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You have to push yourself to be around kids and stay present in the moment. This is self ERP.

You avoiding it makes it worse, so that’s why it’s so unbearable.

This is something I struggle with too. I remember at the tail-end of my time at college, anytime I'd make the commute to classes, I'd always try to be as far away as possible from young families. Mom and her kid are walking down the sidewalk? I'd lower my head, avoid eye-contact, or even find an opportunity to cross the street and avoid them altogether, even if my initial route would've been shorter, and gotten me to the classroom quicker. I've struggled with thoughts and wondering if I like this or not, and it feels so isolating. Another issue I've had, is I began to question if someone who says they're in their 20s like me (whom I'm interested in, I'm 24) is really that age. Are they a safe person? Is it okay if I like them, even if they look younger like 18/19? Does that make me a dangerous person? What if they lied about their age, and they're younger still? If I having any sort of attraction to someone in my daily life whom I don't know the age of, am I okay? Am I a threat? What if I even check IDs and get to know them, but they still lied about their age? What if someone who looks like an adult, or looks older than me, turns out to be way younger? The common aspect in all of this, is being plagued with "what ifs", and it really sucks, but no matter how anxious you feel, or how anxious I feel, or how anxious any of us struggling with something like this feel, we've gotta keep going and confront our anxieties. I don't think you're a bad person for having a thought. Frankly, actual threats don't mull over whether they're a threat or not. At the same time, I don't know if you're a threat, and it seems like you don't either, but here's the thing--you DON'T HAVE to know. A thought doesn't equate to action or intention, no matter how REAL it feels. Your actions, and your being here tell me you're a pretty stellar, and brave person, so please, keep going in your journey to combat OCD. You've got this.