Don't pass OCD to your Kids

        I was bit uneasy to write about OCD as I myself have some of it which of course I wouldn't be sharing here. I don't want my friends to know about them and judge me. Having OCD is not a disease. Right? By the way, for those who have no idea what OCD means - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I know a friend who parks his car exactly in the same spot in office everyday. If for some reason the spot is taken, he would walk down to the parking spot during lunch hour and evening hours to check if it is free. I know this because I observed, found a pattern and stalked him few times. Smug Grin. Later I felt guilt though, hope that makes up for it. Well, let me confess one of my OCD. I am so much inclined to use "I" or "My" while writing emails. If I count "I" in this article, it is approximately 10 so far. That is irrational or bad writing. Will consciously avoid using these 2 words until the end of this article. Promise. 

The person who named this term didn't put much effort or thought. It is so obvious. He should learn from the person who coined the term Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Request you to complete this article before googling this long word, only few more lines and good part is yet to come. OCD is not bad always. If one is having obsession on cleanliness or perfection, it is good to some extent. There was one scene in "Friends" soap opera, the Monica character cleaning a bigger vacuum cleaner with a smaller one and saying "I wish I have even a smaller one to clean this one". That is one extreme of this disorder. Sometimes having these obsessions gives us a professional edge too. It is up to how we channelize those habits to our benefit. If you are cleaning your hands 7 times or checking the door lock 8 times or walking over the tiles without stepping on the lines, you are not alone. Without mentioning the previous line, any article on OCD is incomplete.

Coming to the essence it is parent's responsibility to identify it early before it onsets firmly. These are identifiable symptoms and care should be taken to handle it as early as possible. While enforcing the good habits to kids, make sure those don't become obsessions or compulsions. In front of your kid, while locking the door, don't pull the lock multiple times. Your kid is observing. Parents are the first people they observe and learn. Let us not pass our OCDs to next generations. Let us not teach our kids our OCDs.