Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I just wouldn’t allow my child to do that… AIBU

351 replies

Dumbo18 · 28/03/2026 20:18

2 very strong willed kids who don’t really care about consequences and can get very emotional - angry, sad, happy just big emotions really. We often find daily life can be a battle especially with the 4 year old (7 year old can be just as bad) not really looking for advice as I’ve read countless threads on the subject so have seen and tried it all but here is where I don’t know if I am being unreasonable (maybe more am I missing something) 4 year old was refusing to brush teeth at bedtime, had to be done not an option especially as she had cake for pudding. Would absolutely not do it and I could hear in my head lovely people off this site saying well I just wouldn’t have that she would have no choice etc and it got me thinking how on earth would you just not have it?? Force her mouth open- absolutely not. Refuse to read her a book- tried, no tv in the morning- tried, calmly explaining why it’s important- tried, shout- tried. She brushed them in the end so not looking for advice more just an answer on if you say I wouldn’t allow that what is it that you do? Not only with teeth brushing but daily life. I think it’s easy to say I wouldn’t allow that when you are the parent of a child who does what they are asked, responds to consequences etc.

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 28/03/2026 20:22

I have a child with adhd.

we got strawberry toothpaste. Stickers lots of stickers for doing stuff.

tooth brushing - lots of novelty toothbrushes replaced very very frequently. Toothbrushes that sang songs. Me singing a song.

then, going up the coercion scale:
me brushing them
me holding hands down and dad brushing thdm
me rolling her in a towel so hands and feet enclosed and sitting on her (not hard) and doing them, while dad tried to make sure she didn’t bite me.

they were not done properly every day but we had a bloody good go,