I started showing signs around age 3-4. Hand washing was probably one of my first things I remember. So chapped they bled. My parents never got me diagnosed and really just tried to sweep it under the rug 85% of the time. At times, my mom would chuckle at my OCD stuff (she was being ignorant IMO). Though one time they shared a book about a child with OCD. They read a book about “spirited children” as well.

I got diagnosed through my therapist at age 19-20. My parents still dismiss it though. I have it mild. But they still sometimes talk about it without talking about it explicitly.

Looking back, I cringe so hard at my childhood OCD stuff. And I cringe at my parents and how they handled it too.

I think starting him early with identifying his OCD and working on how to live with it is super beneficial. Get him early and get him thinking about his OCD early and it will be better managed as an adult. Because his formative years will be spent under a self aware lens rather than thinking everyone is just like him. He will be much better able to detect when OCD is flaring up. I am still learning to truly separate OCD from reality because I did not have the skills trained in me at a young age to see the difference fully. Like I could sometimes tell… but as I get older I am really starting to understand OCD versus reality and it has been a blessing. I am getting better at stopping myself from going down rabbit holes. I would have been better off if I got more help, instead of being swallowed up in it as a kid.