OCD for kids

One thing I didn't realise about young children until I had my own, is how they all (OK maybe not all - but a lot of those I now know) have a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)...

Exhibit A of this in our house is normally food related. Tonight the boys ate beef casserole (yummy), and I instinctively knew that Nathan would be far more likely to eat it if he could see what was in it - so I chopped the vegetables big so they were still recognisable; 'look - there's a carrot!'   I also knew he'd be more likely to eat the stew if I served it with some bread (cut into squares) on the side.  See, this is actually progress; Nathan used to only eat bread if it was cut into triangles...

Another example of this is that in our house, beans on toast isn't actually beans on toast at all.  It's actually beans next to toast, but in no way touching it - otherwise it is contaminated!

It's not just food either.  All manner of small, seemingly insignificant details can unsettle a young child.  Little breaks in the routine; parking the car in a different place to normal; misplacing a favourite toy; switching off the TV before the theme tune has finished; the list is endless.

Thankfully my older son (a wise old sage at 5) is now slightly more flexible than he used to be; but that might just be because I've learnt to explain things to him in a way that helps him cope with these changes.  I still say people are coming over at 4-ish rather than 4, otherwise he'll tell them they're late at 4.03!

Maybe we can all be a bit like this...  I dislike change as much (or probably more) than the next person.  It unsettles me too.  Maybe all being an adult is is learning to manage this sort of thing without having a break-down every time someone changes your sandwich filling...