Can a toddler have OCD.......

[Jackaroo]

I don't want to sound like a neurotic mother, but whilst I realise lots of toddlers love cleaning, I was suddenly struck by the situation yesterday when we were sitting on the tarmac for 90 minutes waiting for our plane to take off... my son had got more and more agitated, and then snapped open a box of wipes, and started cleaning manically - gangway carpet, plane seats, video screens etc etc... in a very concerted, and not particularly funny way.
He's loved cleaning for ages (now 20 months), but I have noticed that he does this a lot in what could be potentially stressful situations.
The outcome yesterday was that he went into complete hysterics (unlike anything previously witnessed) when I tried to stop him.. as we were actually going to take off. He's otherwise a very "happy" and energetic little boy, and very affectionate.
I've laughed about it when others point it out.. but....?
Whaddya think?

[Haribosmum]

Mmmmm how weird. My ds1 loves cleaning as well but he's just as quick to make the mes again LOL! Maybe his way of coping with stressful new situations????

[SpacePuppy]

You should get an expert to guide you to help him vent in a different way, it might only be a way of coping and not OCD

[Jackaroo]

thanks for your suggestions - spacepuppy - do you have a particular kind of expert in mind? Child psychotherapist? health visitor (lol!)???
Anyone else any ideas?

[elasticbandstand]

i personally would have thought 2 would definately be too young.
yeh, health visitor would be good.

[elasticbandstand]

or 20 months...

[eemie]

Some obsessional behaviour is normal for toddlers. The paddy might have been related to the stress of travelling.

It's hard for toddlers to stop doing something & change to something else without plenty of warning and a clear count-down. You often can't give them that when travelling.

Talking it over with your HV is a good idea

[Jackaroo]

Our HV is so useless it's not funny. We did have a fantastic one who quite rightly went off to work with mothers in dire circumstances ........
Anyway, many thanks for the reassurances, I will try talking to someone at work about it (I work in a hospital)now I don't feel as if they're going to look at me like an I'm an idiot.

[mymatemax]

jackaroo
Our ds2 has sn & has had obsessional behavior since very small, for a while I couldn't leave wipes within reach or he'd use the lot, clean but expensive!
He is 4.5 now & at an assessment in December we were told it is likely that eh does have OCD but it is extremely rare to diagnose in pre-school children & most obsessional behaviors in young children do just pass with no long term diagnosis or problems.
Max

[Jackaroo]

Thanks so much Max - in that case - given that he doesn't have any other characteristics that would give me cause for concern, I will just put it down to toddler dealing with stressful situations, and keep an eye on him...
really helpful, cheers,
Jackaroo