School & Homework
Perfectionism, re-reading, erasing and rewriting, or avoiding schoolwork entirely.
My child erases and rewrites letters until the paper tears
Your child spends an agonizing amount of time on what should be simple writing tasks. They erase letters over and over, pressing harder each time, until the paper rips or they dissolve into tears. A single worksheet can take an hour or more, and the frustration is heartbreaking to watch.
They refuse to turn in work because it's not 'perfect'
Your child finishes their homework — sometimes it's genuinely good work — but then refuses to hand it in. They'll say it's 'not ready,' redo it multiple times, or shove it to the bottom of their backpack. Their grades are suffering not because they can't do the work, but because the work never feels good enough to submit.
They re-read the same paragraph dozens of times and can't move on
You notice your child has been on the same page of their book or textbook for an impossibly long time. When you ask about it, they admit they keep re-reading the same paragraph because it doesn't 'go in' or doesn't feel 'right.' Reading assignments that should take 20 minutes take two hours, and your child is exhausted and demoralized.
They won't go to school because of contamination fears
Your child is terrified of germs, dirt, or 'contamination' at school. They might refuse to touch doorknobs, sit in their chair, use the bathroom, or eat lunch there. The morning routine has become a battle — tears, pleading, sometimes physical resistance. Some days they simply won't go, and you're watching their world get smaller.
My adult child can't start college assignments because nothing feels 'right'
Your college-age child calls you in distress, unable to start papers or assignments. They describe sitting in front of their laptop for hours, writing an opening sentence, deleting it, writing another, deleting that. Or they can't begin at all because the conditions don't feel 'right' — wrong time, wrong place, wrong mental state. Deadlines pass, incomplete grades pile up, and they're drowning in shame.