Little girl in Isaiah’s archery class, I know you’re too young to understand.
I wish I could explain to you that it’s his OCD that makes him move your arrows from the first orange cone to the second. You see the very first time he came to this class that’s how the arrows were set up. So now, he will always be uncomfortable if the arrows are not the same way.
It will be an itch he can’t scratch.
A stray hair in his eye he can’t grab
A tiny grain if sand stuck in his shoe.
And if I do try to explain it to you, or your mom, there’s no guarantee that you won’t tell the other kids.
Next week, we would come to class and all the other kids would be staring and whispering as we came in the gym.
While this week you guys all laughed and had a great time together. Thought he was funny for drawing faces on the balloons and played fake basketball while you waited to shoot.
Maybe next week, if you knew there was a word for why he moves your arrows, Every. Single. Time. He would become the weird one. The different one.
I’m sorry little girl. You’re really sweet and patient, and you and Isaiah seem to have a great time together in class. I just can’t ruin that for either if you.
Hey little Girl! Good job sticking up for yourself! You put both of your arrows in the same cone! Rock on with your bad self. You’re gonna be just fine!
This blog has been mostly about Isaiah and his Sensory Processing Disorder, less about his allergies and his Tic Disorder that started at 4. There were some warning signs that Isaiah was going to develop OCD. And it has happened. My son has OCD. If your child has OCD here’s some things I would recommend.
Jen Kehl 
You gave some wonderful advice here, but wouldn’t expect anything less from you on this. Neither of my kids have OCD, but my grandmother had a touch of it with things like making sure she turned off the gas before leaving the house. Not sure if there is a spectrum of this and she was never fully diagnosed, but we were just used to it and would just compensate for it.
Thanks Janine! It’s just really started to become obvious. He’s done little things since he was 3 or so, but now… well it’s different.
I never realized that many of my OCD tendencies stem from how things were done on my first experience with them. When I write for work, everything has to be on a separate document. When my team tried to suggest all project content should live in one full document, my head exploded. And they gave me permission to do it my own way.
That makes SO much sense.
I know. I think it’s easier to see it when it’s not you Chrissy!
Thanks so much for the insight. My son and I both suffer from OCD. I guess at least that helps me relate to him. I am starting to see that this may be part of his eating issues, maybe even more so than the sensory issues. Thanks so much for sharing! It’s great for everyone to understand these things. 🙂
Thanks Jessica! It’s super hard when people don’t understand. It’s nice that he has you!
Enjoyed the post and the tips. I have struggled with my annoying OCD tendencies for as long as I remember. I am much better at dealing with them now that I’m an adult.
Thank you Jessica, I am glad that he and I have an open dialogue, as long as we keep talking I think he’ll be okay!
Great tips thank you for sharing.
It’s good that he found a friend that “gets him.” 😀 Collin does the same thing: if he sees it one way, it’s ALWAYS going to be that way. It’s taught ME patience. 😀 Good job, Jen!
I am so glad that you wrote about this. So many parents, including the ones without OCD children, will learn a lot from this. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to raise a child with this illness but you’re doing a fabulous job.
It’s true Kimberly. I think I’m lucky, in a sense, because he’s always been this way, and as a homeschooling mom I see him very clearly. I think when you are removed from your child, and a teacher brings it to you, it may be harder to accept.
This is a great post to bring awareness to something that is not often talked about with regards to children and how to help them deal with it. You’re giving him validation that what he’s dealing with is real and you’re helping him cope, which is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Adrienn! I think one of the best things is that both he and I have a great sense of humor, and we are so linked that I know if I am crossing a line with him. It helps me bring levity to the situation and make him realize it’s NO BIG DEAL.
My 2 year old granddaughter insists things are “just so”. Not everything. Just the toys in her room. Every doll must sit in its spot. Don’t reverse 2 of them. Meltdown will ensue. If you give her a kiss, don’t forget the hug. That pile of blankets in her crib, she will be sure to tell you if you lay one of them on her the wrong way. This is her.it’s one of the many reasons we love her. We may have to look into it if it gets to be more of an issue but for now, we have a 2 year old with a clean bedroom. I’ll take it!
You capture the essence of OCD with some well-chosen words. Well done.
I have OCD and I’m fairly sure I’ve passed it on to my youngest daughter and my son. My son also has a chronic tic disorder. It comes and goes, usually when he is tired or stressed. I think I deal with theirs a little easier knowing what it feels like and knowing how to explain it. It’s very mild in both cases but I’m keeping an eye on it since I know it can get worse as we move toward puberty. These are really great tips….simple but so helpful for someone who may not have the knowledge. Thanks Jen!