Health & Human services

Brush, Book, Bed -- Healthy Routines for Healthy Kids!

Children need to follow routines to establish good habits. The American Academy of Pediatrics originated the Brush, Book, Bed campaign to combine three important habits that help children maintain their well-being, both physically and intellectually. Focusing on oral health, literacy, and an appropriate bedtime is a win-win-win!

You may have seen signage on the Long Beach Transit buses or an article in a local publication. We hope you will adopt this simple campaign. Making small, incremental changes pays off in the long run.

BRUSH
Brushing twice daily for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste keeps smiles healthy and bright.

• Brush teeth after breakfast and before bedtime to remove cavity-causing plaque build-up.
• Brush your tongue and gums too!
• Floss teeth daily to clean areas your toothbrush can’t reach.
• Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet that is rich in calcium and low in sugar.
• See a dentist for a check-up and cleaning every six months.

BOOK
Reading with and to your children gives you a way to bond and helps spark their language skills. Their imagination grows as you prepare them for academic success. A bedtime routine that includes books will help children become lifelong readers. 

• Babies & toddlers enjoy soft books initially, then move to board books that babies can’t tear.
• 3-5-year-olds enjoy early picture books and early readers
• 5-8-year-olds picture books that are read to them, and they will start moving into chapter books that they can read to you.

BED
Children need a good night’s sleep every night to do well in school and to grow properly. Set a bedtime that you stick to, and start a bedtime routine 30 minutes before that every night.

• Infants need 14-17 hours of sleep a day. (Please remember safe sleep guidelines to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Learn more about risk reduction and SIDS from the Long Beach Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Program. 
• 1 to 2-year-olds need 11-12.5 hours of sleep per night.
• 3 to 5-year-olds need 10.5-11.5 hours.
• 6 to 7-year-olds need about 10.5 hours.
• 7 to 13-year-olds need about 10 hours.

How You Can Help
This toolkit provides you with some resources that we can share with you, and we encourage you to share the information and put it to good use.

The committee hopes this will become part of childhood in Long Beach. Coincidentally, National Children’s Dental Health Month is February followed by National Reading Month in March. This is the perfect time to support this effort.

People can follow the campaign with tips for instilling good habits by searching #BrushBookBedLB. Follow @LBHealthDept on Instagram and Facebook.

Social Media: Brush, Book, Bed: Slide 1 | Slide 2 | Slide 3 | Slide 4
                       

Agencies and Nonprofits

Please help spread the word to maximize our impact by incorporating the campaign into your existing dental hygiene or literacy programs. We have designed bookmarks in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer for your use. We have been reaching out for donations to support the campaign with dental kits, bookmarks, and a short storybook about going to the dentist.

We have limited inventory available for your use, while supplies last. If you are interested in bookmarks, small batches of dental kits, or “Potter the Otter Goes to the Dentist” books, please contact OHLB Coordinator Maria James and arrange a pick-up.

Phone: 562-570-4206
email: maria.james@longbeach.gov

You are welcome to download the resources we have here to print yourself. Bookmarks (5)


BRUSH: If you have resources to assemble dental kits, we recommend a toothbrush, toothpaste, a two-minute timer, and floss

BOOK: To purchase the storybooks, visit Potter the Otter Shop. The books are very affordable when you buy a bundle of 160. Potter the Otter books are also available in a flip format that works well on tablets. 

About Potter the Otter Books
Potter the Otter books and merchandise were produced by Santa Clara First Five. There are multiple titles, all appropriate for young children, and are printed in English, and Spanish, and some titles also in Vietnamese.

BED: Encourage parents to set a bedtime and stick to it. Children need a good night’s sleep every night. You could encourage children wanting to cuddle up with a book by also

Parents and Guardians
Please put these steps to use right away, if you haven’t already. We want Brush, Book, Bed to be the anthem in every household in the city.

• Download and print out the bookmark for an easy reminder.  bookmark (individual)
• Let your child choose a book or two every night.
• Make sure you enforce the bedtime you set. Start your bedtime routine 30 minutes before you plan to turn out the lights.

Download this fun calendar and keep track of every day your child brushes twice, flosses, reads, and goes to bed on time. Your child needs your help to make sure this all happens. When the calendar is complete, give your child and yourself a prize! As you set and meet these habits every month, it will become easier.