AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

Parenting a child with OCD can feel lonely in ways people don’t always understand. Even when you know what OCD is, know what you’re supposed to do, and are doing everything you can to help, there are parts of this experience that can feel overwhelming, confusing, and incredibly hard to talk about.

In this episode, I’m getting into some of the parenting struggles that often happen behind closed doors when your child has OCD — the parts that don’t always make it into books, treatment plans, or conversations with other parents. If raising a child with OCD has ever left you thinking, “Surely I’m not the only parent dealing with this,” this episode will help you feel a lot less alone.

Resources discussed in episode:

My new book OCD Sucks: A Survival Guide

SPACE Study Course

AT Parenting Community

***

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.

Sometimes doing the right thing for your child’s OCD can feel completely wrong.

When you start pulling back accommodations, your child may actually become more distressed, irritable, or angry. That can leave you wondering: Am I helping, or am I making this worse?

In this week’s episode, I talk about why things can get harder when you stop participating in OCD, what that increased distress actually means, and how to support your child without accidentally getting pulled right back into the OCD cycle.

Resources discussed:

www.natashadaniels.com/space

www.ATparentingcommunity.com

www.atparentingsurvivalschool.com

***

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.

Maybe they can go to school, visit friends, or function fairly well outside the house, but the second they get home, OCD seems to take over. That can leave parents wondering why the rules, avoidance, contamination fears, or compulsions seem so much stronger in one environment than another.

In this episode, I explain some of the reasons OCD can look different at home, including why home may become a “safer” place for compulsions, how contamination chains can build up over time, and why certain family members or spaces can become incorporated into OCD’s rules. I also talk about what can happen when families start believing that changing locations will solve the problem—and why OCD often finds a way to come along for the ride.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why is their OCD so much worse here?” this episode will help you understand what may be going on beneath the surface and what to do about it.

Start building skills at home! Get my new book: OCD Sucks: A Survival Guide

***

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.

If your child seems to have big reactions to sounds, textures, clothing, food, transitions, or everyday experiences, sensory processing may be playing a bigger role than you realize.

In this episode, I’m joined by occupational therapist Laura Petix, from The OT Butterfly and author of The Sensory Code.

We talk about how parents can better understand their child’s unique sensory needs, recognize what may be happening underneath challenging behavior and big emotions, and respond with more empathy and less frustration.

Laura also shares practical ways we as parents can help accommodate our child’s sensory issues while empowering them to help themselves. 

Pre-order Laura’s new book, The Sensory Code

When you pre-order, you’ll also receive three special bonuses from Laura.

***

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 raising a child with anxiety or OCD, so much of your energy can go toward helping them cope that it’s easy to forget that you need coping skills too.

In this episode, I’m joined by Janine Halloran, author of Coping Skills for Everyone: A Workbook to Get Unstressed, Recharge, and Stay Calm in a Chaotic World, to talk about coping skills for adults.

We talk about what it looks like to take care of yourself when parenting feels stressful, overwhelming, or emotionally exhausting, and why the coping strategies that work for one person may not work for another.

If you spend a lot of time thinking about what your child needs but rarely stop to think about what helps you regulate, recharge, and keep going, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Janine and her new book:

Coping Skills for Everyone: A Workbook to Get Unstressed, Recharge, and Stay Calm in a Chaotic World

Check out Janine’s website here.

***

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.

If I could sit down with every person who has OCD and teach them just three skills, these are the ones I would choose.

In this episode, I’m sharing the three skills I come back to again and again when helping people change their relationship with OCD. They’re simple concepts, but learning how to actually use them when OCD is loud, convincing, and demanding is another story.

I’ll talk about why these skills matter, how they work together, and why you don’t have to feel confident or ready before you start practicing them.

These ideas are also at the heart of my new book, where I break down OCD recovery in a practical, easy-to-understand way without getting lost in clinical jargon.

Learn more about my new book, OCD Sucks: A Survival Guide:

www.ocdsucks.net

***

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 your child has OCD, treatment doesn’t happen in a vacuum. OCD comes home with them. It impacts routines, relationships, school, behavior, and often the way the entire family functions.

So why are parents sometimes left on the sidelines of OCD treatment?

