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We do the same thing - forcing it. I view washing hands (especially after going potty - we're potty training!) and brushing teeth and inhalers non-negotiable, so if I have to hold Xander down while he screams to get it done, I will! I'm finding that over time, he seems less resistant and just lets us do it (or does it himself) just to get it over with. Although some days, we still fight!

We have this fight every day about getting dressed. I try to leverage the whole "give them a choice" thing. So I'll tell him you can get dressed on the floor or on the bed, which one do you want to do? Maybe about 1/2 the time that works. I have a few other things I try (distraction or trying to convince him if he wants breakfast he should get dressed) but if those don't work I force it. He can't learn that if he says no all the time he gets his way.

Occasionally we force other things too - nose wiping, putting on shoes, etc. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Some things I will force her to do (put on her jacket, pick up her toys/crayons/whatever). Other things we will put her in time out and she will usually do what we ask or answer the question when she's out of time out (i.e. "I eat at big table" when we tell her that she cannot eat her dinner at the coffee table). I also try to give her a choice in a lot of things, like if she wears pants or short, which two shirts, what color shoes, etc.

I never have to force her to wash her hands though. Girlfriend loves to wash her hands.

I have found that my son (18mo) responds really well to a countdown. If I just tell him we have to change his diaper and grab him, he gets pissed. Instead, I say, "You need a clean diaper. Let's count to ten and then it will be time to change your diaper." He usually counts along with me and then once we're done he is ready to go.

I actually refused to force my son to brush his teeth...I think oral health is very important but I would not accept pinning him down and then holding his mouth open and brushing. Instead, I just tried not to make a big deal and kept modeling good behaviour. For us, it's a trust issue.

Multiple times a day. I always give him a choice first and I tell him that we have to do it after I count to 3. Sometimes that works, but at least 50% of the time I end up forcing him.

I try to keep it to a minimum, and try play-based approaches to try and get around refusal. Like the getting dressed thing - I chase around after her and pretend to be the clothes monster coming to get her, which she digs. But I absolutely am not above forcing any type of safety issue - buckles in the car seat when she's screaming, holding hands in the parking lot. Ditto with medication. I have a harder time with things like hygeine. With teeth I usually let her brush herself and I just do a quick finish, which she doesn't love. Right now she's in a shower/bath refusal so I have been undressing her and washing her down with soapy sink water, and then just putting her hair up. I find with things like that, the more we force, the worse it gets, whereas if we minimize it and don't turn it into a big thing, it tends to pass.

You are such a sweet dad. I force my son to do something that he doesn't want to do literally every day, sometimes a few times a day. Such as, washing hands with SOAP after using the potty. Or even, wiping your butt before you get out of the potty.

I've seen my friend does this to her 3 year old which I tried too and it works 65% of the time. If she doesn't want to wash her hands, tell her ok don't wash her hands because it is now MY TURN to wash MY HANDS. She doesn't get to wash her hands anymore because now it is MY TURN. Then she would probably go no, I want to wash my hands first! There you go. At least it works for us most of the time.

We have tears pretty much every night when I saw it is bedtime. Tonight was even more epic.