My Kid is a Damn Nutter

[lookout123]

Maybe I'm missing something in here but I don't really see a problem in here. Kids are kids.

He rejects the concept of brushing his teeth, and we have to physically restrain him every single night to get it done. At no point has he shown any acceptance that this is going to happen, despite complete consistency on our part.

Lil Lookout until he was five. Otherwise bizarrely aware of hygene, just didn't like the toothbrush. He grew out of it.

He compulsively chants snippets of songs and catchphrases at me all day long, and will say his half again and again nonstop until I repeat what he has said to me, or whatever complementary phrase I'm supposed to say. One typical progression goes (exactly) like this:

I remember Lil Lookout doing this. His were television jingles and kidzbop stuff though. I think he was three. He still loops on lyrics but doesn't require any outside intervention unless I'm especially tired of hearing a particular lyric. He is always singing or humming. always.

If at any point in these scripts I don't respond, he just keeps chanting his last line over and over and over until I do. I have gone so far as to lock him out of the bedroom to try to break the cycle. 20 minutes later I emerged, and he immediately picked up right where he'd left off.

Again Lil Lookout. If he asks a question at night (usually a stalling technique) that I don't answer he WILL wake up with the question on his lips.

His newest thing this winter is he won't wear long sleeves. Even if it's 40 degrees outside. I figure when he gets cold enough he'll put on his jacket, right? So far he's still stubbornly holding out, and his elbows and arms are red and chapped by the end of each day.

LL is 7 and hates long pants with a bloody passion. complete freakout. Even visiting in illinois during winter he wears shorts. (but so do I when I can get away with it.) he had to wear jeans for a school function today and it was a 30 minute fight. There is no logical reason other than he just doesn't like them. OK.

One of his favorite activities is "drawing with crayons." This consists of taking each of the 100+ crayons out of the box and lining them up on the table in front of him next to the big coloring book. He does not actually ever draw in the book, but it has to come out with the crayons all the same. When they are all lined up, he is done. Usually he tries to color-coordinate them as well, pulling all the blue ones out first, etc.

2.0 behaves like this. he is only 21 months now but a very very active problem solver. he likes to take things apart and organize the pieces. if left on his own he will take Lil Lookout's big box of star wars toys and line the men and weapons up by shape and color order. He calls that playing. (at least the way he says "playing") He does the same with dvd boxes, shampoo bottles, etc. He'll actually go into the cabinets and reorganize the tupperware into well defined order. strange to me, but it's his thing.

I'm certainly not dismissing your concerns and would certainly support the suggestion to have him tested, but I wanted to point out that nothing you've described is really that out there. Kids are kids and they all have their own quirks and stages. I will say this, though. Everytime (so far) Lil Lookout has picked up a quirk that was really bugging me to the point of being a REAL problem it would fade away on it's own.

chin up, mom - you've got a boy.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by lookout123

chin up, mom - you've got a boy.

Thats exactly what I was thinking! Seemed too simplistic a response though.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by lookout123

He does the same with dvd boxes, shampoo bottles, etc. He'll actually go into the cabinets and reorganize the tupperware into well defined order.

That's not a boy, that's a House Elf.
Send him around, will you, the place is a mess.

[limey]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

That's not a boy, that's a House Elf.
Send him around, will you, the place is a mess.