Parents can be one of the most powerful resources in a child’s OCD recovery. You see what happens between therapy sessions, you’re often the one navigating accommodations and difficult behaviors, and you’re in a unique position to help your child practice the skills they’re learning.

In this week’s episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, I talk about what healthy parent involvement in OCD treatment can look like, what information you should have, when it makes sense for a therapist to protect your child’s privacy, and some red flags that may indicate you’re being left out more than you should be.

I also talk about how this changes once your child turns 18 and how parents can continue to be a valuable source of support while respecting their adult child’s privacy and autonomy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re too involved, not involved enough, or whether you should be advocating for a bigger role in your child’s treatment, this episode is for you.

🎓 Learn more about my online courses for parents and kids with anxiety and OCD:

www.ATparentingsurvivalschool.com

⭐ Join the waitlist for the AT Parenting Community:

www.ATparentingcommunity.com

Get the free PDF 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.

One of the hardest parts of parenting a child with OCD is not knowing what’s actually going on. Your child insists they’re “fine,” avoids your questions, or simply can’t explain what they’re experiencing. It can leave you feeling confused, shut out, and unsure of how to help.

In this episode, I talk about why so many kids keep their OCD hidden, even from the people they trust most. You’ll learn why silence is often part of OCD itself and why pushing for answers can unintentionally make it harder for your child to open up.

We’ll also discuss practical ways to build trust, strengthen communication, and support your child, even when you don’t fully understand what their OCD is about. Because you don’t need to know every intrusive thought to begin helping your child make progress.

Mentioned in this episode:

Download the free companion handout:

www.natashadaniels.com/handouts

🎙️ Listen to my related episode, The First Steps to Progress: Trust and Communication:

https://childocdtherapist.com/trust-and-communication/

🧡 Join the AT Parenting Community for weekly classes, parent support, kid and teen groups, and a growing library of courses:

www.atparentingcommunity.com

***

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 people think contamination OCD is about germs, chemicals, or bodily fluids. But what happens when your child feels like a thought, memory, word, person, or experience has become contaminated?

In this episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, Natasha Daniels explores mental contamination OCD—a lesser-known but surprisingly common form of OCD that can leave children feeling like something is dirty, ruined, tainted, or unsafe, even though nothing has physically changed.

You’ll learn how OCD can convince kids that contamination spreads through intrusive thoughts, memories, emotions, people, places, and even words, leading them to avoid objects, throw things away, mentally “erase” thoughts, or start over in an attempt to feel clean again.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What mental contamination OCD is and why it differs from traditional contamination fears
• Common ways thoughts, memories, people, and experiences become “contaminated”
• Why neutral objects, places, and activities can suddenly feel unsafe
• The compulsions kids use to try to get rid of the contamination
• Why reassurance and logic often backfire
• How Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) helps children break free from the cycle

If your child suddenly refuses to wear certain clothes, avoids places that “feel wrong,” throws away perfectly good belongings, or believes a thought has somehow contaminated an object, this episode will help you understand what’s happening, and what actually helps.

Want more support?

Learn practical, evidence-based strategies to help your child overcome OCD inside my online courses at ATParentingSurvivalSchool.com.

Free Podcast Handout

Download the companion handout for this episode at:

NatashaDaniels.com/handouts

Videos on Contamination OCD

How to Handle Your Contamination OCD 

Trying to Beat Contamination? OCD Doesn’t Play Fair.

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/ATp

Understanding Your Ground Zero in Contamination OCD

***

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I talk with Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Chyllia Dixon about the emotional impact of growing up with a chronic illness and the unique mental health challenges children and families can face along the way.

Drawing from both her professional experience and her own childhood experience with Juvenile Myositis, Chyllia shares insight into what chronically ill kids may be carrying emotionally, the importance of helping children stay connected to the present moment, and ways parents can support their child’s mental health while navigating an ongoing medical condition.

We also talk about Chyllia’s children’s book, Ellie and the Oh (Ellie the Elephant), which encourages children to slow down and be present in the moment. All profits from the book are donated to the CureJM Foundation to help fund research and bring hope to children living with Juvenile Myositis.

Learn more about Chyllia at Hazelwood Mental Health and learn more about the CureJM Foundation at CureJM.org.

***

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.