Jo Frost’s rant about teeth brushing comes after health minister Stephen Kinnock created a ‘toothbrushing scheme’ in schools to help improve oral health in young children
Supernanny star Jo Frost has accused parents of ‘neglect’ as she ranted about the importance of supervising young children when they brush their teeth. She also shared her concerns over the increasing responsibility teachers have due to the number of schemes.
Her comment comes right after health minister Stephen Kinnock created a ‘toothbrushing scheme’ in schools to help improve oral health in young children. Taking place in nurseries and schools, the scheme will encourage kids to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste.
After the scheme was announced, 54-year-old Jo took to Instagram to share her two pence on the matter as she slammed parents who don’t supervise their young children when they brush their teeth. The childcare expert said on social media: ” Parents if you are not supervising your young children or brushing your VERY young children’s teeth that is PARENTAL NEGLECT.”
She wrote in the caption: “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 parents responsibility to uphold, because not doing as such is child neglect. It is your child’s basic fundamental rite to be cared for and their basic needs met. Not doing so is CHILD NEGLECT.
“Where are the healthy boundaries in place,the education clearly needed that teaches families the consequences of such neglect, the line between their role as primary carers and a schools. Perhaps nationwide commercial warnings of tooth decay would be better served and not brushed off as national commercials as this is where parents will probably see this awareness best, on their screens!
“1- 5 children with decayed teeth and children in outpatients at hospitals due to decayed teeth..is deplorable. Healthy oral hygiene is critical to a child’s overall health. Parent’s it is YOUR responsibility to uphold and teach your young children basic hygiene, you spend more time on your phones yet here we are.”
Jo went on to say the country is ‘in a parenting crisis’ as parents seemingly can’t take a few minutes out of their day to help clean their children’s teeth. She also slammed the health minister and said: “Perhaps health minister instead of all these schemes, you actually take into consideration that most food that is cheaper for our families struggling in this economy, in the uk, is higher in sugar & sodium and perhaps you might seriously consider having 500,000 Supernannies trained across great britain that can actually serve families best by being in their homes to help educate them,support them, at this critical stage for families in the formative years from 0-7?”
While her followers agreed with her rant, some angry parents hit out at her at her use of the word ‘neglect’. But many defended her as they wrote: “For everyone saying it’s not neglect or neglect is a strong word it would be a safeguarding concern and would come under neglect – that can be anything and includes not looking after children’s physical needs I.e teeth brushing.”
Hundreds of thousands of three to five-year-olds living in poorer areas will be supported to properly brush their teeth from April. It comes as emergency tooth extractions due to tooth decay remain the number one reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had vowed to fix “the legacy of a rotten Tory government after 14 years of neglect”. Colgate also agreed to donate 23 million toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to support the programme over the next five years.
The Government stated up to 600,000 children a year will receive toothbrushing support.
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
