6 Year Old Who Is VERY Concerned with Hygeine

This may just be a stage and if it is... let him work through it. Don't make it a 'big deal' or he may grow to not liking baths at all. Honestly, with everything going around out there right now (especially Swine Flu) I say let him bathe 10 times a day if that's what makes him happy. If he continues to be like this for a year or more than MAYBE seek guidance from a professional. The only other thing I would work on is "time & place". Explain that he can take a bath, but some things come first; it will help with discipline and responsibility. It already sounds as if he has plenty of self-respect :)

Hello A.,
I have a similiar little guy myself and this is not normal behavior for either of them. My son has been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. What your son is dealing with sounds the same. It sounds like your son has "contamination" issues and is concerned with germs. He likely has little judgement or insight into this and therefore cannot tell you why he does it. If it becomes more severe I would suggest seeking care for him through a psychologist. My son's OCD became so intense and severe it interupted not only his life but ours as well. He will be starting therapy soon and is on medication to help. Good luck and watch your son closely for worsening symptoms. You may want to do some research on the internet as well.

While I don't personally have experience with a small child in this type of situation, I do have some psychological experience and I would agree that maybe it is some type of OCD tendencies. I would see if you could find a therapist that is interested in softening these tendencies instead of trying to 'treat' them. Softening them will make it more of something to work with rather than something that controls his life in the future.

I could totally be a phase too, but OCD is a strong urge of feelings that if not dealt with early on, it can really get out of hand. So I would definately take the time to at least talk to a professional about this just in case.

Your child may have sensory integration deficit disorder. It is nothing alarming, but just read up on sensory issues and children on the Web. He may not be able to filter all the stimuli that comes at him during the day, and taking a bath is one way to calm down that stimuli, especially if his sensory issues are tactile.

He could also have OCD, obsessive compusive disorder. Frequent bathing and handwashing are common signs of this. What makes me think it may be one of these two disorders is the fact that he feels he can't wait.

Hope this helps!
A.

I'm not saying that your son has OCD but, my 6 year old was recently diagnosed and we can look back over the previous two years and see the signs. For a while it was handwashing, then it was saying bad words, specific routines that just had to be done.

We didnt' worry about it. I figured whatever gives her comfort and doesn't hurt her or others is fine. Then, in kindergarten, she was saynig "I'm sorry I've been naughty" a lot and then needed reassurance. She said this to a teacher who yelled and said "you weren't being naughty but now you are".

I realized then that we had been accommodating her fears but the rest of the world would not continue to do so. She goes to a psychologist now and is doing great. Right now she is still saying "I'm sorry" and gets distressed. But, I am learning that I need to help her acknowledge these behaviors as well as soothe her.

This diagnosis is new for me and I needed to vent a little :) But, it is a question you can bring up with your pediatrician and there are resources and help to help both you and your son and to answer your questions.

Actually the first thing that popped into my head is that this can be a red flag for someone sexually molesting him. I hate to scare you or start any drama in your life, but this is a sign that he is trying to "clean" himself. He could also be hearing all of the hype about H1N1. Have you tried really sitting down and figuring out why he needs to be clean?

I agree with previous posters that he may be OCD. One question I have, though, is does he play in the bath, or is he mainly concerned with getting clean, scrubbing, etc.? I know my four year old says he got dirty when he didn't just because he wants to change his clothes or take a bath because he likes to play in there. Good luck!

I think you are wise to pay attention to the over-cleanliness factor. I have a daughter who has obsessive compulsive disorder that started similarly. It may be his way of showing his anxiety about the changes in his life with your separation from his father. OCD is a way of trying to control anxiety. "If I do this, then this won't happen". My daughter showed it by washing her hands constantly. This can be very secretive--they seem to resist being asked about it or talking about it. I would do a little reading about it if I were you and see if it seems like a pattern with him. He may need to see a good family counselor with you to help him through this upsetting time. You don't want it to become a life-long thing for him because it can be very debilitating. But it can also be helped very much by someone who knows about OCD and knows also about children. I'd keep an eye on it and if it doesn't get better ask around for a good family counselor. It can make a world of difference!

My son is also pretty concerned about hygiene, germs, sickness, etc. Not to the point of wanting to bathe constantly, but he will not share drinks or take a bite of food after anyone, and he's a bit obsessive about it (in my opinion). He forgot his water bottle once at his soccer game and decided to just be thirsty instead of taking a drink from mine or squirting water from a friend's bottle into his mouth. It's actually pretty cute when he gets protective over his little sister and snatches things away from her that might have germs! I thought this was a little unusual for a boy, but then I realized that he's been hearing so much about H1N1 and the importance of handwashing and cleanliness. You might ask your son if he's worried about getting sick. Good luck!