Mini-vent: Why does everyone have a fidget toy now?

[Melissa in Australia]

I wish my sensory seeking twin 1 would use all the sensory necklaces, balls and cushion I have got him. Instead he chews the front of his tops out, and flaps his hands so much while eating that food flys around the room. The more excited he gets the more he wriggles and flaps. If he uses the sensory cushion then he does not wriggle or flap at all.

Edited April 24, 2017 by Melissa in Australia

[Pawz4me]

Pen spinning/twirling during board meetings. A pen can be used as a fidget instrument after all.

 

And don't forget clicking.

 

Not that I'd ever do that. ;)

[maize]

I wish my sensory speaking twin 1 would use all the sensory necklaces, balls and cushion I have got him. Instead he chews the front of his tops out, and flaps his hands so much while eating that food flys around the room. The more excited he gets the more he riggles and flaps. If he uses the sensory cushion then he does not wriggle or flap at all.

Yeah, I've got a whole drawer of sensory necklaces and my kid only likes to chew his shirt collars...

[mom2bee]

 

This is cultural and generational, and not religious, but some people even find fidgeting with or playing with those beads (because they may be inscribed with the holy names of God, or just because they're used for something special/holy) to be unspeakably disrespectful.

And some people find that really bizarre.

 

 

I'm sorry, but I'm not even sure what this is supposed to mean given the context.

 

Were you trying to make any specific point or were you just responding out of habit or something?

Edited April 24, 2017 by mom2bee

[Just Kate]

My 13 year old ds has two fidget toys. He asked for them because his friends started bringing them to school. All of these kids are neurotypical, by the way. I was shocked when I searched on Amazon at all the fidget toys available and I immediately realized that there is a giant population of kids and adults that could (or do) benefit from them. My ds and his friends though...they are just using them because they are "cool" right now.

[Annie G]

I'm just curious, for the majority kids, if they actually help them concentrate and retain more information, or if they're so busy playing with their toy that  they actually retain less. I could easily see that being the case with some kids. I have no idea- merely a question. I also wonder what the typical board room would look like if all of the execs had fidget toys......have to wonder how it translates to the real world. 

 

Back in the day (my kids range in age from 23 to 34) it was pretty common to let fidgety kids play Legos or color while we were doing read alouds.  I had two typical kids, one ADD kid, and one aspie.   The two typical kids did fine doing other things while listening to read alouds but the ADD and Aspie did not.  We tried it all...legos, coloring, play doh, bouncing  a ball...

 

Fidget toys surely work for some kids but I suspect for a lot of kids it's just fun. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I really wish that people would just parent the kids they have. If you don't want your children to have one just say no. If your child's teacher has special rules for fidgets then abide by them or get appropriate approval for those needing accommodations. Don't try to diagnose if others need a fidget. Teach your children not to worry about what others are doing. Then it won't matter when a new fad comes along.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Janeway]

It is a trend. It is a part of the snowflake syndrome too. "Oh, I just MUST have a fidget or I cannot possibly concentrate." whine...

 

Even my own child has that written in to his IEP. Telling kids to stop fidgeting is a thing of the past. Fidgeting is the new cool.

 

In the olden days, we fidgeted by scribbling on our papers, messing around with a rubber band we might have, twirling our hair, etc. Now days, kids have to have official fidgets. A lot of merchandising in selling things with the title "fidget."

Edited April 24, 2017 by Janeway

[Arcadia]

But I can't see someone presenting to the board with them all flipping fidget toys or hand squeezers or something. It would be rude and inappropriate. I think at that point, honestly, even pen flipping could be.

Stress balls were in fashion at one time as marketing gifts. I had buckets full of stress balls with company logos that I could easily donate to an elementary school as PE equipment.

 

The problem with fidget toys in the workplace is that my sensory (noise) avoiding relatives would go hide in the laboratory because it won't be polite to tell a colleague to get a less noisy fidget toy. It is kind of like noisy computer keyboards, my former boss had all his engineers' laptops upgraded to noiseless keyboards because it can be loud with so many of us typing.

