4 year old with addictive personality

[alfiesmadmother]

My 4 year old gets addicted and obsessed with things. For example today he wanted some cheese, he has not stopped asking for cheese all day and would not stop until it was gone if I let him, he would only eat cheese. Next week it will be bread, the week after pasta. He will only wear certain shoes. He will play a game nonoe stop for weeks and his interest becomes so narrow. So if in the house he will play with only one car for weeks, then a ball/game/tv programme.

It distresses me as I find it impossible to divert his attention to anything other than his specific interest at the time.

I know I seem like a really shit parent, I am just struggling with this asp[ect of his personality and lie awake worrying that when he gets older he will be some sort of addict.

Any support out there??

By the way I do not suspect my child has any SN or oddities other than those I have described.

I don't think it means that he will be an addict as an adult. I have 3 kids and all have gone through phases of being really into things whether it's a certain DVD, song or person from school.

Since his interests are not dangerous or unhealthy I'd personally go along with them in the hope that it will help the phase pass quicker but I sympathise how annoying it is. I'm not saying that your son has AS but a friend whose son is AS deals with his obsessions by having times of the day or days when he can go on about his obsessions freely and others when he can not.

If my children were obsessed with certain foods I'd have small quantities of it in the home or hide it and they'd have to live with the fact that I won't be buying it in immediately. I'd put the item on a shopping list so that they didn't go on about it and warn them that if they nagged me, I'd strike it off the list.

thankyou craztgracie that is helpful. I have put the cheese in a tin in the fridge so he can see it is all gone. Being in the house a lot fuels his obsessions so I try and get out but being in over christmas and my other DS's being ill has made it more obvious.