Raising Type A

In high school, I was so amused by Eric's need for order in his life. He had a specific way of doing everything! I wouldn't go so far as calling his obsession a disorder, but it comes close.

For example, I prefer the clothes in my closet to all be facing the same way. That is a quirk. Ten years ago, Eric needed all of his clocks to be set one hour and 14 minutes ahead. That is bizarre. I used to dash into his room and turn just one thing about 45 degrees. It took him less than a minute to notice it and have to turn it back.

Now I am afraid that I am raising my husband's clone. Sam has always needed things a specific way. The frightening part is, his ways are usually correct. When he plays with his cars, they always need to be facing forward when he pushes them. Some of those little Matchbox cars make it difficult for me to know which is the front and which is the back. Sam always knows. And when the cars go into their case, they all have to be facing the same way.

When he is done with a meal, Sam carefully stacks his dishes, silverware, and cup into a neat pile. He then looks at it, saying, "Uh oh," until I bring it to the kitchen sink.

Sam helps me make his bed in the morning. He always arranges his pillows in the same way - Softie underneath the big pillow, the same side of his Elmo pillow facing out, his Good Night, Elmo! book carefully set in the inside corner of his bed.

The spines of his books have to be facing out. Cupboards and drawers have to be tightly closed. Nothing can be slightly poking out of said cupboards or drawers. His coat must be hung on its hook. Toys must be in their correct cases. (For example, his four Nascar cars from Uncle Mike have to stay in the tin they came in. I tried to put the cars in his car case. He watched me, disgusted, and then put them back in the tin.)

Being his doting mom, I could excuse a lot of these as quirks. The breaking point came about six months ago, when he started to refuse to set his sippy cup on the coffee table unless he had a coaster.

I have to face it - my kid is bizarre.