 

I agree there is a time and place for pen flipping too. My college exam hall host 400 students/section x4 sections so often we have 1,600 undergrads taking an exam in the exam hall concurrently. We have been told to flip our pens silently, any noise would get us a reprimand from the invigilators/proctors.

 

My DS12 dismantles pens but at his age, he knows that there is a time and place where he shouldn't be distracting other people by dismantling his pens and putting them back again. My DS11 could use a fidget toy because he torture his pinky nails but in a classroom situation, it would be distracting to age peers.

[Farrar]

But a pen isn't specifically a fidget toy. That's why I said toy, not pen. I can get doodling. But I can't see someone presenting to the board with them all flipping fidget toys or hand squeezers or something. It would be rude and inappropriate. I think at that point, honestly, even pen flipping could be. I get that sometimes kids need these things- but personally there is a time and a place. I think it could be an impediment to kids at a certain level, so on that I'm in total agreement with Quill. 

 

Imagine undergoing a review at work with a fidget toy in your hand.........but this seems a topic people are really defensive about (ETA: Not you Arcadia, but some of the other posters), which is also interesting. I guess it boils down to perception. I definitely fall under "there's a time and place for everything." 

 

It wouldn't be rude depending on the work environment. There are some companies that have fidget friendly cultures for sure - like in the tech industry. I know it's stereotypical, but ds and I used to go to a meet up for a techie group that was in a tech start up company space and it was *filled* with things clearly being used to fidget and goof off (not to mention fusbal and so forth).

 

And it's possible that the culture will change as these things become more common and twirling and chewing on pens becomes less. There's nothing inherently rude about it as long as it doesn't disrupt.

 

Of course, any fidget can become a disruption in the wrong hands or situation. I've taken erasers and pens away that were being used to tap or fling things in class. And those are "acceptable" fidgets.

[SKL]

Doodling is common in board rooms; there are studies indicating that people who are inclined to doodle do focus better while doing it than not.

 

I imagine fidgets are similar. (autocorrect keeps changing that word to fishers...)

 

Doodling may be more adult acceptable though.

 

I am a hopeless doodler.  I used to make elaborate doodles in my notebook when I should have been taking notes in college.  I imagined that I would be able to remember what the lecture was when I looked over my doodles.  Unfortunately, that was not always the case.  :P

 

I used to doodle during conference calls.  But now I don't keep pencil/paper at hand, so instead, my mind wanders.  It wanders to other work and I think "I'll just check this real quick while this lame person is blabbing" and then I get thoroughly distracted and miss all the information.

 

So I learned that I must go to jigzone.com and do a puzzle while listening on conference calls.  It does help me to continue listening vs. change focus to something completely different.

 

So why, you may ask, don't I just take notes like normal people?  Because my mind is too active.  Just jotting down the few valuable snippets of info isn't going to keep me on task.

 

I also wiggle my toes and a lot of other things all the time.  I guess I developed these habits as they are more acceptable than talking out or hopping around in a school or work situation.

 

Funny thing though, it makes me crazy when my kid is hopping and bopping around.  I tell her she's making me dizzy.  You'd think I'd understand.  :P

[SKL]

I do think it's largely a fad, but I'm sure it's important for some kids.

 

School is so different now from when we were kids in general.  Were you ever allowed to take toys to school?  I wasn't.  Today my kid was carrying her stuff in from school and struggling not to drop her M-bot and her box of pokemon cards.  I asked her, do you go to school or play group?  :P

[SKL]

Speaking of board room fidgets, I've seen many a presenter have altogether too much fun with the laser pointer ... :P

[Wheres Toto]

I have one. I'm far from a kid. ;) I'm trying to break a lifelong nail biting habit.

 

I wonder if the popularity of fidget toys has something to do with greater acceptance and understanding of anxiety and other mental health issues.

