Hi there. I’m after some advice please. For context, we have a soon-to-be 5 year old boy. In the last couple of years, we’ve become increasingly aware of some challenging behavioural issues.
Our son seems to develop obsessions around certain behaviours. Not too long ago, he took to laying on the top of the radiator. Whenever we’d turn our backs, that’s what he’d be doing. He also refuses to sleep in his own bed - he has to share the bed with us. We’ve tried everything to change this.
The latest obsession seems to be laying on the kitchen worktops and sniffing the kettle and other kitchen appliances. It’s difficult because we do not want to reprimand him or shout at him for these behaviours but equally, we need him to understand that these behaviours are not normal and need to be stopped.
I can’t for the life of me work out what the intention is behind these types of behaviours. Is it attention that he’s after? We really try to dedicate as much time as possible to him, playing and just generally chatting and spending time.
We try to cater for his every need but these obsessive behaviours are getting very out of hand. Just yesterday, we gently and without confronting him, lifted him off of the worktop. He instantly climbed back up and this happened 10 times over.
We’ve tried to explain the potential dangers of being on the kitchen worktops and being so close to the hob and have asked why he’s so drawn to smelling the kettle but can’t seem to get any sense out of him?
I know this sounds bizarre but I am truly at my wit’s end now. We’re considering involving a behavioural therapist.
Has anyone else had a child displaying these types of obsessive behaviours and what helped to eradicate them? I really appreciate any advice!
Many thanks,
Sooze