FoggyRock General Forum
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#1 2008-04-14 03:46:29
- seymoursheep
- Member
- Posts: 13
living with the unexpected obsessions
You would think after a couple of years one would get used to these random obsessions my daughter develops. They last a while and then she shifts to somethings new....every once in a while she reverts to one, but sometimes we forget about them, except to laugh because in retrospect they are amusing...
There was the string collecting...that lasted almost 2 years...
the grunt noise she would make when happy, we called it the pig noise of approval...
the eating paint off her bedroom walls, sneaking sharp objects into her bedroom so she could scrape it off and eat it (at age 18 months) I remember finding a screwdriver in her pillowcase...
There was the more recent (thanks movie "enchanted") washing our toilet with every toothbrush in the house...
I am trying to keep my sense of humor...and as I write this I have to smile...but right now I have just finished hiding ALL the toilet paper in our house....yes, a family of 6 is currently having to use toilet paper on the down low...and we dont have a clue why she has developed this latest obsession - no movie reference of anything we can think of...
...it is so bizarre...last night at 4am(she is a night waker and we were both up "enjoying" a little mother daughter time)...I was using the washroom and she came in and stole the roll right out of my hand and ran away with it and hid it somewhere in the bloody house....and when did it resurface....this is why we are hiding it all....at bath time...she shreds it in the water...(which clogs the drain) she likes to swim in it, bathe in it, and eat it and spit it out...yummy....She can find tp anywhere in our house, and at first we could just remove it from the bathroom while she was bathing....but then she started stashing it in advance...and I cant find all her hiding spots. She is so much smarter than I am...aaaaaaah
Has anyone else experienced anything like this....either the bathing with tp...or the hiding stuff....I am losing my mind. She is 5...I am not going to survive this kid because she is always 2 steps ahead of me, and even if she wasnt, I am chasing 3 others.... (who cant find toilet paper)
Thanks
Sarah
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#2 2008-04-14 23:12:20
- slhh130
- Member
- Posts: 123
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
We don't hide but we do drag stuff from room to room and then nobody knows where anything is! Then my son will scream and whine and cry until we find whatever it is at that time. Or if I can give him a good explanation where something is. My son finally was getting out of the dragging stuff but now my daughter is doing it! But at least she will look for stuff! He has unexpected obsessions but not ones like you have mentioned. The toothbrush thing is funny (I hope no one found out the hard way though)!
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#3 2008-04-14 23:31:34
- EmilyL
- Member
- Posts: 22
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
Try putting the toilet paper on top of the medicine cabinet, if you have one, or install a high shelf in the bathroom where the rolls can cower until they are used... You could leave out juuust enough for one kid to wipe with, on the back of the toilet, and then be prepared for a little damage control. Could you, maybe, reward her with toilet paper for good behavior? Could you keep toilet paper by the back door, and let her know that after she does whatever task you want her to do, she can go outside and play with the toilet paper? Maybe get a wading pool for the purpose? Never mind the neighbors... Just call to them, "We're giving our daughter a sensory experience! C'mon over! Try it!" Then, maybe one day, you could fill the wading pool with cooked, oiled spaghetti...
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#4 2008-04-15 01:57:24
- seymoursheep
- Member
- Posts: 13
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
ohh like the wading pool idea...just have to wait for it to warm up a bit...
the neighbours are used to us...yesterday she was climbing a tree dressed as a princess, and we are always yelling the most bizarre things out the back door lol
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#5 2008-04-16 02:30:42
- jalyce
- Member
- Posts: 27
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
I will tell you I have a smile on my face ...My son used to love toilet paper the bathtub was his favorite place to shred and swim, it's been a couple of years, he is 6 now knows he is not suppose to do it, but occasionally, like yesterday i found a little in the sink, my guess is there is more down the drain but so far we are flowing good!
I used a rubbermaid container with water bought the cheap stuff put his name on it and let him at it. It did keep him from stealing it, and it gave him a place to "enjoy" it.
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#6 2008-06-16 00:29:36
- AWETISM
- Member
- Posts: 41
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
When my son was in preschool he would eat posters off the wall.
How about letting her play with stremmers outside , sort of like
paper but even prettier. I don't know just a thought.Or mabe a
play pool just for times like this showing her we play with this here yo can
have the tp at this time. Of course I have know idea if she would get this concept.
My son would not. Hope it helps someway!
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#7 2008-07-06 08:11:27
- alesovoy
- Member
- Posts: 36
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
Jaymes eats shaving cream and hides the TP. i feel your pain.. But it does make for hilarious story telling later on, doesn't it?
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#8 2008-07-09 02:08:38
- autamom
- Member
- Posts: 13
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
"Monkey" chews on paper of just about any sort. It looks like he's leaving little spitwad trails. He eats just about anything he can get his hands on, actually.
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#9 2008-07-10 20:00:23
- LisaAutismAdvocate
- Member
- Posts: 111
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
OMIGOSH.....I could just Hug YOU! LOL...as my son has this Obsession with Toilet Paper right now too!!! His obsession is Toilet paper, a Swim Noodle and Tape....and he dangles it and of course it breaks off all over the house and we have to tape new paper to the swim noodle constantly! And this goes on off and on through out the Day...part of me is excited for his creativity...but the other part...doesnt enjoy him TPing my house daily! LOL...and Yes we have had to Hide it from him too.
His other behavior is too start hiding things.....like he will go tot he thrift store and buy a used video....and instead of putting them in his room with his tapes...for some strange reason...its like he is marking his territory around the house...I have videos under my bathroom sink cabinets, in my kitchen cabinets....in my daughters dresser...at first it was sort of amusing...but now...I'm thinking this could be a big issue!
HMMMM!
Never a dull moment uh!
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#10 2008-07-15 16:31:58
- Mom2Brea
- Member
- Posts: 10
Re: living with the unexpected obsessions
MY almost 5 yr old was obsessed with hats (A tall black wizard hat to be exact)!! LOL She wore it 24/7, even in the bath tub and when she slept!!! Shortly after we started her ABA we had a hats off rule at the table. After a few weeks, the hats became a thing of the past..then onto toilets!!! She wanted toilet toys, and carried toilet flash cards from her ABA Program where ever she went, she watches them on you tube and draws them. The toilet toys she has are like "Dora toys" to other little girls, the toilets go to the park, go to bed (in her doll house) they even use the TOILET!! She also plays with her other toys and seems to have a great howver, quirky imagination !!!
She loves to chew on crayons and put sand in her mouth. (She quickly spits it out) however she has a "taste for these things." Lately shes taken to liking fire hydrants, she counts them as we drive through town and calls out Fire Hydrant whenever she sees one. haha Its great to see we are not alone!!! 
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