Help: 4yo DD obsessively packs bags, all day long, with anything and everything.

[Puffykins]

Literally anything and everything. Her belongings, DS's belongings, occasionally mine and DH's. Books, toys, bits of puzzle, bits of lego, rice cakes (not in a packet), clothes - you name it - she will pack it into backpacks, suitcases, Sainsbury's bags . . . . And it's not stuff that's lying around, she will seek it out. But there is no theme. And I've just noticed her Sylvanian Family house - aside from stripping all the animals, she's also shoved a pair of bunny slippers, two Thomas the Tank Engine books and an empty loo roll into their house. Why. WHY?? Is this some deep rooted insecurity? Does anybody know what causes it? It's been going on for as long as she's been able to pack anything and it's driving me dotty because I regularly have to unpack five or six bags to find DS's library book/ the alarm clock/ her hair brush/ my mascara. Oh, and we have mice. Because she fills them with half eaten food. She herself forgets what is in them - and it isn't about what is in them, it's just about filling them. For context, DH and I are happily married, she has regular meals (i.e. she doesn't need to stock pile food), there's never been any upheaval, we've never moved house while she's been alive, I unpack the minute we get back from holiday and unpack while we're on holiday so it's not like she sees us 'living out of a suitcase' ever, I vaguely attachment parented her (couldn't breastfeed beyond a month, but she still sleeps in my bed) she's never had a night without either DH or I being there (I occasionally have to travel for work but we've never left her - or DS - with anybody else.) I got so sick of it I confiscated her bags once for a few days (also she had ripped up a book to make it fit which I was very cross about) but gave them back as promised and she's doing it again. She carries them all around with her too. And wants to take them out when we go out. Though doesn't ever get anything out of them. Has anyone ever experienced anything similar . . . ?

Both my DDs do this (DS very much less) at 8 every game DD plays still requires packing! Never worried about it. Lots of dens, wrapping & dressing up too.

My 7 year old ds still does this. I've always seen it as him making a developmental schemata into a lifestyle choice.

He's always loved putting things in other things, putting himself in things, dressing up, wrapping and covering things.

He has a definite 'eye' - he regularly decides that he wants to dress up as eg the White Witch from Narnia, or make his room like cave man's, and does it from the things that are just lying around.

The one time that I asked him to pack to go on holiday, he put the toilet brush in his bag, so I'm not expecting him to emerge into some logical genius at any time soon.

Ah... happy days ... my dd went through the obsessive packing, the cardboard sticking, the cardboard box dwelling, the dressing up, the obsessive laying out of toy horses, cars, animal figures in long, long lines and circles

Then we went through the Playdough meal stage - in finite detail

Then the obsessive painting of trees in different seasons

...Then we started on the "houses"/nests made in cupboards,shoes, drawers, baskets, suitcases, boxes..leading on to Playmobil houses, schools, planes, gyms, cafes, hospitals

Then we had the obsessive stable and farm construction, to a very high standard with glue gun and corrugated cardboard and lolly sticks etc...(that went on for three years).

In fact, aged 13 yrs, she still cannot resist a good cardboard box, and still has to sit in it

When DS was 3 or 4 he'd pack my rucksack with quite heavy stuff (toys or anything else he thought he needed) and walk around the house with it on his back. I had to be quite inventive giving reasons why he should take it off

Oh I missed out the "running a play restaurant" phase

The play shop phase

The obsessive doll and bear dressing

And the obsessive bear and doll tea party phase

Oh and the "bear" school phase

Oh yes and the "den on the landing" phase

It's a wonder I'm still vaguely sane actually

(sorry op; didn't mean to hi-jack This thread just brought it all flooding back!)

sweeping I love that she still appreciates a good cardboard box!!

DD now 8 was/is like this. Drives me mad, all the squirrelling, but v cute too. She's an incredibly messy player too. Lego and Playmobil, beads, marbles or whatever scattered across the floor behind and around her, as she empties the box out to search for one piece. Very ordered but complicated play tableau in front of her though.

And thanks to pp for the "schema" info. I'd never heard of it. Really interesting. DS was into round stuff and transport.

Ds was a transporter and love to pack stuff in bag preferably one with wheels on, walk it around unpack then re pack it and repeat all day long

I did this as a child! In fact my favourite games were 'We are going on holiday' which basically consisted of me packing and making my sisters sit next to me with their 'hand luggage', and shopping, where I pretended to scan the tins from the cupboard and put them in a shopping bag. The holiday game went on until I was at least 9.

I don't have anxiety or OCD - now or as a child. I am particular with my bag packing though but that's all the practice I've had! In fact I would go as far as saying I am a champion packet. It is my super power. Even now my Mum and sisters will ask me to come and help them pack for their holiday. Sadly however I am not a maths genius. I am very good at flat pack furniture though and wrapping presents. Maybe I just lack ambition to have followed my true destiny. Haha!

Does this make me a bad parent because I've never questioned my daughters doing this?

DD 9 and still does this..... including with apple cores and tangerine peels. We've had the conversation about mice too! I don't know how she gets into bed with the volume of soft toys, books stuffed into cushion covers and bags on her bed. She also likes to use up all the sellotape covering things in paper. I'm not sure when I should start to worry but no signs of growing out of this.....

My 4yr DD likes to hide the toilet roll in various places after using the loo. She doesn't do it to wind others up she actually just likes to place it there. I normally find it in the bath or behind the sink. She has thrown the whole roll into the toilet before.

I know it's not the same, but the innocents behind it reminds me of it.

DD used to do this obsessively. She is now 9 and still packs bags, but not to the extreme that she did when younger.

I even joke to her sometimes when we cannot find something, asking if she has packed it into a bag.

Oh yes, my three year old DD loves to pack her collection of bags. And tupperware too if she gets a chance.

Not sure if it's related but she likes to dress her dolls in snowsuits, and is obsessed with babies.

My four year old does this, she will go through a phase of using a certain purse or backpack and filling it with random crap, she is not choosy just any old stuff in her room or from the toy bins.

She always wants to bring 'extra' stuff to school and has a habit of bringing 'tiny' treasures home from school too.

My older DD did it a bit, but she was much more into lining things up around the house, that went on for a good few years - kind of miss it now! Embrace the little weirdos while it lasts!