Obsession with closing doors, gates, drawers.....

[mammamia25]

My dd is 25 mths, and for a while now has been obsessed with closing doors, particularly the safety gate into the kitchen (she has to get off her chair and run to close it if she's eating and someone walks through and leaves it open!), and drawers even if they are open an inch. I'm not worried about it, but am interested if others of her age are like this at all?

[TheArmadillo]

Ds was - grew out of it about 4yo or so.

Still has to swing off doors if anywhere near them.

Think it comes under normal obssessive toddler behaviour.

[Chaotica]

DS (25m) closes the safety gates too - little does he know that they're there so he doesn't get through them. He will work that out one day soon, or work out how to climb over them...

[pispirispis]

My 18 month old dd is like this ? she has to always close the stairgates, microwave door, drawers and doors from room to room. Everything has to be just so. She?s obssessed!

[meep]

dd1 does this too at 27mo! I am dreading the day she slams her fingers in a door or drawer......

[eastendmummy]

My ds is 20 months and obsessed about it too - think it's a normal phase of development.

[Bensmum76]

My DS, just turned two, can be quite obsessive about closing doors and gates too. Sometimes he'll be halfway up the stairs to bed and will have to come back downstairs to close a door. Sometimes it's almost a little OCD-ish. I think its almost a security/comfort thing. I;m trying to stop him closing his stair and bedroom door gates as am worried he's going to catch his fingers or fall down the stairs. My DS also doesn't like things to be out of place and is known as the tidy boy at his nursery. i am quite similar in this sense and can only assume he gets it from me. I will quite often tell him that its ok, and to let mummy worry about these things, not him!

[yelpol]

yes, perfectly normal stage of development - children trying to make sense of the world and their place in it - wanting things just so - just the way they are meant to be. lot's of obsessive putting shoes into pairs, etc. many children will be upset by a parent getting a new hairstlye, as it upsets this sense of balance and order in their world... also liking to hide in the same place over and over during hide and seek - not getting that the point is not to be found!

[slng]

Was going to show you this schema stuff but realise there isn't an opening/shutting schema ... My children are definitely the enveloping/enclosure type. In fact DS2 has been spending a lot of time under the table recently ...

[mammamia25]

Good to hear there are a few more out there like my dd! Bensmum - your ds sounds so like her - she also turns back to close doors when she's on her way somewhere else, and she keeps turning the TV off when she leaves the room -very frustrating when I'm trying to still half-watch/listen to it! (but our electric bill should be down a fair bit this year!) Yelpol - I recognise the issue about a change in appearance too - I need to get new glasses and so far she's not reacting too well to any I try on when she's with me!

[toffeeapple]

My DS is 2 years 8 months and is still like that. Mind you I'm the same, I hate going to sleep if my knicker draw is even slightly open.
He must take after me.
I worry slightly as well when he's coming down the stairs but still has to close the top stair gate. Funny really, and cute!!

[twolittlekings]

My 4yo still likes to swing off the kitchen cupboard doors when he is in the kitchen - highly irritating as he is now a lot heavier than he was 2 years ago and one day I am convinced they will fall off. I keep telling him to stop it but he does not even seem to realise he is doing it. grrrrrrrr

[WshosheBANG]

Sing Opening/closing of things comes under the transporting Schema

[slng]

WshosheBANG - thank you. These schema things are a bit funny, but it was obvious what types my children are (though DS1 is starting on the "connection" thing now ...) It's good to know that they didn't do things especially to piss you off, especially the "trajectory" types!

[LoveBeingAMummy]

Defo has to close all the doors, even if we are visting someone elses house and on ocassion when they are still in it

[WshosheBANG]

I'm a CM who has been in childcare for over 30 years, and I think I have seen all the schema's in one shape or form in those years, some can be more 'challanging' than others.

(Envolping can be the most entertaining ever looked everywhere for mobile/pens/shoes/coffee cup/ anything really, and finally find it wrapped up in a play handbag, in the dolls pram under all the blankets?

[slng]

We usually find little cars in amongst the tupperware and the tinned food. And we have got into the habit of looking under the duvet before getting into bed. Little cars and lego a bit hard on one's bottom.

[Scottie22]

My dd - 29 months is obsessed with doors too. Yesterday we went to a friends and she shut her dd's finger in the door and took off her finger nail - spent the day in hospital feeling absolutely terrible! I sure wish she would get over her obsession with doors too

[AlyKL]

my 17month old daughter is constantly shutting doors, drawers and cupboards that get left open. I think because we always tell her to close the door after she walks through, she has just learnt to do it herself, but just gets a bit obsessive sometimes. she is going through a stage of having to have everything in it's place.

[mammamia25]

Oh, and if our poor cats dare to eat out of "each other's" bowl, she stands over them shouting "wrong bowl, wrong bowl"!

[sleepysouthpaw]

I'm.a complex needs support worker/teaching assistant, I support a four year old, he has ASD and his focus is doors, watching them, opening and closing, they dominate his life, at home too , has any other parent experienced the same behaviour, I've read some of your previous articles and they were so familiar