 

Hmmm, maybe I should get one for dd.  She has an awful nail-biting habit.  She also has anxiety.

 

That being said, I teach Sunday School to 4th and 5th graders and I make them put them away unless their parents tell me they need them.  We sit around two long tables and having a kid on one side of me flipping a spinner around, with the kid on the other side of him trying to grab it, and the kid on the other side of my flipping some kind of key ring looking thing around with a jingle each time, while another one bounces a plastic cube on the table....  Nope, not happening.

[Soror]

My son asked me for a fidget toy months ago. I guess he saw it on youtube or something b/c we are not in any classroom situations. He is ADHD diagnosed and I thought we'll see, well he doesn't really play with it, oh well. 

 

I just don't understand what is morally superior about some forms of fidgeting. What makes a fidget toy worse than a clicking pen, doodling, biting nails, etc? Really, why does it even matter?

 

I teach children's yoga and the k class I teach has several special needs kids so I started setting up chill mats for the ones that find participating too much at times. I was just thinking last week I should bring the fidget toy as a quiet tool for those that need something to help quiet their mind. 

[Arcadia]

I just don't understand what is morally superior about some forms of fidgeting. What makes a fidget toy worse than a clicking pen, doodling, biting nails, etc? Really, why does it even matter?

I have no idea about the morally superior part. As a noise sensitive person, I would prefer my classmates/colleagues to

Doodle, wriggle toes - quiet and quite inconspicuous

Bite nails, twirl hair - quiet but obvious

Clicking pens, clicking fingers, grinding teeth and noisy fidget toys would make me find myself a quiet conference/study room to hide to get study/work done.

 

So far all the workplaces I had worked in including clients' sites and the colleges we have toured have quiet areas. I worked in tech and my husband works in tech. He has a lab which he can hide in when noise gets too loud and he actually likes loud music. I used to hide in the computer server room to get my work done.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Arcadia

[Janeway]

My son asked me for a fidget toy months ago. I guess he saw it on youtube or something b/c we are not in any classroom situations. He is ADHD diagnosed and I thought we'll see, well he doesn't really play with it, oh well. 

 

I just don't understand what is morally superior about some forms of fidgeting. What makes a fidget toy worse than a clicking pen, doodling, biting nails, etc? Really, why does it even matter?

 

I teach children's yoga and the k class I teach has several special needs kids so I started setting up chill mats for the ones that find participating too much at times. I was just thinking last week I should bring the fidget toy as a quiet tool for those that need something to help quiet their mind. 

The problem is..the term "fidget" was brought up as a sales/marketing thing. If you pay money for an official fidget, you are cool. And well, you spent the money and someone else made money. But if you simply click a pen, mess with something on your desk, or even scribble, then it is not cool. That is just the po' mans version of a fidget.

[Bluegoat]

I sense the defensiveness comes from the fact that for some people, there is very obvious benefit from the use of these things, whereas the people who think kids need to learn to behave properly without use of fidgets I expect are almost exclusively people who don't have kids who will otherwise pick their skin until it bleeds or fall out of their chair repeatedly or tap incessantly on the table, etc. If you have a kid in this category, the choice of which is better is pretty clear, but it's easy to dismiss as a fad if you don't. Fwiw, we own some fidgets, but not any of the current trendy-type ones, and all are silent and unobtrusive. Only one of my kids is in the category where it's clearly beneficial, and none of them take them everywhere. My one who most benefits knows to grab one in situations where undesirable behavior is likely or is happening (I hear you to whoever mentioned the chair foam destroying!)

 

I don't really think this is true.  I think most people think there are some kids who need items to help with such things, but that lots of kids who are using them, don't.  In fact that's what people have said - this is a fad and being used as a distraction or fashionable item by some or maybe many kids - and somehow the response is "you don't know what those kids need".  That isn't always true - many people know some particular kids after all - but it's also possible to make a statement about a group that wouldn't be true of everyone in the group.

