It’s the middle child again! This time, it’s a 180 degree change from a boy who likes to lick his hands and legs to a boy who would wash his hands as well as the tap all the time!
I still remember how he cried when he failed to ask his big brother to wash his hand after touching the pencil lead. His words are still dancing in my mind: Mummy, I don’t want kor kor (big bro) to be poisoned. You said pencil lead is poisonous. I don’t want kor kor to go to hospital.
However, sometimes I can’t bear to see him turning into a clean freak. How is he going to get along with others when he grows up? He often thinks that his hands are dirty and he would observe what everyone touches and when others do not wash their hands and touch him, he would feel dirty himself.
It took me lots of time and energy to explain to him that being clean is a good habit but overdoing it is not too good. Sometimes, I think I would go crazy. I told him that some people would imagine worms on their hands but there isn’t any actually. I told him that these people need to go to the mental hospital and asked if he wants to go in as well. Off course he doesn’t!
Now, it becomes my challenge to break this habit of his but it isn’t easy, not easy at all. I hate myself for getting angry with him. At this very moment, he needs my help and I should keep calm to be able to help him. Sigh, I really hope that I can be the calm mother that my child needs now.
Do you have any ideas how to handle a clean freak?
15 comments:
I think it is an anxiety problem and you need to break his habit. One way is to distract him.
Be careful or he'll turn into OCD! Obssesive Compulsive Disorder dat needed to be very very clean and very very troublesome!
I know you will be able to handle this... may be he can be involved in activities that need dirty hands or something?
Wat a headache... when they're not hygienic at all, we worry. And when they're obsessed abt cleanliness, we worry too. Hope u'll be able to combat this habit of his soon.
Hi, Jo-N, let me tell you that I'm a clean freak too but not 100%...not a real cleanaholic but I can't stand to eat/dine in a dirty foodstall or kopitiam..I will feel uneasy and my girl has this habit of mine...we need to keep our home clean and free of mess...I need to wash my feet and my hands each time I'm back fr outside...and that's me! Like what 'Slavemom' said 'wat a headache', right?!
Oh! Hopefully he will not grown up to be like the old man in the movie "as good as it gets". Each new soap for every wash. LOL!
Work harder, Jo-N! YOU can do it! Hahahahaha......
bring him to farm. Teach him touch and play with soil. Tell him the worm and virus is part of our nature earth.
i cant help u as i have no experience in this..hmmm do u think it will go away when the time comes..?
Hi Jo-n, its a good habit washing hands...most sickness, flus, colds etc originates from dirty hands.
And 2 of the dirtiest places where you get germs...
a car's steering wheel...and money.
I saw on TV the magnification of hands that had touched these, and Holy Smoke, I immediately washed my hands.
Now everytime I come home, i wash my hands, especially after touching the elevator buttons.
Under a powerful microscope, which I have seen...
the lines on our hands look like canyons and the germs....like jelly fish, snakes, worms etc....
You have a nice day, Lee.
oh my...this sounds a bit worryingleh !!
hopefully by getting everyone into some dirty play once in a while like gardening with mud all over would help ease him that it's ok to be dirty at times!!
else it's really gonma be problematic...too much imagination running in his mind!!
JO, stay calm...i'm sure u can handle this, good luck!!
I don't have problem of children being a clean freak. I am just grateful my sons take showers and brush their teeth!
I wish my daughter would be a little more cleaner. Her room is always a mess! :o(
I hope he can be more rational. :)
Sorry, have no experience on this. Hope it will goes away when he grow up.
hahaha....that's not too bad... he's becoming like me :p
well...he is a little extreme though...
anyway, i've written a post on my blog, hopefully it will help you make him understand better and not be so extreme...
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