To be at my wits end with 6 year old DS?!

[Pinkoyster795]

Long story short, DS who is 6, is driving me crazy. I don’t know whether it is normal behaviour or not (he’s my eldest) but he goes through phases where he likes to do certain things all the time. The latest is opening windows. Now this may sound harmless but we’re in fucking January and it’s freezing.. he will proceed to open all the windows in our flat as he says he ‘likes’ it. He will argue with me, and generally doesn’t listen. He has also started being very bossy and argumentative with younger sibling. I’m afraid I do get really cross with him, which only increases my guilt at the end of the day. Anyone else relate with the strange habits? I don’t think he is autistic, but could this be a sign? His previous obsessions involved playing with kitchen pans, and tidying (he’s still incredibly tidy to the point of being OCD).

Have you asked him why he likes it? If it is a germ thing it could be another OCD sign.

Also, window locks.

speak to school see if he has any odd habits there if yes go to gp they will tell you next steps

I've had severe OCD since i was 5. I cannot stress enough the importance of early treatment if he does have it, it would have changed my life to have the treatment available now, 23 years ago. It can do no harm to take him to see a gp and get a referral if they think it could be something.

It does sound a little extreme. I'd be asking my GP for advice.

I must admit my bedroom window is currently open (the house is hot and I like to be slightly chilly when I get into bed) but since I was a kid I always felt claustrophobic inside especially when people said I couldn't leave (i.e being a kid, and adults saying what I could do). I do have ADHD and that feeling of 'being in a bubble' led to me having many meltdowns as all I wanted was space (what your DS might be suffering from if you live in a flat). Everyone is different but I remember the feeling of being trapped and the air feeling clammy, adults saying I had to go to my room/sit down/calm down but all I wanted to do was to have some personal space and feel free. I'd tell anyone in sight that I hate them, but I didn't hate them I just needed space from them. Just think you probably get space away from your kids when they're in bed. Kids don't really get personal space. I literally just need space or the feeling of control in my life. Could you take him outside more? Luckily we lived fairly close to the country so from the age of 8 i'd tell my parents I was going to the neighbours and just go through the fields/into the woods. I used to love going to the shop for my parents or even sitting outside by myself. I still get like that now as an adult, but that's because I still need my personal space/need to feel like i'm in control of my life.

He's only 6 but he must have his reasons for wanting them open? I'd be more concerned if he wanted all the draws to be open but there's plausible explanations for windows.

As he's the oldest, does the window opening coincide with you being occupied with his sibling?