 

It takes time and effort to learn to sit without fiddling.  It takes practice.  Kids that are capable of practicing need opportunities to do so. 

 

And I think the other side of this is a big part of the reason kids are having trouble sitting and concentrating is the work they are being asked to do is inappropriate - too much sitting, especially, not enough exercise.  Fidget toys to mask that isn't a great approach IMO.

[Bluegoat]

The problem is..the term "fidget" was brought up as a sales/marketing thing. If you pay money for an official fidget, you are cool. And well, you spent the money and someone else made money. But if you simply click a pen, mess with something on your desk, or even scribble, then it is not cool. That is just the po' mans version of a fidget.

 

It's a created need.  Most of it will end up in the trash.

[marbel]

It is a trend. It is a part of the snowflake syndrome too. "Oh, I just MUST have a fidget or I cannot possibly concentrate." whine...

 

Even my own child has that written in to his IEP. Telling kids to stop fidgeting is a thing of the past. Fidgeting is the new cool.

 

In the olden days, we fidgeted by scribbling on our papers, messing around with a rubber band we might have, twirling our hair, etc. Now days, kids have to have official fidgets. A lot of merchandising in selling things with the title "fidget."

 

Sigh.

 

First you say (basically) "back in my day"... kids were just told to stop fidgeting.  Then you say (basically) "back in my day..." kids fidgeted but with stuff they already had, not special toys.  

 

Some kids - and adults! - cannot not fidget. Believe me, my fidgeter does not think it's cool!   They are forced to sit still for far longer than they are able to manage on their own.  So they look for ways to help themselves.

 

Clicking pens, cracking knuckles, tapping feet are all distracting to others. Twirling hair can be distracting and it breaks the hair.  Biting nails can be distracting and it makes for ugly nails plus it's a way to spread germs. Rubber bands can be distracting and they can hurt someone else when they are snapped and shot at someone.  Scribbling is frowned upon in some schools. 

 

But they are better than a device (high falutin' word for toy) someone buys their kid, how?

[Catwoman]

While I realize that some kids derive a real benefit from fidget toys and find that using the toys helps them concentrate and stay calmer and more focused, I can't help but wonder if many of the kids who are playing with them only because they're trendy might actually be distracted by the fidget toys. I know when I play with one, I get so caught up in clicking the buttons on the little cube or watching the stupid spinner thing spin around, that I lose my focus on other things. I can imagine that causing some real problems in a classroom environment.

[Guest]

Sigh.

 

First you say (basically) "back in my day"... kids were just told to stop fidgeting. Then you say (basically) "back in my day..." kids fidgeted but with stuff they already had, not special toys.

 

Some kids - and adults! - cannot not fidget. Believe me, my fidgeter does not think it's cool! They are forced to sit still for far longer than they are able to manage on their own. So they look for ways to help themselves.

 

Clicking pens, cracking knuckles, tapping feet are all distracting to others. Twirling hair can be distracting and it breaks the hair. Biting nails can be distracting and it makes for ugly nails plus it's a way to spread germs. Rubber bands can be distracting and they can hurt someone else when they are snapped and shot at someone. Scribbling is frowned upon in some schools.

 

But they are better than a device (high falutin' word for toy) someone buys their kid, how?

 

For kids in a classroom/co-op/church, a spinny doo-dad is way more distracting than a pen. Who cares about a pen? If I have a habit of turning the pen over and over while I read, no kid is going to say, "ooooh! I want to play with your pen, too!"

 

I don't have a problem with someone who really does need a device using that instead of chewing their fingers till they bleed or flapping their arms. But I don't think every kid who *might* fidget should have one, and moreso for an NT kid who simply needs to learn some physical self-control. It is a skill that people should practice, learning to sit attentively, for example, or not using a phone as a crutch distraction any time one is between activities.

