I am starting to get concerned about my youngest. She is two which, as the mom of three, I realize is notoriously a bad age to pin down anything about their personalities, but...She is becoming really set in her routines and very finicky about how clean things are. She freaks out if there is anything on her pillow. For example, if she drools, she has to see me put it in the washer and then, when she sees the case back on her pillow, she will ask over and over if it is all clean now and then examines it for herself. She has to sit in the same chair for every meal, have the same plate, fork, and cup. She needs 4 different dolls and stuffed animals in bed in the same positions and her 2 pillows in the same place each night. Neither of my other two were like this and even my dh and my mom have mentioned how strict she is with her routines and her cleanliness. She washes her hands at least once an hour and is always cleaning up after the rest of the family. She cannot stand to have anything out of place. It's becoming enough of a problem that it is interfering with playing. For those moms who have dealt with OCD in yourselves or your children, what tipped you off and does this sound like something I should worry about? Can you even have issues with it at such a young age? TIA

By Feona on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 09:01 am:

Sounds like a sensory issue already.... ot issue... I would get it checked out with early intervention. I see some parents at therapy center bringing all their kids in. Seems these things run in families.

By Amecmom on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 09:36 am:

How long has this been going on? Toddlers go through phases where they need everthing to be an exact routine, it's a part of their development, part of their need to exert some control over their environment.
Have it checked out if it worries you, after all, getting it checked out can only help if there is indeed something to worry about.
Ame

By Kaye on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 10:13 am:

None of my kids have ocd, but they have all done the things you mentioned. When we were going through lots of stuff with my youngest one of the psychs said, no matter what the issue (add, ocd, etc) you don't treat unless it is really affecting how they are doing in school, how they are reacting with friends. If it becomes an obstacle then you seek treatment. Yes this is affecting your daughters play, but what happens when she can't do what she wants. Does she have a little meltdown or does she just refuse to sleep at all if she can't have her things just so. It could be a sensory thing, but it could be she likes things just so. I like my pillows and blankets just so I think I would wait it out a bit. Also I would mess with her a bit. Don't humor her quite so much. Also have her do some sensory things, messy art. Take shaving cream and let her "clean th etable" with her hands, have her finger paint. Give her a bucket of rice or beans and some measuring cups, you could even put smaller toys in it to dig out. Good luck.

By Tink on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 02:50 pm:

I am pretty familiar with sensory issues because they go along with my son's ASD dx. This isn't a problem as far as fingerpainting or food on her hands. It's more like a real rigidity, that everything be in its place. She won't play with certain toys because they make a mess so easily. Legos and her toy dishes are 2 examples that come to mind. She also will refuse to play because she is walking around the house making sure that everything is where it belongs. This has been going on for about a year now. I let her have her bed the way she wants because I think a bedtime routine is important and I'm a little particular about my bed too. With 3 kids, there is no way that everything is where it belongs all the time so she has to "just deal with it" a lot of the time, but she gets very anxious if she knows that there is a mess on the kitchen table and I won't let her clean it up, make her stay in the living room with us and play. Thanks for your input so far. I'll let you know if we investigate it.

By Lauram on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 11:16 am:

I would just keep an eye on it for now. SHe's pretty young. My 7 year old has it. It's really about how much does it INTERFERE with their life. My 2 year old also does a lot of the things you've mentioned, but I chalk it up to his being two and needing control. There are many behaviors that are indicators of OCD- not just cleanliness and hand washing. My son erases alot and does some magical thinking (with the number 7). When it's bad he urinates very frequently to "clean out" his bladder. HIs handwashing gets so bad that his hands actually bleed. There's not a lot of options for really young kids- even my son. He's too young for CBT which is what really works and the meds are pretty heavy-duty. His is not severe enough for me to risk that (he does take meds for his ADHD though). Keep watching it and if it gets worse, I'd make and appt with a child psychologist experinced with OCD in very young children.

By Children03 on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 10:49 pm:

My 4 year daughter went through this for about a year, she has gotten much better. She would get so upset if she didn't get to wash her hands after doing anything, she would freak out of I didn't lay a blanket on her and have every corner laying down flat, she has to wear certain things, she couldn't stand to have on a pair of panties if she leaked a drop of tee tee in them, she would change about 8 times a day. She got so bad I called the doctor because it was driving me insane. She has started to outgrow some of it. If I make her a palet on the floor beside my bed, she will spend about 10 minutes fixing the covers, her pillows, and her dolls to be exactly the way she wants them. Her pediatrician told me that she will probably outgrow most of this and she has.

By Children03 on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 10:50 pm:

Oh and she also had to have a certain sippie cup in the morning and she would only wear pink for the entire last year. She wears lots of things now