Signs of hoarding in children include a tendency to stockpile items, a propensity for clutter and disorganization, and the agitation of someone touching or removing their belongings. Often these signs exist simultaneously, although many children and adolescents simply exhibit telltale behavior. The most common sign, stockpiling, should not be confused with children's natural tendency to collect items they deem valuable. The stocks associated with hoarding in children are usually made up of worthless and worthless items.
The worthless items that children hoard most often include food, clothing, and even trash. According to psychologists, food reserves are often created by neglected or abused children who have been deprived of adequate nutrition. Food collections can be stored in cupboards, under beds, in drawers, or in old suitcases. Occasionally, children and teens may store food in extra backpacks and old lunch containers. In general, the stench of rotten food will alert family members to food hoarding.
Vermin such as rats, mice, and cockroaches can also lead the family to a hidden food store. Some behavioral psychologists report that children with eating disorders like bulimia can also hoard food. The presence of hoarded food can often dovetail with the change in a family's financial well-being; Food hoarding in children often indicates that a child fears that the family will run out of food or money to buy food, jeopardizing future livelihoods.
Many children have attachments to favorite sweatshirts, a pair of pants from a grandfather, or dresses from an older sister. The difference is that clothing stocks that signal hoarding in children generally consist of clothing items that have no sentimental value and are damaged and completely unusable. For example, if a child or teen clings to clothes with stains and tears or clothes that are too small to fit even though they have no emotional attachment, it could be a symptom of hoarding.
Garbage hoarding elevates common waste into collection items. Gum wrappers and candy wrappers are the most frequently hoarded items. A child or teen hoarder may also become obsessed with collecting empty bottles and cans for no reason except to have them. Boxes are another common waste item collected by young hoarders. In some cases, children's hoarding can result in saving cups of dirty water from the bathroom or cups of sand and rocks collected from the yard, beach, or playground.
Occasionally toys can become devalued and used for hoarding. When this happens, the child will not play with the toys and will often ignore them unless someone else tries to play with them. If a younger sibling or visitor shows interest in stored toys or other objects, the hoarding child may become aggressive, frustrated, and possessive. In many circumstances, behavioral therapy can help children who treasure.