 

It is true that fidgeting has long existed; it even seems to me that more destructive forms of fidgeting were once much more common. But it is also true that people did once expect a typical person could manage to not fidget when decorum required it and truly, I do see a lot less of expectations in present day. In some ways, I don't think it's a good thing.

[Farrar]

For kids in a classroom/co-op/church, a spinny doo-dad is way more distracting than a pen. Who cares about a pen? If I have a habit of turning the pen over and over while I read, no kid is going to say, "ooooh! I want to play with your pen, too!"

 

I don't have a problem with someone who really does need a device using that instead of chewing their fingers till they bleed or flapping their arms. But I don't think every kid who *might* fidget should have one, and moreso for an NT kid who simply needs to learn some physical self-control. It is a skill that people should practice, learning to sit attentively, for example, or not using a phone as a crutch distraction any time one is between activities.

 

It is true that fidgeting has long existed; it even seems to me that more destructive forms of fidgeting were once much more common. But it is also true that people did once expect a typical person could manage to not fidget when decorum required it and truly, I do see a lot less of expectations in present day. In some ways, I don't think it's a good thing.

 

The spinners are definitely more distracting - they whirr slightly and - more importantly, they're heavy and easily dropped and half of them light up. I wouldn't let my kid take one into class. Definitely better for solo reading or studying or possibly a situation like working in a small group. The silent version of the cubes though? Or a stress ball? Or one of those twisting things everyone has now? Nah. Not more distracting than a pen.

 

I have had kids want to take other kids' pens and erasers and so forth in class because playing with them looks fun. I had two kids once get in a grabby war over a clicking pen. To the distractible among us, trust me... you flipping you pen around might be mesmerizing.

 

I think it's really... if you're going to allow them, then it's hard to know where to draw the line. Obviously, in public school classrooms, the IEP is the line that can't be crossed. And if individual teachers want to make rules for their classrooms otherwise, then they can for everyone without one. For things like Sunday schools and so forth... I really think teachers have to just be teachers and the rest of us can just butt out. If it becomes a distraction, then *that's* the problem, not the fidget objects. And, again, I would just say that fads have been fidgets forever. Silly Bands on your wrist a decade ago = okay. Silly bands shooting across the classroom = problem. And it's the same for the spinners.

[Lady Florida.]

Dd, 15, needs them to help with her skin picking that is part of her OCD. The picking is bad and the toys would be worthless is she didn't take them everywhere. She does try to keep them mostly silent but I'm sure they do distract some people.

Ds19 has one for the same reason, though with him it's anxiety related. It helps him focus too - he has adhd.

[meena]

One of my children truly benefits from having an object that is designed specifically for fidgeting. This child will handle pens, pencils, papers, plastic cups, etc to the point that child inadvertently destroys the object. So what starts out as just messing with a normal office supply ends up as a mess that is way more distracting than the use of a fidget device.

 

I bought spinners for this child and another of mine who just thought it seems cool. They are both allowed to take them in public but have to watch to make sure they're not used in a manner that distracts others. One child brought the spinner to church but was only allowed to hold it and turn it slowly (not spin it) that wouldn't make noise or visually draw attention. They also know that if anyone asks them to stop or put it away, they are to do so immediately. 

 

For some kids, they have spinners because everyone else does. They'll grow out of the fad and devices like this won't follow them to higher levels of school or work. For those kids who do truly need to keep their hands busy, they will possibly grow into adults that have physical coping mechanisms. I think the key is they'll have to train themselves to (1) notice when they are in fidget mode, (2) fidget in a way that is not distracting and is socially acceptable, (3) have multiple modes of fidgeting, and/or (4) pursue interests/careers that channel their physical needs in a productive manner. We are working with all of those points with our child who compulsively fidgets.

 

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I'm just curious, for the majority kids, if they actually help them concentrate and retain more information, or if they're so busy playing with their toy that  they actually retain less. I could easily see that being the case with some kids. I have no idea- merely a question. I also wonder what the typical board room would look like if all of the execs had fidget toys......have to wonder how it translates to the real world. 

