obsessive behavior in 6 yr. old

I am the grandmother of 6 yr. old twins and one of them is constantly having the sensation of needing to urinate.  She has been to her pediatrician several times concerning this and each time she has nothing medically wrong that could be causing this. The doctor seems to think she is doing this for attention and to try and ignore her.  She will go to the bathroom at least every 10 - 15 minutes and tries to urinate but doesn't.  She does not do this in school only at home and at her grandparents homes.  She also insists on having her shoes tied very tight.  If the shoes are not tight enough she will throw a fit until she feels they are tight enough.  She has been through alot of changes in the last year, such as moving to a new home, starting kindergarten (she is doing excellent in school)and her mom is pregnant and due in a couple of weeks.  Could all these changes play a part in her behavior?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated we are at our wits end!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Jane,

The behavior you describe is not really obsessive behavior. Your granddaughter is likely displaying pollakiuria, a benign condition of frequent urination. The condition is definitely associated with stress, and for a young child the kind of changes you described can be quite stressful.

The situation will resolve itself. You really needn't do anything of a specialized nature. If you wish, you can have your granddaughter graduakky lengthen the time between trips to the bathroom, but there's no need to do this.

It is very unlikely your granddaughter is behaving out of a search for attention.

Relative to her shoes, it's likely just a predilection, a preference, again benign. I'd pay it very little attention.