AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

Defiance can be one of the most misunderstood signs of OCD in children and teens.
When kids refuse to touch certain things, avoid everyday tasks, struggle with homework, take excessive time completing routines, or seem resistant to basic expectations, it can easily look like oppositional behavior. But underneath that behavior may be intrusive fears, avoidance compulsions, contamination concerns, or “just right” OCD driving their actions.
In this episode, I explore how hidden OCD symptoms are often mistaken for defiance, difficult behavior, or laziness, leading parents, teachers, and even therapists to respond in ways that may unintentionally worsen the cycle. I break down common household, school, and daily life behaviors that may actually be rooted in OCD, and explain how parents can better identify the true source of the struggle.
You’ll learn how to dig deeper beneath the behavior, ask more effective questions, and determine whether your child needs discipline, boundaries, or therapeutic support through exposure and response prevention (ERP).
If you are a parent who has ever wondered whether your child’s “bad behavior” may actually be part of their OCD, this episode will help you better understand what may really be happening beneath the surface.
To get this episode’s PDF handout go to www.natashadaniels.com/handouts
Get the course: How to Handle Difficult Behavior Caused by Anxiety or OCD

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Contamination OCD is often much more complex than many parents realize. It is not always about germs, handwashing, or obvious fears of illness. For many kids, contamination OCD can center around chemicals, certain people, objects, or even an intense feeling of disgust rather than fear.

In this episode, Natasha breaks down the subtle ways contamination OCD can be missed, misunderstood, or accidentally reinforced. Parents often focus on visible avoidance without recognizing the true “ground zero” of contamination, the original trigger or core fear driving the OCD cycle. Understanding that core fear or disgust response is essential for effective support.

Parents will also learn why appeasing OCD or rationalizing with it can unintentionally strengthen the cycle.
If your child struggles with contamination fears, disgust triggers, or confusing avoidance behaviors, this episode will help you better understand what may really be happening and how to respond more effectively.

Resources Talked About in Episode:
OCD Treatment:
NOCD virtual OCD Therapy

IOCDF Provider Directory

Videos on Contamination OCD:

How to Handle Contamination OCD

Trying to Beat Contamination OCD? OCD Doesn’t Play Fair

Understanding Ground Zero in Contamination OCD

Disgust Based Contamination OCD

Offense vs Defense for OCD

Handouts and Courses:
OCD Themes PDF

How to find the Core Fear Workshop

SPACE Study Guide

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watching our kids struggle with OCD can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and emotionally draining. When we understand OCD and begin recognizing compulsions more clearly, many of us naturally shift from accommodating behaviors… to hyper-focusing on every compulsion, reassurance loop, and avoidance pattern.
This is what I call becoming the “OCD police.”
In this episode, I explore how parents can unintentionally move from helping to over-monitoring, constantly pointing out compulsions, questioning behaviors, and trying to control OCD at every turn. While this often comes from a place of deep love and fear, hypervigilance can damage trust, increase shame, and create communication breakdowns.
I discuss why becoming the OCD police can backfire, how it may cause kids to hide symptoms or shut down, and why managing OCD isn’t about catching every compulsion.
Most importantly, I break down what to do instead.
You’ll learn how to shift from policing to coaching, how to prioritize the compulsions that involve you, when to push, when to pause, and how to build skills without sacrificing connection.
If you are a parent who feels stuck between accommodating and over-correcting, this episode will help you find the middle ground that truly supports healing.

Resources Discussed on Episode:
When to Push and When to Pause
www.childocdtherapist.com/power-of-the-pause/
SPACE Study Course
www.atparentingsurvivalseries.com/space/
AT Parenting Community
www.atparentingcommunity.com
Pulling Back OCD Accommodations
www.childocdtherapist.com/pulling-back-ocd-accommodations/
Trust and Communication
www.childocdtherapist.com/trust-and-communication/
How to Help Kids with Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors
www.childocdtherapist.com/how-to-address-picking-and-pulling-behaviors/
***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Just right” OCD can be one of the most confusing forms of OCD for parents, because it doesn’t look like fear.
In this episode, we’re unpacking what it means when OCD is driven by a feeling instead of a specific fear. That internal sense that something is off, incomplete, or not quite right can keep kids stuck in loops that are hard to explain and even harder to stop.
You’ll learn how “just right” OCD can show up across daily life, from words and writing to clothes, shoes, grooming, and even how they move through their environment. We’ll also clarify common misconceptions, including why this isn’t perfectionism, how it differs from sensory processing challenges, and where Tourettic OCD fits into the picture.

Most importantly, we’ll walk through how to start helping your child break free from these patterns using evidence-based approaches like ERP, including practicing things “not just right,” delaying compulsions, and resisting the urge to complete the loop for them. We’ll also touch on how parents can use a SPACE-informed approach to reduce accommodation and support their child more effectively.

If your child gets stuck needing things to feel right before they can move on, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and how to begin supporting them in a way that builds long-term resilience.

Resources for this Episode:
Get the PDF Handout for this episode:
www.natashadaniels.com/handouts
Youtube video: How to Handle Just Right OCD

Youtube video: Just Right OCD and Clothes

Youtube video: Just Right OCD and Your Words

Youtube video: When OCD Isn’t About a Fear, But a Feeling

Podcast on Tourettic OCD

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It feels so natural to explain, reassure, and try to calm your child down when OCD is loud. After all, that’s how we solve problems in real life. But OCD doesn’t play by those rules.

When we try to reason with OCD, we often get pulled deeper into its loop, answering more questions, giving more explanations, and still watching our child struggle.
In this episode, I talk about why reasoning and reassurance can quietly fuel OCD, what’s actually happening in your child’s brain in those moments, and how to start shifting your role from “problem solver” to “anchor.”

If you are a parent who finds yourself repeating the same answers over and over, or watching your child feel better for a moment only to spiral again, this episode will help you understand why and what to do instead.

Links mentioned in episode:
PDF handout
SPACE Study Course
Video on Reassurance as an OCD Compulsion
Video on Confessing as an OCD Compulsion

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.