OCD. Sophia can get really, really anal about a number of things. I've mentioned the 'cracks' in her food earlier (cookies & ice creams etc). Cutting her food in front of her is ok now, providing you ask her first. The way her sandwiches were cut used to be an issue (I'll tell you how we got around that one a little later). Certain 'rituals' for her can't be adjusted without repercussion. For example, she and her father stop at the Fairfield dairy for a paddlepop ice-cream after he picks her up from kindy - everytime. When we are heading home from town, she expects us to stop at the 4-Square on Heads Rd. She will not understand why it can't be a different dairy and it will cause her some distress if they don't have what she likes to buy at that particular dairy. On the occasion we have been unable to stop - she has gotten very distressed. And there are many more examples......
Now you may be inclined to think....'spoilt little goblin' and sometimes that's probably true but really most of the time its not the case. Sophia does not understand why things have to be different and she gets very, very distressed about it. Not paddying - but distressed. Once upon a time she would react with absolute horror if you tore her sandwich in half (as you do when the sandwich is too big for a little one to handle). To her, it was completely ruined and she wasn't going to be able to eat it now. It had to be cut properly with a knife.
She is more adaptable now because while we allow her some rituals, we generally don't cater to the intensity of it. For example.....with her sandwiches, I will ask her if she wants triangles or rectangles and when she makes that decision - is it halves or quarters. Options are presented rather than just doing it the same way each time. when we arrive at the infamous Fairfield diary, she is reminded that she has a choice of three paddlepops. If we can't stop and we have to go straight home, we take the time to explain because unless you do, Sophia thinks you're just trying to mean to her and she does not forget it.
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