AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

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.

Most parents think the hardest part of raising a child with anxiety or OCD is figuring out what to do.
But the truth is, learning the skills is just the beginning.
In this episode, I walk you through the three stages parents naturally move through when learning to handle OCD, from that first moment of awareness, to the messy middle of trying to implement strategies, to the point where things start to feel more integrated and sustainable.
Because knowing what to do and being able to actually do it consistently are two very different things.
If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing your responses, feeling stuck in patterns you know aren’t helping, or wondering why this feels so much harder than it “should,” you are not alone.

This episode will help you understand where you are in the process and why that middle stage can feel so overwhelming, even when you’re doing everything “right.”
And more importantly, it will help you see what kind of support actually makes a difference as you move forward.
If you are a parent who knows what to do but struggles to follow through consistently, or you feel stuck in that in-between stage where nothing quite clicks yet, this episode is for you.
❤️ For more in-depth support join the AT Parenting Community where we walk this journey with you.

Resources:
IOCDF Treatment Guideline
Podcast episode: The Power of the Pause

***
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.

When you’re parenting a child with anxiety or OCD, it’s easy to get caught in a constant push to fix, improve, and move things forward. But when our expectations don’t match where our child actually is, it can quietly create more frustration, more pressure, and more disconnection for everyone involved.

In this episode, we explore how to recognize when expectations are starting to do more harm than good, why they develop in the first place, and how to gently adjust them without losing hope or momentum. You’ll learn how to shift from pushing for outcomes to supporting capacity, so your child can build skills in a way that actually sticks, and you can find more peace in the process.

If you are a parent who feels stuck between wanting more for your child and feeling discouraged by where things are, this episode will help you reset your expectations in a way that supports both growth and connection.

❤️Join my free series at www.atparentingsurvivalseries.com
Get the handout for this episode at www.natashadaniels.com/handouts

***
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.