This will be a long post, get yourself comfy, maybe a cup of tea, glass of wine, are you ready? This is my disclaimer, I love my child but Eldest Beautiful Daughter is off the scale strange. I've eased you into it starting with the other 2, but obviously she was the practice child.
She has an extreme phobia of feet, she hates naked feet, foots in sockeys are fine but naked is a big no no, even her own. This is manageable at home, we make sure we have socks or slippers, this is less manageable on holiday, she actually sunbathes in socks, I have pictures. She will be the only woman in the world that insists on socks being left on during sex.
Numbers are a trouble to her also, she likes even numbers best. If she is taking stuff out of the oven or microwave early it has to be on an even number preferably a multiple of ten. She wouldn't get out of bed on an uneven number, again a multiple of ten is best. The volume level has to be even but she can cope with a multiple of five on this, so she can cope with a 15 or a 25 but 20 or 30 are best, both even and a multiple of 5 AND 10. In the car the temperature control has to be the same on both sides, both have to be even. Sitting on trains, planes etc has to be on an even row, I always look forward to explaining that at check in with a big queue behind me.
Food also has some quirks. All cheese has to be grated or melted, even if the cheese is going to be melted it has to be grated first. When she is making tea, a certain order and method must prevail, teabag has to be placed on left sugar on right then water stir clockwise then bag out then milk, she will only drink tea she's made herself or if it's been made by someone she knows will make it in her way. When she eats spaghetti hoops they have to be in her special blue bowl and she places 6 hoops on last prong of the fork, before she can eat them, she eats the whole tin like that.
Ascending height order prevails, in cupboards everything is arranged like that and labels have to be facing the front. On her desk everything will be arranged in length order.
If there is a double plug socket both switches have to be facing the same way. She dresses the left hand side of herself first.
I could go on but I wouldn't want to worry you all.
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18 comments:
Oh dear....did you read my post on OCD? I saw a specialist the other week who used to suffer so badly it affected her life terribly. There is lots of CBT treatment out there to try and get control back. Just a thought.
By the way...I don't like feet either and men in sandals are a big no no. Apart from the last baby as he was born in water I wore socks for each birth...didn't want the midwives looking at my feet...and I've been known to wear them during *ahem* sex ( never thought about it before, now I sound strange lol) I will know immediately if I see your daughter on holiday, that did make me smile but it's a bit sad as well isn't it...I hope she can overcome this, are you worried about it or do you just laugh and put it down to quirkiness? XX
We are all weird, to a degree. I'm convinced that 'left' is blue and cool and relaxing and 'right' is red and spiky and hot.
No - can't explain it either!
[But socks during sex? Big no no!]
I'm so relieved!! I thought it was only me that was like that!! I'm with EBD on all but the feet....don't mind them....but I count the items going into the washing machine, count window pains and have the volume in the car radio only on an even number...also love to see 11:11 on a digital clock...calms and pleases me....lots of other things too...and I know I sound demented but after seeking help and spending a lot of time working it through I am happy that these quirks are just a variation on dealing with anxiety and are quite calming and relaxing..almost meditative....even if there is no anxiety now its just the way I am.....it also makes me organised and practical..and old enough to not worry about it anymore!
Oh the cheese thing is fine..I do that. So it must be fine. The spaghetti hoops thing is worrying. She should have stopped eating them a decade ago.
I think it has to run it's course, however long it takes. We all have some compulsions.
Secretia
Well as long as she is happy, right? LOL! That is a long list of things to be worrying about though! Poor thing!
Hugging you
SueAnn
She sounds just like me!! You know I'm with her on the feet thing, and I really prefer even numbers and multiples of 10. I also line things up in height order.
Can I ask, if she was to eat a tube of Smarties, Skittles or another coloured sweet would she tip them all out and arrange them by colour first? Not that I ever did that...or anything...ever....(even still do!) x
I think most of that sounds quite normal to me. I have to put my left socks / shoes first.
I have the foot thing - well actually it's toes - summer is hell for me - on the tube: rows of toes euuuuuuuw
My husband will only sit on the left hand side of a plane - and he argues it out!!
My microwave only does even numbers and of course labels must face forwards and height prevails, how else would you arrange them?!
Everything else is way weird!!! - oh hang on double plugs do kind of look untidy if.....
Chic Mama - these things don't really interfere with her life and she's more than happy for people to know about them, she's not worried or upset or embarassed by them, she doesn't have rituals or worry about consequences and they don't take up time in her life (which I think is part of the diagnostic criteria for OCD) so we do tend to put it down to quirkiness, but reading the comments it seems that she's not that unusual xxx
Mud - I know, can you imagine some poor bloke in his socks? not good
Libby - I think you're right, the even number thing seems to be a recurring theme and the arranging in order always means I can find things really easily in my cupboards !
my youngest daughter was pleased to see that on her birthday it will be 20.10.2010, she liked that.
NB - the spaghetti thing did stop years ago but when she started babysitting when she was 15, the kids she minded liked them so she started eating them again, getting ready for being a student!
Secretia - we do, some of us are unfortunate to have a Mummy who blogs and tells the world about it!
Sue Ann - mad as a box of frogs my lot, do you think it might be me?
Penelope - I so know your foot thing, yep she has been known to eat her sweeties in order too
mannanan- I always think I've typed too many anan's ! maybe we all put on our socks on 1 particular foot first, is it easier to do the opposite to your dominant hand?
Kellogsville - you'll feel right at home in my house now won't you?
I'm sorry... what exactly's the problem here?
God how exhausting. As long as it's not bothering her though! I'm sort of with her on the feet thing - well, my feet at least!
Oops, you probably won't like my comment! These traits can be a sign of OCD to get control in your life when something has shaken your foundations. I saw it in my step-son's behaviour after the divorce of his parents. Each trait is okay on it's own but a group/cluster can signal some internal anxiety that needs to be addressed. It can also be typical behaviour of mild Autism, the need to have order, strong dislike of something such as feet to the point everyone must have them covered. Also, a fascination with numbers or an avoidance with some numbers is typical. This is certainly not a diagnosis, that takes detailed tests! I was fascinated by how her cluster of preferences pointed perhaps in that direction.
Of course, as long as she doesn't give a hoot about them and they are not causing any problems then more power to her. I have quite a few wee OCD type rituals that I dig out from time to time, but only in times of major stress. I know what these litle suckers are and tell them to get lost!
I think she sounds delightfully excentric and more of the population has these wee rituals than would ever admit.
Many people
Neil - yep, I knew you wouldn't bat an eyelid at her. But she doesn't do the cd/book think in any order and like her mother just puts cd's in any available case.
Expat - these things don't faze her at all and they don't in life seem that overwhelming but when you write them all down together they seem much more intense than they are in reality.
Mobs - yep, it's A level time and waiting to hear about uni, so much more stressful than normal, ta for the advice, we'll def keep an eye on her xxx
Loved the last three posts!
Speaking as a first born myself, I think EBD sounds perfectly normal! I have a few of those things, (always thought it was to do with being the first born and being displaced by younger siblings), but they've never intefered with my life. Just off to make sure my food labels are all facing the same way........
WM - yep, nice to know we all have our little quirks. Hope you feel better soon.
Her house will be beautiful and perfect :) Just like I'd love mine to be!
she could be my child. totally with her on the feet thing, TOTALLY with her on the numbers thing. even numbers are just so much nicer than odd numbers. how come everyone doesn't know this already? did you get the memo? i sent it in triplicate!!!
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