 

I've only gotten this far in the thread, but 15 years ago a professor told us about studies showing that our brains retain information better when our hands are occupied. Whenever she gave inservices, she put a big dish of paperclips on the tables and encouraged the attendees to fiddle with, twist, and chain them while listening.

[AimeeM]

It wouldn't be rude depending on the work environment. There are some companies that have fidget friendly cultures for sure - like in the tech industry. I know it's stereotypical, but ds and I used to go to a meet up for a techie group that was in a tech start up company space and it was *filled* with things clearly being used to fidget and goof off (not to mention fusbal and so forth).

 

And it's possible that the culture will change as these things become more common and twirling and chewing on pens becomes less. There's nothing inherently rude about it as long as it doesn't disrupt.

 

Of course, any fidget can become a disruption in the wrong hands or situation. I've taken erasers and pens away that were being used to tap or fling things in class. And those are "acceptable" fidgets.

Agreed. DH is an engineer and, when I told him of this conversation, he relayed that it's true--in his experience--that many of his workplaces have been "fidget friendly" -- it's been true at most of his workplaces that it's absolutely acceptable that he has "toys" or "things to fidget with" at his desk (balls to toss in the air or whatever). In fact, he looked caught off guard by the question and stated that he hadn't really thought anything of it until I mentioned that some people on my forum seemed annoyed by "fidget toys."

 

And I really see no difference in the actual usage of these new toys when compared to the pen tops people used to chew, or the erasers I used to crumble. They are new and more directly marketed, but people who need to fidget have always existed -- and have always fidgeted.

[Janeway]

Sigh.

 

First you say (basically) "back in my day"... kids were just told to stop fidgeting.  Then you say (basically) "back in my day..." kids fidgeted but with stuff they already had, not special toys.  

 

Some kids - and adults! - cannot not fidget. Believe me, my fidgeter does not think it's cool!   They are forced to sit still for far longer than they are able to manage on their own.  So they look for ways to help themselves.

 

Clicking pens, cracking knuckles, tapping feet are all distracting to others. Twirling hair can be distracting and it breaks the hair.  Biting nails can be distracting and it makes for ugly nails plus it's a way to spread germs. Rubber bands can be distracting and they can hurt someone else when they are snapped and shot at someone.  Scribbling is frowned upon in some schools. 

 

But they are better than a device (high falutin' word for toy) someone buys their kid, how?

The entire time I read your post, I was clicking on the mouse highlighting over and over again. So yes, I fidget.

 

But, my perspective comes from someone who does not approve of sending my children to a school where my child is expected to sit still all day in a classroom, not moving. If someone wants to buy an official "fidget" for their child, fine. But, I do not believe it is necessary for anyone to have an official "fidget."

[Jean in Newcastle]

I wish that I knew about fidgets when Ds was much younger. The fact that he didn't use one was not a moral victory but actually a detriment.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Farrar]

The entire time I read your post, I was clicking on the mouse highlighting over and over again. So yes, I fidget.

 

But, my perspective comes from someone who does not approve of sending my children to a school where my child is expected to sit still all day in a classroom, not moving. If someone wants to buy an official "fidget" for their child, fine. But, I do not believe it is necessary for anyone to have an official "fidget."

 

Well... I mean, that could be said of practically everything in life. You don't need that nicer coat, you can make do with the old one. You don't need an expensive planner, you can make do with one from the dollar store in the fall. You don't need nicer art supplies if you're not an artist, you can deal with Crayola. You don't need the name brand cereal, you can make do with store brand oatmeal. But surely everyone has some things they choose to get the better options of if they can afford it. And we don't need to begrudge them. It's nice to have a thing that silently clicks and lets you roll a little ball around in it instead of having to constantly remove a pen cap. And it's also like, $5, and doesn't have to be distracting. So... why should anyone be judgey about it?

[Jean in Newcastle]

So... why should anyone be judgey about it?

Hear, hear!

