Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Obsessiveness in 2 year olds.

22 replies

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 31/10/2014 08:36

I've been told this behaviour is odd... Is it really?
My DD (2) gets obsessions, by which I mean she will only watch one TV show, only read one book, only eat certain foods or drink one type of juice, only play with a certain toy, only sleep under a certain blanker... but next week it could be a completely new obsession. She will get upset if she can't have the item she is obsessed by, for example we ran out of the juice she likes, we have 3 different other types, but no, we had a massive teary tantrum over this one type of juice, she was genuinely distraught about it too...
My DSs never did this, but I didn't particularly think her behaviour was all that strange.

Does anyone elses child do this? Please reassure me that this is not actually all that disturbing as my friend seems to think.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TurnOverTheTv · 31/10/2014 08:40

My two year old is in the throes of this. I didn't think it was odd, and she's my third child.

TurnOverTheTv · 31/10/2014 08:43

Posted too soon. She only likes to drink from one cup, eat from one plate Etc. Tv swings from watching peppa pig, to princess Sofia. She wil watch them, then one day decides mope, she hates them and switch to something else.

Angelface5 · 31/10/2014 09:02

All normal I think.some kids do this and some don't. My dd does the same even with clothes aswell only wants to wear a certain skirt. They are finding their way and these little things are probably all they can control at this age. It's a phase and will pass x

chocolatemartini · 31/10/2014 09:16

Normal. My 2 yo would only play with one type of toy for 6 months

Original poster

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 31/10/2014 09:25

Thank you!
I know it's different behaviour to that of my boys, (DD is my 3rd child)
But I really didn't think it was that odd, but you know when someone 'mentions' something and it sits at the back of your mind and niggles... That's how I was feeling when I posted.
Glad to see other children do this too and it's relatively normal.

Angelface5 I had to wash and dry the same set of clothes and pjs for a fortnight... I'm quite sure people thought I only had one set of clothes for DD... The amount of times I had to explain it was ridiculous.
I had people telling me I shouldn't pander to it, and I probably shouldn't but at the moment it's all about picking my battles. It simply wasn't worth distressing her over and putting her in a terrible mood for the day (I put her in something different one morning and she was just horrible for the whole day)

OP posts:

Iggly · 31/10/2014 09:27

My dd does this. Which threw me as ds didn't.

Dd has one pair of knickers which are her favourite. I have to hide them to get her to wear other pairs. Same with a particular dress and top and shoes.

I actually let her unless stuff is dirty asas I'm sure she will grow out of it!

Lovelydiscusfish · 31/10/2014 18:48

My dd, 2.6, is also prone to obsessions, with certain tv programmes, books, CDs etc. She also likes to play imaginary games with us which are word for word, more or less, the same each time. I assume it's normal!

Angelface5 · 31/10/2014 23:05

I am having the knicker thing at the moment my dd will only wear her spotty Knicks,she has 3 pairs and has to have a clean pair morning and night and I cannot find anymore in any shops that are the same. So what a task for me at the moment.
And yes op I know what you mean when trying and feeling like you have to explain to people that yes they have been washed and they get washed every night
My dd is 4 and still doing it not sure if it will pass soon,just their little ways I'm guessing.
She did spend today in a princess dress but would not put her witches dress on that she so wanted last week!!!!
I just keep thinking it's getting colder she is going to have to at least wear leggings soon but when I get them out for her she just looks at them and the neighbours must think I'm killing her yet I'm in a total different room. So what do you do when it gets to this.
I once had her carry a little plastic hamster around for months it was the size of your thumb nail. She had it with her 24/7 and it just amazed me how she didn't lose it,even in bed

Guin1 · 01/11/2014 05:14

My DS went through a bin obsession for about 4 months just before he turned 2. All bins (kitchen, wastepaper, wheelie, skips, bins at the shops, etc) required a detour to tap, look inside, comment on, etc. That was not easy to explain to people either! It faded slowly and was briefly replaced with an obsession for the fluff that accumulated between his toes...

There have been various mn threads about toddler obsessions. One I remember was about vacuum cleaner obsessions - so funny. DS loves to visit the vacuum cleaner in the cupboard, but as soon as it is switched on, he cries and runs away. Mind you, DH says this is a perfectly normal male response...

Lepreporn · 01/11/2014 06:20

Perfectly normal. My 2 year old dd is currently obsessed with her big sisters Mr Men books
She carries 22 around with her everywhere we go.

