Organized or OCD?
Baby Bug always has to have things lined up perfectly – and I mean perfectly. If even one item is out of place, she gets very frustrated. Even her pillows and blankets have to be just so. She can only drink out of certain cups and play with specific colors of blocks.
Is this the result of an organized mind or does she have OCD? Did your children go through this phase?
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About the author: Owner and founder of An Island Life. Sharing my life as a mother to 3 wonderful daughters, working as a flight attendant, and living a blessed life in Hawaii. |
My 2 1/2 yr old went through a stage like that. It was just after her 1st birthday. She wouldn’t play with dolls or barbies that had moveable parts, if they weren’t lined up just the way she wanted them. She’d come to us to “fix” them and if we didn’t get it right, oh, she wasn’t happy. She still shows a few signs that she hasn’t given up that stage. She still likes her bed to be a certain way with her pillow & blanket & all the toys she sleeps with have to be in a certain spot.
I kind of wish it was a phase my kids would go through. all there stuff is unorganized on the floor ugh
When my son was learning how to really play with his toys he always had to have them lined up…esp. his cars. I remember removing one of the cars from his line and turning it around when he wasnt looking, to see if he noticed when he returned..oh yeah he noticed and was not happy. Although he has calmed down quite a bit with this, he still does it. It can be a good thing.
Definitely a phase I think.
Are they in line for Disneyland?
My boys, not so much. Me? I’m still trying to outgrow it.
However, FWIW, I’ve read that until some habit is getting in the way of everyday life, then it’s not something that needs to be dealt with.
So if she’s still playing, interacting, etc., I wouldn’t worry too much.
(Wow, I sound like an authority…which I’m not. Excuse me while I go straighten my canisters again…)
Oh yes! All of mine went through this!
Yes.. Mr. Z will line up his cars or trains collection. And if someone touches them, he will be very upset. I think it’s just their learning process.
I did not go through this as I’ve always been a slob, but one of my brothers was like this. He couldn’t go to bed unless all his things were in place, his shoes lined up with shoelaces tucked inside, toys placed just so…
It even spilled into his schoolwork where he would erase and re-write his name on his paper several times until it was “perfect.”
My mom got worried, but he eventually grew out of it.
Hopefully Baby Bug will too.
My son is like this. I think a lot of it has to do with control. There is very little they have control over at that age so they do what they can.
I wouldn’t worry about unless it is causing extreme disruptions, like she won’t eat unless there is a full moon and it is the 3rd day of the month.
Some of my kids have gone through a lining things up/organizing phase, but not to the extent of needing their beds made, even, much less “just so.”
Good luck with that! LOL
Emma, our 3 year old, is ALL ABOUT lining things up. She had a lineup of matchbox cars then went about 5 feet and I said wow, what are you doing with those cars? She siad they were waiting for a green light! haha
She gets very particular too about different things from time to time like her clothes or bedding too.
Toddlers can be very regimented and it is just a phase…trust me. Next you’ll see the usual kid mess!
My son went through this stage, and now he’s the biggest slob I know. I’m not sure which is more frustrating!
Wow, that’s amazing… something to look forward to!
I agree with the others… unless it starts to interfere with daily tasks, I wouldn’t worry about it! If it does, just drop your pediatrician a line and ask him/her what he/she thinks!
I have no scientific way to evaluate this, but I don’t think either is bad as long as there’s balance. I’m OCD about some stuff and I balance that with just leaving stuff around on purpose.
I’m not sure, but all I know is that we have those little plastic dolls too and firebaby loves them!
yes, my son went through that stage. He is now 20, studying to be a computer engineer, definitely has the mind of an engineer, very methodical and analytical. But he is not organized. Maybe your child thinks in that type of a process like an engineer…
My 2yo had a fit yesterday because when he woke up his hamper was empty. He also had a meltdown when he saw I changed his sheets and didn’t get his blankets back on his bed yet. With mine it’s all about not liking change I think!
I love the picture of the Little People, with their arms out and silly grins.
And yes, both of my boys have gone through these phases, the almost-2 year old is getting into it now. And refused to get dressed this morning until he replaced the blocks in the container that his brother had knocked over. I have pictures of kitchen pots and lids lined up across the kitchen floor.
I read in Parenting recently that it’s very normal – little kids have so little control in their lives that they line things up as a coping mechanism.
