Object Fixation? | ADHD Information

I have to know - does anyone else deal with your ADHD'er becoming fixated on objects? My dd gets to where I can't throw anything away without a meltdow, and she's 10!!!!! I'm talking about empty cereal boxes, scraps of paper, even pieces of glass! For example, we had an old ice chest that she would pretend was a "stage". Well, the ice chest broke, so I threw it away. She became EXTREMELY upset, begged me not to throw it away, then became angry when I would not get it out of the trash.

When she was younger, it was candy wrappers and sucker sticks. Her teacher would find all this mess stashed in her desk. If I tell her it's going to attract roaches and bugs, she grudgingly gives it up. I even have a hard time getting her to give up clothes and toys she has outgrown. Help!!!!  

i may be all wrong  

so others chime in please

that may point to a co-morbid of ocd

 

 

teach generousity

dont throw it in garbage  donate to  salvation army or a collection site

a strong work ethic is a must

ommas39911.8528703704

Yes my son is 12 and cannot throw ANYTHING out, not even clothes that don't fit to be donated, nor the toys!! He wants to save everything for his children some day!

He also "finds" things on the floors at school and anywhere and puts them in his pocket, even rope, yarn, rocks, paper clips, etc. He is also a great finder of money!! found his firt at the age of 7!!

I just take it all in stride and don't throw anything away and tell him. He doesn't remember everything he has. I also do not touch his legos or vidoe games!!

Others have had this thread going and have had similar stuff going on with their children!! No worries.

My son was like this at a very young age. He would collect leaves and rocks at the park and everything had to be kept. He also showed a fascination with mechanical objects, loved to take apart flashlights, then moved onto old phones and then more complicated items and he had collections of parts. He has a nearly photographic memory, so throwing things out behind his back didn't work either. Also loved legos and had a huge collection. This was NOT easy to live with, especially when he was very young. Our house was a MESS. Gradually, though, as he got older, things got better. He still has a collection of "junk" in the garage, but he is much more selective about what is actually worthwhile to keep. He recently has used his garage "workshop" to help two high school seniors create their Physics projects, even though he is a junior and hasn't even taken physics yet! He is planning to study engineering in college, and our house is livable.
Based on your post, I'm thinking your daughter sounds creative (?) Maybe she would enjoy making art projects, collages out of some of the things she collects? I can see that the ice box/stage had value to her, and sometimes we adults need to be sensitive to what our children value. (Plus it was a cheap toy that you didn't have to buy!)
I would keep an eye on this behavior, but sometimes these things have a positive side. I think sometimes it is about the child wanting to feel they have some control, too.
For outgrown toys and clothes, I used to tell my kids to find 10 things to get ride of, then take them to a second hand baby and children's store where they give you credit for your used stuff. Then I would let my kids each "buy" a new toy with the credit. This incentive helped for them.

my son 10, also has a trash heap in his bedroom because he won't let go of anything. I think it is like OCD behavior the rat packing. the oppiste of being clean. I wonder if my son has this even though they didn't find it in his testing.

We have days where we go through Jakes room and I make him give up stuff. We have a trash pile and a donate pile. he is becoming more anylitical about it, do I really need this gum wrapper? Is this paper important? we ask that about every thing and usually it goes pretty smooth. then there are the days when he is in no mood to bargain.