Help - my 4 year old boy is becoming increasingly stressed with clothes/seatbelts

by Lucy Peaper
(UK)

Hello, I hope someone can help. I have a 4 year old boy who is becoming increasingly stressed with clothes, especially the neck of clothes, sleeves if they ride up underneath a hoody, waistbands and the worst..socks and shoes! He is only happy with flip flops or crocs.He will literally scream and kick out if something doesn't feel right and will remove it which is so stressful to live with. What I don't understand is that once he is dressed the clothes don't usually bother him for the rest of the day. Even as a toddler though he would prefer to be naked!

For the last 4-5 months he is the same with seatbelts and will spend the whole car journey holding the seatbelt away from his body. Other strange behaviours include being sensitive to noise, often asking me to turn things down. He doesn't like things too bright either. He has recently become afraid of the dark. He can also get stressed if his fork gets 'sticky' and will use his hands to eat even messy things. He has a rather Jekyll and hyde personality too, either being very shy or very loud and sociable. He has a strange aversion to crisps and will run away if someone opens crisps new him because of the smell, he has always seemed very sensitive to smells.

One of my other biggest concerns is strangers. He will touch people he doesn't know inappropriately i.e. touches lady's boobs or feet or hugs their leg. He will often say things to strangers like 'hello old lady!' He is a very affectionate child, he would sit on the sofa and cuddle me all day if he could!Other that this he is a bright boy, suffers asthma, has met all his milestones no problem. Nursery haven't flagged up any issues with me. Should I take him the doctor or will they think I'm over reacting? Please help! Thank you.