The socks and shoes issue started when she was probably around 3. Until reading this page, I was completely oblivious to the invention of seamless socks. I have looked everywhere but never thought to look online. In your opinion, do the seamless socks help?

After reading the comments on this page, I realized that I wasn’t crazy for being concerned. Not knowing what is wrong with her hurts me in a way that only a parent can understand. I now realize that her behavior is something bigger than normal defiance. I have not been as patient with her as I should’ve been and I have completely disregarded her feelings, assuming she was just in a mood. Well, now that the “moods” are anytime we have to put clothes, socks, and shoes on to leave the house, my concern increased.

Stacey’s suggestions above are very helpful, Thank You! However, I feel so guilty. My baby girl has repeatedly told me that blue jeans hurt her, and buttons, thick seams, etc., she only wants to wear “yoga” type clothing! Why didn’t I believe her? I wish I had researched sooner! I was completely oblivious to this sort of illness. I know it is pointless to dwell on that so I will focus on making the rest of our mornings as bright as possible.

What if you sewed a little bit of elastic either in the back or on both hips to help her feel like the pants are more secure? It might be a good way to transition her with minimal stress for all of you.

Boo won’t wear sweaters that have tags, no matter what. I cut them out if I really want her to wear them (and sew them back in when she grows out of them).

There are certain things I would battle with, the high chair being on the them. But the pants thing, it is a comfort thing too so I would let that one go and wait for her to grow out of it. It happens at some point.

The shoe thing I do, it is uncomfortable if the sock is rubbing wrong, so I dont’ blame her!

My youngest (9) has a sock thing, she would prefer to go without, and will cry if they don’t feel right. I have bought like every different type of sock trying to get this fixed. (I think if we could get them without seams she would be fine.) Then I realized that it was just like the thing with her sister. Now we are down to she can take as much time as she needs (normally about 15 minutes), but she can’t change more than 3 times.

I guess we all have our little weird things, I go crazy if my feet are dirty, so I think some giving in is OK. We just have to be careful not to take that to the level where we are making them have more of those things.

Most likely I would fight the child on the perfect position of the high chair, but I think I would fight by making slow changes. Making it a little less perfect every time, but I would just limit the sock thing. After all we have to accept things that aren’t perfect or we are set up to feel like the world is failing us or that we are failing the world… So little changes are good, and we have to accept them, but careful balance?

Now I wrote all that, and I don’t have a clue if it makes any sense. *Laugh*

Wish I had some advice but I’m dealing with the same. Sometimes, I think my husband gives her to wrong plate and spoon on purpose just to “teach her lesson”. It’s quite frustrating.

I have one child who is partially ocd (she “organized” her toys – never played with them and has been color sorting her closet since she was THREE, to name a few examples – and like you, she comes by it honestly) and it took forEVER but I found that she loves the knit-boxer style girl undies- you know the ones that are snug but go lower down on the leg. She only wore dresses for the first 6 or 7 years of her life because she couldn’t stand it if anything touched her waist. Now that she is older and lowrise is in she is a little better. Heaven help her when the high waist stuff hits our little town.

I have another kiddo with certifiable sensory integration disorder – traumatic brain injury caused – which is different than ocd, but a lot of it acts the same. It took more trial and error but I have to buy certain brands for him – he likes GAP brand undies and socks. Gymboree undies worked until he outgrew them. Hannah Andersson stuff mostly worked. No tags, no open seams, etc.

Now that I’ve given my credentials and practically written my OWN post – I have to say, I used to be like your husband – make them suffer through.

Now I am a wuss. I would let them wear what they find comfortable and sell or give away the other stuff, unless it is part of family outfit or something for a special occasion that needs it. Part of my son’s occupational therapy included teaching us, as parents, what sensory integration disorder feels like and after that, I have figured that life is hard enough, let them wear what feels good. They don’t need the distraction of painful feet or itchy seams.