My 8 year old is hoarding rubbish from the street

[HarrysMummy17]

Over the last few weeks I've noticed my 8 year old ds had started hoarding rubbish.
It was labels from new clothes etc, I emptied a plastic tub from a shell in gus room that had dead leaves, sticks, old burst balloons, string, random bits of dirty plastic, food wrappers. I then found his coat pockets crammed full of dead leaves, twigs, plastic, paper, anything he sees laying about.
I've just emptied the pocket of his school bag, full of leaves, paper, food wrappers, bits of plastic, a napkin screwed up with god knows what inside!

I've spoken to him about picking up rubbish, that's it's dirty etc but I'm not sure what else to do? Any advice?

My DD did a bit of that at a similar age. She was diagnosed with ADHD at 12. I wonder if it's connected...has your son got any other issues?

Congratulations, you have a womble

On a more serious note...Has she said why she's doing this? Picking up worries about the environment maybe?

If you're struggling to get her to stop completely, maybe you can agree a place she put these things when she gets home?

I'd look at managing the habit until it passes or you get to the bottom of it if there's an underlying issue.

Picking up a few bits from the street is unlikely to do her harm, so instigate a wash hands rule on getting in (if you don't already with covid)...Have her put her collection into a designated pot, anything she wants to hang on to for a while (within reason) can stay in a shoebox or something and other bits go in the bin recycling.

Have you asked him why he’s picking it up and collecting it?

@FortunesFave

My DD did a bit of that at a similar age. She was diagnosed with ADHD at 12. I wonder if it's connected...has your son got any other issues?

We've always wondered if my son has adhd. He had tests/observations when he was 5 but nothing came back.

He can be very hard work. When he was 4 he was quite obsessive over colour. Would not wear anything red. Hated noise. Wouldn't go to his own 4th birthday party because it was too loud.

He's an angel at school, probably due to the structure of the day. At home, he's pretty wild. Instead of playing he trashes the room. He spent yesterday morning tidying his room, for him and his little brother to complete cover the floor with toys in 5 minutes flat.

He seems do do a lot of things without any thought of the consequences. He can hurt his brother without thinking. He's broken his bed. Broken multiple toys.

And now we have hoarding!

@thefourgp

Have you asked him why he’s picking it up and collecting it?

He just says he doesn't know.

He's an angel at school, probably due to the structure of the day. At home, he's pretty wild

Is he masking do you think?

When I he collecting this stuff? General walks, to and from school? I've had similar issues in the past with both my boys who are both diagnosed with Autism. I was told it was OK and helps them to feel secure 🤷‍♀️ we rolled with it for a while. Years later all forgotten about! These little kids quirks all pass in time.

@littlemiss93

When I he collecting this stuff? General walks, to and from school? I've had similar issues in the past with both my boys who are both diagnosed with Autism. I was told it was OK and helps them to feel secure 🤷‍♀️ we rolled with it for a while. Years later all forgotten about! These little kids quirks all pass in time.

Mainly in the playground at school during his breaks. I have caught him a couple of times spotting a piece of rubbish and grabbing it. At home he just hides things in his room, labels, juice bottles, string, old balloons

@TaraR2020

He's an angel at school, probably due to the structure of the day. At home, he's pretty wild

Is he masking do you think?

I honestly don't know. Every parents evening he's had the teacher has said he's a model pupil, they wish all kids were as well behaved! He's top group in everything and very bright. I think perhaps we're failing him at home

Just following really. My child did the same thing but I never thought much if it. It has slowed down a lot but there's always been the request not to throw things out like labels, wrappers etc etc. I don't think he's on the spectrum but hovers very close at times. I don't feel there is anything behaviour wise that concerns me at this point therefore haven't pursued testing. But just following this as know my child has done this also.

Mines a bright child too as we are told at every teachers meeting.

My friend's dd used to do this and was eventually diagnosed with autism. It's worth looking into.

Get him into rocks or metal detecting. If he has something with a purpose to collect, it won't be so grubby a habit or compulsion.

There's also mudlarking. Amazing hobby. Mudlarking is the practice of searching the banks of rivers (and sometimes other spots) for old/antique bottles and other things...here's a channel to help. If he's at all interested in history, he'll love this.

www.youtube.com/c/Sifinds

www.youtube.com/c/nicolawhitemudlarkTidelineArt

My 13yo DS has done this since he was small. Usually shiny or brightly coloured items such as beads, hair slides, silver wrappers. He still does it from time to time as I find all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff in his pockets. He's like a magpie. He also asks me to keep anything unusual, like a glittery label or an experimental crochet square I've abandoned.

He has been assessed for ADHD and found not to have it, but it is strongly suspected he has autism and he is currently awaiting assessment.

My child does this. Usually nails, cable ties, bits of metal (Me- what's that? Him - I don't know, but it's mine now!), interesting sticks, rocks, bits of plastic, car trims. He says they could be useful. Sometimes they are. Nails and wood get hammered together into creations. He's 11 and had been doing it since he could walk. He's not autistic and doesn't have ADD or ADHD, he's just a kid whose pockets need to be checked before washing.

Mine is very bright predicted all 8's and 9's for GCSE's and is a model pupil too. Still has ASD though. I doubt you're failing him at home. I wonder if instead of socialising and playing with the other kids at playtime he prefers to collect things, wouldn't surprise me at all in a child with ASD. His obsession with colour and sensory issues with noise would also fit. Mine used to love collecting stones and rocks, we had a cupboard of them. Just give him something to keep his 'treasures' in.

My eldest does this (she is on the list at school for assessment for potential asd/ adhd). I have a rule which is that anything that is dirty, eg empty drinks bottles/ napkins etc have to be disposed of but she can keep them for 24 hours in the kitchen and we also take photos of them so she can 'remember' them which has helped her to stop keeping everything. She is also not allowed to pick up anything blatantly dangerous like broken glass etc. I try to encourage her to take photos of the things rather than drag it all home which has helped a lot. She also has a place to keep her treasures in her bedroom (hidden away). The rule is if she wants to keep it, she has to put it away somewhere safe where I won't think it is rubbish.

Hoarding / collecting can be a sign of depression too. I would suggest gently going more into how he’s really finding school, talk to teachers etc.

@Raaaaaaarr

Mines a bright child too as we are told at every teachers meeting.

I have two very intelligent autistic boys, however can I just point out this has nothing to do with anything and your comment was a bit off

Collecting/ hiding is (I was told) a way of controlling certain things or situations. Being in the playground and not sure how to play with others a sense of purpose can be found in walking around foraging things. My own sons pockets used to be full of little twigs a leaves. When I spoke to him about it he opened up a little and said that he was unsure how to ask to play with others in the playground so spent his time collecting .. at home he would hide all sorts of stuff under his bed and rug! This tends to happen in the holidays when the routine changes. We also went through a stage of lots and lots of Lego building - which could be broken down or touched! Placed strategically around the bedroom 🙈 all of which drove me a little crazy but no harm done.

@littlemiss93 I'm not really sure how my comment was 'off'. Can you please elaborate?

My dc's both do this I thought most kids did. It's fun, right? Pick up bits and bobs, twigs, shiny wrappers, isn't it children exploring?

We have a collection of rocks, stones, wigs and 'interesting' bits from forrest and beach walks. They also play nicely with their friends. How sad that collecting things is being pathologies in such a way.

*Twigs! not wigs, now that would be weird!