Does your child have any wierd obsessions?

Eyebrow2

I have a daughter that is almost 4 years old. She is obessed with graveyards and death; not in a scarey way...just seems fascinated by it all.

Everytime we pass a grave yard in the car she has to point it out, talk about the bones that are in it, etc. She brings up the fact that everyone will die and be no more when they are old and their days run out...she told me I was old and had only three days to live the other day...eeek...if I make it to Monday then I will be reassured that she is NOT psychic, hahah. She likes to hear details about why people die, etc. Earlier this week she accompanied me and my stepdaughter to an Open house at school. The parking lot was so full at the school that we and several other parents had to park in the cementary across the street...at night....my god, she was in heaven! (no pun intended). She saw flowers on one persons grave, and so cannot wait to visit my dad's grave next week so we can leave a flower.

She also has 'ghost friends'' god forbid I ever refer to them as invisible friends.

She used to be more obessed with aliens....we let her watch Signs with us several months ago...she started drawing aliens for a long time...never had nightmares or even seemed scared.

I am not too terribly concerned by the morbidity of her interests...but it makes me wonder what she is going to be like when she is a teenager. Besides this, she is pretty normal, loves Barbies (which I find scarey hahah), cartoons, computer games, etc......typical kid...except some of the things she says...she is a most perculiar child. One time she was told to leave the dinner table for acting up, and she froze in the midstep. She then looked at my husband and said "My brain is making me stop." straight faced....

She may just be a clever smart ass...hahaha who knows?

what about your kids?

cruzanheart

Here's an idea: how about channeling her interest toward archaeology -- maybe that's her interest and she is expressing it in a more, um, contemporary setting. Get her a couple of children's books about archaelogy from the library, take her to a museum and show her fossils, and see if THAT's what she wants to focus on.

Our 7-year-old, Jackson, has been interested in dinosaurs since he could say the word. At age 2 he not only could pronounce "paracephalosaurus," he knew WHAT it was, what it ATE, and what period of history it lived. (Don't ask me.) His Kindergarten teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said "paleontologist" and she thought indulgently that it was something we had told him to say. She told us later that she asked him if he knew what that was and, ten minutes later, was quite convinced it was HIS idea and not ours.

Now, granted, his fixation with dinosaurs has lately yielded place to Pokemon and Bionicles, and he may end up being into computers more than paleontology when he grows up, but it will always be a part of him to some extent.

I guess as long as you don't come in and find your 4-year-old embalming the cat, you're doing okay, and a Barbie funeral is not necessarily a BAD thing, if that ever occurs to her.

Nina

Eyebrow2

that is a great idea...never would have thought of that! I will have to see what I can find in that area that would be age appropriate for her.

Thanks!

By the way...my 8 year old nephew is also obessed with dinos....

Maverick

My daughter love spiders and mermaids. Has loved them since she first laid eyes on them. I don't even pretend to get the connection. Maverick

Satanus

I think its cool that you guys don't try to kill these fascinations that your kids have. They are likely just phases that will change.

SS

imallgrowedup

Eyebrow2 -

May I ask you a few questions that may seem unrelated, but if your daughter is like my son, they actually would be related?

1. Does your daughter seem almost preoccupied with her obsession with graveyards and/or things that can be found in a graveyard? (i.e. it is her favorite topic for discussion, and can she talk about it for what seems like hours on end?)

2. Does she continue to talk about it, even when whoever is on the listening end is bored with the discussion?

3. Does she like to talk about it with children her own age?

4. Does she seem to gain her knowledge of it without any apparent source of that knowledge?

I have many other questions, but I don't want to overwhelm you. Let me know the answers when you get a chance.

Also, cruzanheart, I would be interested to hear your answers, as well, if you have time, however, in regards to Jackson, and whatever his current obsession is at this time.

Eyebrow2

Eyebrow2 -

1. Does your daughter seem almost preoccupied with her obsession with graveyards and/or things that can be found in a graveyard? (i.e. it is her favorite topic for discussion, and can she talk about it for what seems like hours on end?) It is one of her favorites, but not some much that it disturbs me greatly...she can talk about it for a long time, though.

