This is Ask Lisa, a podcast to help people understand the psychology of parenting.

Psychologist Dr. Lisa DeMore, author of two New York Times best-selling parenting books, takes your questions.

And I'm co-host, Rina Ninan, a journalist and mom of two.

Some of what we talk about comes from raising children ourselves.

Most of the time, I'll be getting answers to your parenting questions.

So send your questions to Ask Lisa at Dr.Lisademore.com.

Episode 58, does my Child Have OCD? You've got to explain something to me. I just recently cleaned out my garage. There are so many places in my home that needs to be cleaned out.

Why did it bring me such joy and relief to have the freaking garage clean

of all the places, Lisa, why the garage? Probably because you could do it. You know what I mean?

Yeah. It's so nice to have a task that you can do from start to finish. It sounds like you got it done,

whereas the whole house is overwhelming. Yeah, it could be, but I'm just like, I'm not living in the garage,

but I think about it all the time. My garage is clean. Things are up and put on racks.

It gives you a good feeling. It does. Absolutely. It does give me a good feeling.

We're going to delve in, actually, the topic of OCD, which I always have said to myself,

I wish I was OCD because I think of people

as organized. You're going to tell me if we dispel that myth or not. Here's the letter we got from a

parent. It says, my 10-year-old daughter has brought up some concerns around some OCD-style

behavior she sees in herself, things like needing to have her desk chair in the exact right

spot when she isn't using

it. Her closet door can't be a jar. Her stuffies have to be lined up exactly the same or else

she's afraid they'll, quote, be upset. And needing to wash her hands if she touches the garbage can,

not because of germs, but just a compulsion feeling that she has to do it. This has been going on with

...