When Parents Become the “OCD Police” (And What to Do Instead)
About this episode
This episode discusses the pitfalls of parents becoming overly involved in managing their child's OCD and offers alternative strategies for support.
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…
More episodes of AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety
- Is Your Child’s “Defiance” Actually Caused by OCD?
- Things Parents Often Miss in Kids with Contamination OCD
- Helping Kids with Just Right OCD
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