Different times of the day present different challenges when dealing with a child with OCD. Probably all parents would agree that the two most problematic time periods, in order of difficulty, are mornings and bedtimes. Preparation the night before can help take the stress out of school days.

Try doing these activities the night before the morning of your child's school day:

• Choose and lay out clothes

• Pack book bag and put it by the front door

• Take care of all special logistics (permission slips, outings, changes in pick-up times or persons)

• If your child has morning-or evening-based rituals (such as hand washings), set a timer to an established amount of time

• Employ a previously agreed-upon reminder system for your hurry-ups; for example, “We have to leave in 10 minutes”

With your child's consent, place morning and end-of-day triggers at the top of her priority list for exposure exercises, and be sure to offer praise and rewards when goals are met.