replaced. In the Sun-Sentinel's Family Style this Sunday, you'll read about a
cool new product, Tooth Tunes, a battery-operated toothbrush that plays pop music as you brush. For $9.99, it plays everything from songs from Disney's High School Musical to the Beach Boys and the Village People. Kids brush till the tunes stop.

I got another idea recently while visiting friends in California. Their kids use an hourglass (the mini ones that come in board games) and brush till all the sand goes through. Maybe it was a visual thing, but it seemed to work everytime.

K.V.W.