More Than Tummy Trouble: Signs Of Anxiety In Young Children And The Ways You’re Making It Worse

Source: Margaret Miller / Getty

Obsessiveness with order and routine

You’ve heard it repeatedly: Children thrive on routine and structure. When children are aware their basic needs will be met and they are surrounded by safety and support, they can focus on learning ABC’s and 123’s and about the world around them. Typically children will become obsessed with order when they feel the routine and order of their life is threatened or they feel unsafe. Did you recently move? Has a family member or acquaintance recently moved into the house? Did your child witness a scary situation? Has there been a death or relative or close friend? If your child seems fixated on matching socks, their toys being in a certain order or having a PB&J precisely every time they watch Paw Patrol, it may be because they’re trying to regain control over events in their life to make up for events in their life that make them feel powerless.