My youngest son went through that, everything needed to be in order from smallest to largest, it drove me nuts. Bedtime was a 20 minute ritual, and if you missed a step, you started over…today he is the polar opposite. I couldn’t find order in his room if I wanted, but he still likes his feet sticking out…lol
Looks like from the comments this is quite common, although my experience with DS is the exact opposite…he loves all his toys, eats and drinks almost anything, shows no preferences for things or doesn’t need things to be just so…
maybe it’s just a sign of a future scientist, engineer, or other occupation that is detailed oriented =)
My daughter is similar, but I only wish my son would like to be organized!
I wish I was going through that phase.
OMG, they all look like they are in the exact placement! Did she take after you? Or watch you clean?Mine is not in this stage yet, too young.
I think what you mention is a very common phase of childhood. An illness like OCD would probably only be invesitgated after a child has reached school age. Other factors would also come into play, like if the behavior is taking up considerable amount of time or resulting in significant distress.
Is it sad to wish I would go through a “phase” like that?
It’s to bad she isn’t a teenager. You’ll wish she still had this delightful trait.
I used to struggle with OCD~ actually some things I still allow my OCD to take over (like folding a towel “just right” and then stacking in the closet “just right.”) On the flip side, I knew if someone was touching my stuff and messing with it in college.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It very well could be a phase. I think it is kind of cute.
I wish that was the case for us! LOL!
Oh, it’s definitely a sign of genius…
(from the woman who’s co-workers were laughing at her TODAY for fussing at her daughter for “messing up” the money in her wallet–it must be all facing the same way and arranged from smallest to largest denomination, of course!)
I think you’re in the clear, Jack is stacking and organizing like crazy right now (2 years next month).
Probably just a stage
My 2 year old went through that too. She’s totally over it now. At least she’s organized
She’s probably just organized! I could use a little of that!
My niece used to do this too…I think it was just a phase…
Seeing as I am OCD let me help assuage your fears a bit, this is most likely a phase. She is probably just learning about symmetry etc. My daughter went thru a phase like that around that age and she is back to liking things in disarray now
I wouldn’t worry unless that was all she did was “arrange things” to the point of having no normal playing time. Just go with it for now.
How cute … the characters from Little People.
I’m sure that’s just a stage she’s going through. Yohan used to arrange his cars neatly in order when he was younger. Now, I have to tell him to clean up after playing.
Yup, mine went through that but not to that extent. Both of them outgrew it and are now completely stereotypical boys with messy rooms.
Now I am not an expert but I believe that it’s very possible that it’s just a phase and probably nothing to be concerned with. Now with that being said, if this behavior persists and becomes a problem for either you/Baby Bug, I’d consider consulting with a child psychiatrist. But for the now, I wouldn’t worry and would actually be happy that my child is that neat!
Kaitlyn does that with crayons, lines them up on the floor in a straight row before selecting which ones to color with. I think that little kids have so little control over most of their lives, organizing their toys and things is their way of controlling something, you know?
P.S. I love Fisher Price Little People!
Haha–that’s adorable! Yes, they do organize, but only selectively for 1 thing. The rest of the room is a mess!
I am not sure why kids do this. It is pretty funny. We have little people parades going through my house all the time.
My daughter is a bit OCD too and I’ve started to think she gets it from me! She always has to put her toys back just so when she is done.
my 1st born went through a phase like this, but unfortunately he out grew it
My almost 2 year old does this. I find the little people lined up across the gate at the top of our stairs, in a nice straight line on the end tables, and most recently across the keys on our piano. I think it’s a normal thing.
Abby was very much like this – she never played with toys so much as lined them up over and over. Becca does it to some extent too, although not as much anymore. It seems to be normal, from everything I’ve seen.
Oh my goodness that is too cute! I know my son continues to go through this…he’s almost 6!
Hugs,
Holly
Amazing! Their hands are all pointing the same direction!
My 18-month-old has me a little concerned, too. She not only tidies up the bathroom all the time by putting everything in the laundry basket, she makes sure that it is WELL IN the laundry basket and that the lid can close without anything hanging over the edge. Meticulous. And when we do art with stickers, she piles up all the stickers on top of each other very carefully instead of randomly placing them around the page like I want her to. And she’s already starting to color in the lines very carefully and gets frustrated when she goes over and then destroys the page. Help!
Oh my goodness, my 3 year old has been like this ever since I can remember. It has had me a bit worried but we will see as time goes on…