Daughter gets extremely upset about blankets being perfect

I have a question, and I just wasn't sure if anyone else has experienced this. It's actually regarding my singleton who is just turning 5, but she's been doing this for a little while. She gets extremely upset about her blanket, as in it's like it has to be just perfectly straight and look just right. She will completely flip out about it, screaming and crying and saying, "It's not right!" We've tried explaining to her that it's OK for things to not be perfect. She doesn't get so upset about other things being perfect, and it's not specific to one particular blanket. It's been one of those things that just comes and goes, and seems to be worse if she's really tired. She's done it the past two nights, getting completely hysterical about it. I know it's because we have family visiting, she just had a birthday, and she's worked up about Christmas. It's starting to really concern me.

Anyway, does anyone have a preschooler with this sort of issue? I've never heard of it, and we just don't seem to have much luck with things we've tried to calm her down and/or prevent the meltdowns.

 

You are not alone, but I don't have any perfect suggestions for you. What has worked best for us is to allow the obsession while teaching and encouraging the child to do it. In your case, have your daughter fix the bed until she thinks its perfect. She's 5 and old enough to tweak it herself.

Aiden is my 'particular' child. It can get so frustrating as the parent, but I try to remember that its even more frustrating for the child. He can't stand some feelings and textures. Like tears in his eyes and a snuffy nose makes me meltdown (which is amusing, since the meltdowns cause it to be worse). After weeks of wiping his nose whenever he feels like it too stuffy, we put a box of tissues at his level. Now, when he yells for a tissue, we tell him to get it himself. If he needs help with his nose, fine, but he can get it himself and wipe his own eyes. It gives him more control over the feelings.

We did the same thing with stickers, or anything that sticks to the bottom of his foot. He would meltdown in seconds, but after months of cueing "Sit down and take it off" now its a non-issue. He just does it without a peep.

Then he has to have paper and a pen next to his plate when he eats pasta. Just likes to color when he eats pasta. lol I just go with it.

I could go on, but we just give him what he needs to cope.

 

Maybe she has some type of upsessive compulsive disorder (I know i didnt spell that right.. Sorry) My DD has had this about washing her hands and staying clean.. Like she woudl wash her hands 50 times a day and will not play in the mud doesnt like sand.. Ect.. She has grown out of it but its still there.

 

I can totally see my Bea doing that at 5 yrs. She doesn't like it if something on the table falls over, like a saltshaker. The world stops and she screams for me to put it upright. I don't know how many times a day I hear "No, not that way!" if something is facing the wrong way or whatever.

 

Does this just happen at nap time or bed time? I am thinking it may just be a ploy to get you to come into the room again.

 

Nathan is my particular kid. When it comes to bed time/nap time his pillow has to be laying just right and in the right direction, his Mickey Mouse has to be at the exact right spot and then he lays down (he does all these steps himself), after that it is mom's job to lay the blanket down stretched out to the fullest size and tucked in on the side of the bed rail. Luckily he isn't quite a perfectionist with the blanket it just has to be "big". It took a few meltdowns to realize exactly what he wanted (his communication skills are weak at best now and he has been doing this for a while now). This is his only quirk so I let him have it.

 

Connor is like that too,he calls me in his room at least 3 times a night to 'fix' his blanket!!! Now all of a sudden he won't sleep on the sheet!! I have to put another blanket on top of the sheet for him to lay on and THEN cover him up with a different blanket,etc....don't know what to do either.
And no its not a ploy, I have six kids and would know the difference by now! LOL!

 

Thanks, all! It's definitely helpful to know she isn't the only kid who's so particular. I always sort of figured it's something to control since she's a kid and has so little control.

I don't think it's a ploy because, quite honestly, she's pretty good at finding excuses to get someone back in her room. She hates sleeping anyway. But she gets downright crazy hysterical about it, and she does it at daycare, too... to the point they sometimes have to take her blanket away completely.

I think the hard part is she gets so nuts about it that I can't understand what she is saying is wrong about the blanket. I try to tell her to calm down so I can understand her, but she doesn't. I think perhaps I need to work more to find out just what DOES make a blanket perfect... perhaps I can discuss it with her when it's not nap or bedtime. What usually happens is I get up there when she's flipping out, and I try to fix her blanket but she says I keep doing it wrong. I try to let her do it, and she can't get it just right and she gets even more frustrated and upset.

 

just a suggestion, but could she show you with a teddy/doll (in a shoebox?) and a little blanket during the daytime (ie when she's happy and calm) exactly what she wants at night?

 

QUOTE(li li @ Dec 25 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]545979[/snapback]
just a suggestion, but could she show you with a teddy/doll (in a shoebox?) and a little blanket during the daytime (ie when she's happy and calm) exactly what she wants at night?


That is a good idea. I will try that.

 

[SIZE=12pt]I can see my boy twin doing this. He has a Pooh pillow, when he gets it to bring it to my bed to go to sleep Pooh has to be right side up...can't be upside down. I have been telling Dh this and last night showed him. I put it upside down and he got in bed and fixed it, I got him dressed and while doing so DH flipped his pillow again...he noticed it and turned it around. It has to be lined right with the headboard and my pillow (his sisters when she goes to sleep) It's just funny to me because I just started letting him use a pillow when he moved to a toddler bed right before Thanksgiving. I told DH he is OCD about his pillow. Nothing else just the pillow.[/SIZE]

 

I have one here too, her quilt for bed has to be exactly right else a fit ensues. We also have issues with socks and sleeves on clothes being folded exactly too.

 

I know you are serious, but I laughed when I read your post title because I am the SAME way! My DH has long ago given up on me; I just have to have the pillows, sheets, and covers just so or I cannot sleep. I'll sometimes toss turn and wiggle until I just have to get both of us out of bed, rip everything off, and start over! It used to drive DH crazy, now he tries to help me "get it right" the first time to avoid being tossed out of bed to fix them.

LOL I'm sorry, but I have to say, DON'T worry: there's nothing wrong with me....Not much anyway :lol: :wacko:

 

O my gosh that Sounds like me, :blush: i HATE when my blankets are not right. or if my pj's get bunched up, it drives me crazy.
my hubby can't understand how i am so crazy about the covers on the bed but a messy house i can live with.