dirt issues

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My son obsesses over dirt too much. He does a little "dirt dance" if one of his toys hits the floor. He is always washing his toys or wiping them off. He also washes his hands a lot. I'm not sure how to help him with this or if anyone here has had to deal with this.

A psychologist told me that my son would grow up to be a germaphobe, but didn't give me any way to deal with this problem and did not recommend therapy for my son.

he is probably sensitive to the way dirt feels on his skin.

does he have other sensitivies? if so I would recommend an occupational therapist

My daughter is 14 and is a germaphobe.

Her mom is a pediatrician, I work in a hospital lab.
We've tried to explain to our daughter about germs, but it's done little good.
She read in a Grossology Book once that when you flush the toilet, germs get pushed up into the air... or something like that.
For a few years after that, she would no flush the toilet at first, then when she did she'd flip the handle real fast and literally run out of the bathroom.

She had one year where she was washing her hands and wrists so much that her skin was breaking and bleeding.

Still, we kept trying to explain about germs.
Even knowing that I work with human waste and body fluids and still come home healthy and happy, she just can't get over this feeling of needing to keep clean.

I understand, to a certain degree, about having such a strong desire to do something that it controls you instead of you controlling it.

I have gotten upset at times and given her a stern lecture on why she needs to hold things with more than just the two tiny bits of finger tip she uses when she doesn't want to 'get dirty'.
I have had to apologize for my rants also.

What we've done is to keep up the education on:
- how germs are present everywhere
- some bacteria are actually helpful to us (yogurt is a good example of ingesting bacteria which is good for us and not harmful)
- how the usage of detergents and antiseptic solutions as well as the overuse of antibiotics is not a good thing
- how those cracks in her skin from overwashing actually allow more harmful germs to enter her body, because her skin is the primary protector for her body
- germs are living organisms just like ever other living organism on earth. They have a puprose, and if respected properly, they will not harm you

We have also worked with her to find a lotion she likes and will use.

She doesn't wash her hands as much or as vigorously now, and she does use lotion.
I don't grouse about her rinsing her hands off in water if she picks something up off the floor.. just as long as she doesn't reach for the soap every time.

We have had to learn to accept some of her concerns, try to educate her as best we can, and help her to stop doing destructive things to herself like overwashing.

It's interesting that when she was younger, she loved to go to the rivers and cover herself in mud!

She's not averse to working out in the yard, or helping to pitch the recycle items when we go to the disposal place.
Oh... I have also been keeping gloves for her to use during times when she might get over anxious about getting dirty... like going to the dump with the recycles. Just simple work gloves she can use as a barrier between her and the stuff.

I don't know if anything I've written helps.
I wish you well.

My son wont push the buttons at the traffic lights for fear of germs.
If someone he is playing with has been to the toilet he questions them as to their hygien before he will let them come near him. (not always so bad) He washs his hands much more than other kids his age. We have to carry a bottle of water in the car for the quick rinse in case he needs it. He doesn't insist on soap thank goodness. He doesn't sound as germaphobic as your boy though.
Mine sniffs most new things. If it smells yuck to him or unusual he wont touch it. The sniffing is so quick most people dont notice.
Someone with a severly autistic child suggested to me that this is because of all the tv adds out there on germs. These kids believe most of whats said and take those adds so literally. All I can suggest is to talk through it with your child.

I don't consider myself a germaphobe but, in today's germ ridden society, I think all people should be careful...especially in public places. In the cold and flu season, door knobs are one of the worst germ-ridden object one comes into contact with and I always keep my winter gloves on rather than touch them with a bare hand.

I also, like using hand sanitizers like "Purell," a simple alcohol antiseptic...and pleasant and cooling on my hands.

Thanks. I think the commercials do add to the panic. My son is interested in cleaning products that he sees on t.v.

wsmac...your daughter sounds like my son. thanks for posting.

Hand Sanitizers are a load of bunk for the most part.
We had little stations put up all around our hospital with those balls of hand sanitizer so people could put their hands underneath and get a squirt of the stuff.

Kids seem to like to play with them a lot.

We were told, as employees, to go back to washing with normal soap and hot water... the sanitizers didn't eliminate all the germs we wanted.. so it seems.


I told my daughter about posting here about her and she had this to say...
"If he (your son) is like me, just have him watch MONK and he'll be proud to be a germaphobe!"
She was sorta kidding... sorta serious.
We don't watch television in our house, but we do rent dvd's.
MONK is her favorite along with 24.

I'm proud to say that she used the plunger on the toilet last night!
Something an extreme germaphobe like MONK probably wouldn't do!
I'm so happy!

Of course... she had to wash her hands several times... and her feet because she 'felt something wet on one'.
That's a tradeoff I'll take this time though.

Hope you and your son do well over time with this.

I will consider letting him watch Monk. Part of me is afraid that he will identify too much with Monk and start requiring a certain brand of bottled water, etc... I've seen Mr. Monk and I'm hoping my son doesn't get that obsessive about it. But, maybe he would watch the show and decide he didn't want to be that extreme. If he stayed a neat freak, that's okay. He loves to mop the kitchen floor for me and that's not a bad thing. I don't want it to restrict his activities or his interactions with other people, but I can see it heading that way.