2. Does she continue to talk about it, even when whoever is on the listening end is bored with the discussion?

I can change the subject if I am sick of talking about it most of the time. If I tell her, let's talk about something else, she usually will cooperate.

3. Does she like to talk about it with children her own age?

Well, good question...most of the kids she talks to about it are atleast 2 years older than her; I have never heard her bring it up to her cousin who is only about 7 months or so older.

4. Does she seem to gain her knowledge of it without any apparent source of that knowledge?

At first I thought so...it was wierd, and then I would probe her. Some of the things I know she got from watching tv, but also I know she has one cousin that will play zombies...which she does not enjoy and refuses to play, but I know she has gotten a lot of info from me, her older brother, and talking to my mom. A lot of her questions I will just answer point blank...I don't want her to be afraid of asking questions.

I do have a nephew that has been obessed with dinosaurs for several years...and almost nothing else. He is a genius when it comes to dinosaurs, but socially is a wreck; he refuses to play most anything else, and I think he may be mildly austistic...he is going in for officially testing in November.

imallgrowedup

Eyebrow2 -

Wow! You saw where I was going with this very quickly! I'm impressed! Literally every single day I come across yet another person who has or knows someone with a child that has been diagnosed with, or is being screened for one of the many disorders along the autistic spectrum. I can now add you to my list!

My son, Ian, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome just this past week - although the signs have been there since the day he was born - and I just didn't realize it. Since Asperger's Syndrome is a highly functioning form of autism - I am grateful that he does not have full-blown autism - like my cousin's son (it does tend to run in families). Because 80% of people who are diagnosed with a disorder along the autistic spectrum are male, the chances are slim that your daughter could be affected. However, at four years old, it is a bit unusual for a child to be able to hold a conversation for more than a couple of minutes on any one topic - especially when the topic is not something most of her peers find interesting. I am not a doctor, and I certainly don't want to give you any cause for alarm, but it might be something you would want to consider looking into - only because the earlier these children are diagnosed and treated, the better chance they have for living a normal life. Again, the odds are pretty slim that your daughter could be affected, but now that I know for a fact that my son has it, I wish I had listened to his preschool teacher when she told me she was suspicious of it when he was four years old - just so he would be that much farther ahead of the game now. Autistic-spectrum children who receive early intervention are twice as likely to be indistinguishable from their peers by the time they are 10 years old - if they receive early treatment.

If you feel this is something you would like to learn more about, the best website out there is called OASIS. I've provided the link below. In the meantime, if you have any more questions, or want to talk further about this, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

D

http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

Yerusalyim

My step son Sean is obsessed with asking questions...even when he knows the answer...and he's relentless. He talks a subject to death,,,and he has to say "hey Mike" before every question, and you have to answer "What Sean" or he'll keep saying "Hey Mike" Then again...this is just his autism coming through.

My son Rick is obsessed with being cool right now (15 and a heart throb)

Eyebrow2

I also have another nephew that was diagonosed about 2 years ago as autistic...I am not sure how severe, since I am not really that close to my brother. Oddly enough, he is my half brother, we have the same dad, but my other nephew's mom is my half sister...we have the same mom, so this particular sister and brother are only steps...no blood relation whatsoever...what a sad coincidence that would be.

Thanks for your concern..while I have never really considered it for my daughter, it is something to keep an eye on. All my kids have their own little personalities...but this one, what can I say, she is really unique...quite enjoyable actually. She loves to ham it up.

On the light side of things, I must tell you that my side of the family has a severe case of SAS on my dad's side...all my brothers and sisters that are my dad's children have it...some more sever than others. Ohh...SAS stands for Smart Ass Syndrome...

=)

Has treatment for your child helped? I was surprised when I was discussing this with my mom that she felt there was nothing that could be done, and my sister and brother in law felt the same way! I was like...my god...you cannot be serious???? I know each child is different, but I knew that was some information out there.

Does your child have any wierd obsessions?

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