misidawnrn Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 DH and I actually had a discussion about this today re: our 2yo DD. He told me has never seen such a quirky child as her. I said "I hope she doesn't have some sort of OCD or something" My other DD wasn't like this so maybe it's semi-normal in some children or maybe not. Here are some of her quirks. Those with OCD or children with it, please chime in. -Will NOT go potty if there is a hair, toilet paper, a stain, etc on, in or around the toilet-we have the cleanest toilets in town because of this. (outhouses are a disaster!) -HAS to have her "stuff". Right now it consists of a stuffed dog, with his leash and a bottle. I have even crocheted the bottle it's own leash to keep it together because the world comes to an end if she doesn't have it. She used to want to take all of the stuff that she was attracted to that week with her everywhere in a backpack that would literally make her fall over, it was so heavy. I have since hid the backpack and sewed her a 2yo size diaper bag. Now she can only take what will fit in that. -Her socks HAVE to fit just right on her feet. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get them to fit right with the seam on the toes. -She will wear the same dress 5 days in a row if I let her. She only does this with a few things but they are her favorites. -She WILL NOT drink from a cup if she thinks the contents are not freshly poured. For instance, for breakfast, she had OJ. It was still there at lunch so I poured it out, rinsed the cup and put in fresh (knowing her ways). She didn't see me do that and she refused to drink from that cup. This is what started DH and my conversation! I even tried to show her it was cold, like daddy's...no go! -She will pick at any kind of hangnail or thing that isn't just right. -She HATES to have her hands dirty. I have never seen a 2yo use a napkin like her. We use cloth napkins thank goodness or we would be killing lots of trees a day. She can't and won't start a meal unless she has a napkin in front of her. The rest of us don't care about them unless we need them for messy foods. She needs one because she is eating, period. I could list many more but is this normal? She will be 3 in March and has been like this, and getting worse, for a while. We try to limit some things like the "hoarding" of stuff, one napkin when we eat out, etc. Other than her quirks, she is a happy, healthy 2.75 year old. She speaks full sentences, knows how to spell her name, knows how to count to 12, knows her colors, etc. I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 A couple of my high school students have it; one is medicated (and doing well) and the other gets intermittent therapy (and is doing moderately well). Any chance your dd has PANDAS? What you describe *could* be sensory related, but leans more towards OCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 All of that sounds totally normal for a preschool-age child. Lots of kids her age need their stuff and are picky about dirt and want to have things "just so." Isn't mindset fun? Maybe a little bit of sensory stuff going on (sock seams, etc.), but nothing alarming. Even much older kids can be picky about tags and seams without it being abnormal. I once heard someone joke about how kids' normal development passes through several psychiatric diagnoses. The key is that they pass through them, they don't hang out indefinitely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 My children don't have OCD and they did things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Any one of those behaviors by itself would seem normal, but all of them together does make me think something is up. Does anyone in your family have anxiety issues? One of the keys for diagnosing OCD is, does it cause distress and/or interfere with normal life? Having to have all your stuff "just so" is one thing, but a toddler compelled to spend inordinate amounts of time arranging things is unusual. Kids that age, I think (I'm no expert, just a mom with OCD and a quirky kid - Asperger's, OCD, ADHD), do start to really want to control or have a say in their environment (and kids with sensory issues want to control their environment so they'll feel comfortable) and the things that are theirs, and many really like routines. But if she has lots of tantrums/anxiety/distress when things can't be the way they "should be", or instead of playing she spends all her time arranging things and getting upset, that would be a concern. It's hard to say where the line is between "quirky and needs things a certain way" and "disorder". But I'd keep an eye on how she's doing. Maybe look into some ways to add to her "sensory diet" that might be calming. (Try "The Out of Sync Child".) :grouphug: Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 How are her social interactions, especially outside the family? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 DD7 has always been very quirky, even starting in her toddler years. We always thought her ways were just cute and funny....but then when she turned four, they began getting worse and that's when I began to be concerned. Around 2, DD would constantly check her pacifier for hairs. Constantly. She was the cleanest toddler around....no messy face or hands, she just wouldn't go with that. Around 4, she began "hoarding" things. She's pick up trash, sticks, papers, wrappers, etc and keep them. A meltdown ensued if I tried to throw them away or deter her from keeping them. She began being very concerned with her hands and wanting to wash them. When walking outside the house (walks, stores, etc) she's constantly point to EVERY. SINGLE. THING. and ask "what's that?" Finally, around 5 years old, I consulted her pediatrician and she referred us to a child psychologist at the local children's hospital. Honestly, we went to see her for a while and then stopped. She wasn't helping. And as a side note, she said she doesn't diagnose OCD in children that young. Over the past few years, DD has gotten MUCH better. It's like she goes through episodes of "quirks" (OCD-ish behaviors) and then they taper off. A few weeks ago she started wanting to wash her hands a lot. I calmly but firmly told her that she could wash her hands if they were dirty, but not otherwise. After one day she wasn't concerned with her hands anymore. She still has a lot of sensory type issues. Her shirt and pants must feel "just right." Her socks must feel "just right." She cannot stand for me to brush her hair behind her ears....the feeling basically causes a meltdown. Small pieces of food and lint make her gag. She has to have many things in her life "just right" according to her. She has certain things she has to say, in order, before bedtime or when I'm leaving and running an errand without her. She has a certain place she sits on the couch. She uses different utensils for each thing she eats. So she still has lots of quirks that we've learned to work around. I'm not sure if she has OCD or not, but she certainly has a lot of OCD-ish tendencies and they started very young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misidawnrn Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 I would say her life is dramatically affected by it. She will play with lots of stuff during the day and not have to obsess with things being put in specific places. She just wants her dog to be by her during her play. She will play with other kids, loves babies, hates loud noises, and doesn't really like strangers that much. I think all of that is normal. I have thought for a while she has some sensory issues but again, none that are life shattering and we deal with them. For instance, she hates the sound of the heater in our truck. It is finally cold here and the heater was on and she asked "Mom, can you please turn the fan off?" but she wanted the radio on a little louder. She doesn't like the fan in our bathroom either. She is adopted but her birthmom does have depression/anxiety and was on Celexa during her pregnancy. That did cause a lot of issues for DD when she was born with withdrawal, etc. BM doesn't have OCD. I love the statement that we all pass through psychiatric diagnosis, but most of us don't linger! For now, we are all used to her quirks and we just incorporate them into our care of her and our daily routines. One instance that makes me laugh is recently DH finished DD's bath and got her out of the tub, dried her off and hung the towel up. DD came to the kitchen where I was, in hysterics, stomping, screaming, full blown fit. DH followed her dumbfounded saying "What, Sarah, what?" She was so hysterical she couldn't talk. He took the towel off of her and hung it up. She has to wear it for a while and then get dressed when she feels like it-usually 5 minutes or so. (I imagine, when she feels like she is dry enough) He didn't have any clue since I am the main child bather. Once I told him what he did wrong he understood. I don't think her issues are bad enough for counseling or therapy or anything. I just wanted to know if it was normal, what to keep an eye out for, etc. Thanks ladies! You are always a wealth of information!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) I'd look into sensory processing disorder. Edited January 11, 2012 by Upward Journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.