Family Routines
Rigid morning routines, difficulty leaving the house, or distress during transitions.
Our morning routine is held hostage by rigid OCD sequences
Every morning follows an exact script that your child controls — specific order of brushing teeth, eating breakfast, getting dressed, packing their bag. If anything happens out of order, or if someone accidentally interrupts the sequence, the whole routine restarts from the beginning. The rest of the family walks on eggshells trying not to "break" the routine.
Leaving the house takes forever because they need to check and re-check everything
When it's time to leave the house, your child needs to check that doors are locked, windows are closed, appliances are off, lights are out, or that certain items are in their bag — again and again. They may walk back inside multiple times after you're already in the car. What should be a simple departure becomes a 15-to-30-minute ordeal that makes the whole family consistently late.
They need to do things in a specific order or the whole routine restarts
Your child has a fixed sequence for daily activities — brushing teeth, getting into bed, saying goodnight, or doing homework. If any step happens out of order or is done "wrong," they insist on going back to the very beginning and starting the entire sequence over. Some nights, bedtime takes over an hour because of multiple restarts.
Family meals and outings are disrupted by rituals everyone has to follow
Mealtimes have become a minefield of rules — specific seats, specific plates, food arranged a certain way, no one can start eating until a ritual is complete, or certain words can't be said at the table. Family outings are similarly controlled: the car ride has rules, the restaurant has rules, and everyone is expected to follow them or your child becomes extremely distressed.