Child brushing her teeth by toothbrush while her father standing behind in the bathroom.

Supernanny accuses parents of 'neglect' by not supervising this 2-minute task

Jo Frost divided parents when discussing dental care on social media

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer

March 17, 2025Mar 17, 2025, 1:17 PM GMT

Jo Frost, best known for her role as the parenting and childhood behaviour expert, Supernanny, has hit out at parents who don't supervise their young children brushing their teeth.

Taking to Instagram, the TV personality penned an emotive post in response to Health Minister Stephen Kinnock launching a 'Toothbrushing Scheme' initiative in schools across Great Britain starting in April.

The program, set to roll out in nurseries and schools nationwide, aims to encourage children to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. Backed by £11 million in funding, the initiative will focus on children aged three to five in the country's most disadvantaged areas.

Jo Frost appears on This Morning in 2017

Jo penned on Instagram: "What else will schools do for parents? First potty training now teeth brushing, how many other life skill schemes will teachers have to take on, distracting them from their real role when in fact it is actually a parent's responsibility to uphold, because not doing as such is child neglect.

"It is your child's basic fundamental right to be cared for and their basic needs met. Not doing so is CHILD NEGLECT," she concluded.

How often should children be brushing their teeth?

According to the NHS, the current recommended daily brushing routine for children up to three years old is to start brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes "as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through."

For older children up to age six, parents are recommended to continue brushing their children's teeth to establish a routine.

A mother helping her young child to brush her teeth — Supernanny says not helping young children to brush their teeth is child neglect

"Children aged 7 and over should be able to brush their own teeth, but it's still a good idea to watch them to make sure they brush properly and for about 2 minutes."

Parents react to Supernanny's post

While Jo undeniably had weight to her words, several parents disagreed with her. "I think it’s more just ignorance than neglect," commented one parent, as another wrote: "I think it's absolutely unnecessary to parent bash. It's unhelpful."

Jo Frost talking into mic — Jo Frost shared her advice with parents

On the other hand, several parents agreed with her: "'Send out the super nannies!!! As a teacher, I couldn’t agree with you more on all of this!"

In response to several heated comments, Jo replied: "I'm not judging mums but I am saying the unwillingness is neglect."

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