JLS star Aston Merrygold has shared a simple parenting tip he uses to get his kids to the dentist

What if getting your kids to the dentist without a meltdown was as simple as turning it into a game? For most parents, the mere mention of a dental appointment is enough to send the household into chaos, conjuring images of clinical waiting areas and strange instruments.

But JLS star Aston Merrygold may have discovered the secret to hassle-free dental visits, and it's far more straightforward than you'd expect. Rather than relying on bribes or endless negotiations, the father-of-three uses a clever bit of reverse psychology inherited from his own childhood - transforming the entire frightening ordeal into a challenge his children genuinely want to conquer.

Speaking on the CBeebies Parenting Download podcast, hosted by Katie Thistleton and rapper Guvna B, the Cambridgeshire-born performer revealed what his dental visits were like growing up.

Aston Merrygold's trick to making dentist visits stress free

He explained: "My mum always used the trick on me, reverse psychology, to kind of make it a bit of a competition and to see what is the least amount of time I could be in the chair.

"It was a case of going, 'Well, if you've got an appointment with a dentist, if he's gonna see you for 10, 20, 30 seconds, then your teeth are great. You'll be good to go'.

"If you're in this chair a little bit longer, then you're gonna lose. I'm not losing. This is not a thing.

"That really worked. He's very similar to me, my oldest son, and it's a case of just going, 'Well, how long can you be? I'm gonna time you'.

"He's just so excited about the end outcome. Whatever your child is into, maybe just try and take that in with them."

JLS are 'closer than ever' thanks to their children

The JLS star also opened up during the podcast about why he and his fellow bandmates simply cannot seem to go their separate ways, and it has precious little to do with show business loyalty.

Almost two decades after JLS first exploded onto the music scene, the lads have admitted they're "closer than ever", and it's all down to their combined 10 children.

Aston explained: "We're more close now because it's almost like it's not our decision to see each other. It's our kids. They're family, to the point of going, 'oh, you know, my cousin and my other cousin'.

"They are honestly so, so close. It's not really our decision anymore to see each other. Yes, we work together, we love each other, but now it's like, 'Okay, Grayson wants to see Valia, he wants to see Kiki or Hook'.

"It just is what it is. Now we have to follow their lead."

To listen to the latest episode of CBeebies Parenting Download click here.