Helping my sibling with OCD/anxiety at home and at school

At Home

You can be quite helpful to your sibling with OCD/anxiety. OCD/anxiety often interferes with doing day-to-day tasks. You can help by modeling. Modeling is showing or demonstrating how to do a task step by step and allowing your sibling to observe you. Your sibling can then practice doing it on their own.

The task might be putting on socks, closing a door, or using a fork. There can be lots of activities where modeling can help your sibling with OCD/anxiety.

In the Morning

Mornings can present many challenges for someone with OCD/anxiety. You can model getting up, making your bed, washing up, and getting dressed for the day. You can encourage teamwork for making breakfast, cleaning up, or packing a lunch and backpack if it is a school day. Teams always make work easier and more fun.

After School

You can model by starting your homework promptly. Try to avoid interruptions like talking or playing to help your sibling get their assignments done.

At Night

Nighttime can be another tough time for someone with OCD/anxiety. When someone gets tired, it can be harder to fight OCD/anxiety, and you may need to have a little more patience. Again, modeling can be helpful. You can show how you go through your bedtime routine, step by step, and then get in bed. You can help your sibling talk about things to look forward to tomorrow. Again, try to resist interrupting or playing with your sibling when it is time to wind down and get to bed.

Having Fun

Having fun can be one of the most important ways to help your sibling. Having fun can help a person“power up” to fight OCD/anxiety. Planning ideas for play (games, adventures, activities) is a great way to help your sibling feel better!

At School

Before School

If I ride with my sibling with OCD/anxiety, I can suggest one thing to look forward to today.

At School

If I go to their school, great! I can really be an important helper.,I may need to check with the teacher or school counselor for permission to help.

I can be the friendly smiling face they see in the halls throughout the day.
I can eat lunch with them on occasion.
I can visit them at recess or breaks during the day.

After School

If I ride with my sibling, I can talk about good or funny things that happened that day.