Iggly · 01/11/2014 06:25

I just keep thinking it's getting colder she is going to have to at least wear leggings soon but when I get them out for her she just looks at them and the neighbours must think I'm killing her

Like my dd! We can get her into other clothes - I've introduced a rule which is that her favourite dress and leggings are only indoor clothes. This helps. She gets rules although god forbid if we break them

munchkinmaster · 01/11/2014 06:37

I went to the shop for vests this week and walked out empty handed as there were no plain white ones. I know as soon as I buy some with a picture on them one or two will be favoured and we will have a merry time of it every morning. So buying extra would actually have reduced the no of wearable vests.

GingerDoodle · 01/11/2014 13:24

Thank god; my DD 2.1 will currently:

Not wear socks (driving me nuts)
Will only use 1 type of dummy (has a purple bit on it)
Will only use 1 cup
Some days has to be rugby tackled into clothes at all
Will only listen to Jump by Van Halen (Enter Sandman by Metallica or Paradise City by Val Halen at a push)

Original poster

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 01/11/2014 13:53

I have so many cups in my cupboard, She'd drink quite happily out of it one day, point blank refuse it the next... I mean she wouldn't drink a drop. I bought more cups to ward of dehrydation! MIL told me she'll eat/drink etc when she needs to. Not my DD! She went two days without a single drop of milk/juice/water etc. So I buy more cups >< only for her to refuse it the week after.... I tried so many different styles...
She now has a Doc McStuffins flask and a Sofia the first one that she alternates between which isn't so bad, not had to buy any new ones in about 8 months :D
Favourite book at the moment is 'The Little Mermaid' that I have to read over and over again!
My NN will give you a clue as to her previous favourite, which by the way, I know off by heart!

OP posts:

Original poster

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 01/11/2014 13:53

*off dehydration, obviously

OP posts:

lemonpuffbiscuit · 01/11/2014 13:58

It is natural for kids to have preferences. It does seem rather obsessive though. Is he obsessive in his behaviour and play? Does he have certain routines?

Original poster

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 01/11/2014 18:14

lemonpuff Nope, no certain routines.
Obviously we have the general routine of: up, breakfast, dressed, school run, home, housework/activities etc, lunch, school run, dinner, bath bed. But it's all very loose set other than the school run times. She doesn't get upset if we do something spontaneous for example
It just seems to be 'things' and it literally is an obsession. Some days aren't as bad as others, she'll accept an alternative, some days though we have major tears and distress over not having the right teddy/blanket/cup etc

It's nice to see it's not just my child though and that it's all normal for other children too.
Hopefully it's a phase she'll outgrow. She certainly keeps me on my toes though

OP posts:

MiaowTheCat · 03/11/2014 16:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fifibluebell · 03/11/2014 16:09

People who have had children like this what age did they grow out of it? Sorry to hijack

Original poster

OhHelpOhNoItsaGrufallo · 03/11/2014 19:00

Fifibluebell No need to apologise, it's not a hijack, I think we are all wondering this praying for it to be soon

OP posts:

NannyNim · 03/11/2014 21:56

I remember being very much like this as a child. I don't know how old I was or when I grew out of it exactly but I must have been about 3. I very clearly remember one night when I desperately wanted my green nightdress with the stars and mouse on rather than the blue one with the same design. I don't remember why it mattered so much. But regardless, it was dirty and in the wash so my mum said no and sent me off to bed in the blue one and boy did I kick up a fuss!!
There was another time when I decided I didn't pink any more and didn't want anything pink. Not long after I threw a massive strop because my little sister always had the pink version of everything and I wanted the pink things!

I don't know why I developed these obsessions. I guess it was just toddler whims but I'm 22 now and clearly it hasn't done me any long term damage and I like to think I'm pretty well adjusted! As long as the rest of her behaviour isn't obsessive and it's just an extreme preference for something I wouldn't worry!

ChatEnOeuf · 04/11/2014 16:19

My 3yo DD is similar, but will be persuaded that this plate/cup/t-shirt is dirty and needs to be washed. Promises to wear it tomorrow or use it 'soon' seem to help. Clothes have always been a battle, she's only ever wanted to wear leggings for about a year. She will now put a dress on for a party, etc. but that's only recently. We have a meltdown twice a year when it's too warm/cold for the current coat, this year was the best for sometime - a week of talking about how cold it was getting and looking at the new coat, then only 15 minutes of tears to get it on. Now it's the best coat and she loves it...

Flip