[maize]

I'm having a really hard time seeing sitting still without moving any part of the body as a major virtue. I don't think humans are generally designed to do that, and why would we want to expend part of our mental energy constantly reminding ourselves to sit still? Doesn't seem conducive to thinking or to learning.

 

Now, limiting the distraction factor of our fidgeting when in a group situation I do think has some value and can be taught to and learned by most people. But sitting without moving as a virtue in and of itself seems nonsensical to me.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have actively encouraged my Dyslexic child to fidget and chew gum etc. anything that may stimulate his brain to help him with reading.

[Farrar]

You know, I feel like it's worth pointing out... if someone wanted a thread that was more like "those darn fidget spinners are making me crazy!" I'd have a lot more sympathy. Now that we've had one for a couple of weeks, they are one of the most distracting fidget toys I've ever seen and have way more potential for falling down and just becoming a distraction instead of a focus tool. Like, ds was trying to teach himself to toss it, while spinning, from one finger to another. Which is fine... but is clearly a task in and of itself and not anything that should be done while doing anything else unless the something else is "watching TV for fun."

[NorthwestMom]

My 13 year old ds has two fidget toys. He asked for them because his friends started bringing them to school. All of these kids are neurotypical, by the way. I was shocked when I searched on Amazon at all the fidget toys available and I immediately realized that there is a giant population of kids and adults that could (or do) benefit from them. My ds and his friends though...they are just using them because they are "cool" right now.

 

As someone who works with kids with autism, I am thrilled that fidgets are cool right now.   :hurray:  By all means, let all the kids have them and take any residual stigma away!

[Jean in Newcastle]

You know, I feel like it's worth pointing out... if someone wanted a thread that was more like "those darn fidget spinners are making me crazy!" I'd have a lot more sympathy. Now that we've had one for a couple of weeks, they are one of the most distracting fidget toys I've ever seen and have way more potential for falling down and just becoming a distraction instead of a focus tool. Like, ds was trying to teach himself to toss it, while spinning, from one finger to another. Which is fine... but is clearly a task in and of itself and not anything that should be done while doing anything else unless the something else is "watching TV for fun."

But isn't that a parenting/ teaching thing? I mean, Dd has both kinds and they meet different needs. The spinner is definitely a free time boredom buster for her. I have no trouble guiding my kids into having discernment in their use and location. And Dd isn't in a lot of classroom situations but I would expect any adults who have actual authority in that situation to speak up. But random judgey people? Nope. Their opinion doesn't matter to me.

[Arcadia]

Now that we've had one for a couple of weeks, they are one of the most distracting fidget toys I've ever seen and have way more potential for falling down and just becoming a distraction instead of a focus tool.

My kids have the snake puzzle toy as a fidget and it does make noisy clicks when they are playing with it.

https://www.amazon.com/ShengShou-Magic-Snake-Puzzle-Twisty/dp/B00I6W5VW6

 

My youngest nephews and nieces have these teething rings which can be used as fidgets. So everyone else just need to raid the babies' stash of teething rings :)

https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Twisty-Figure-8-Teether/dp/B00009IMCK

https://www.amazon.com/Nuby-Bug-Loop-Teether-Colors/dp/B000J1OOJI

[Farrar]

But isn't that a parenting/ teaching thing? I mean, Dd has both kinds and they meet different needs. The spinner is definitely a free time boredom buster for her. I have no trouble guiding my kids into having discernment in their use and location. And Dd isn't in a lot of classroom situations but I would expect any adults who have actual authority in that situation to speak up. But random judgey people? Nope. Their opinion doesn't matter to me.

 

Oh, absolutely. But to me there's a difference between a thread with the premise "objects with this purpose that I don't really like are unnecessary" vs. "this particular popular fad is annoying to me personally". I mean, the first one (the premise of this thread) is something I disagree with and find judgmental. The second one is just... we're all entitled to be annoyed by fads. That's just a personal opinion - and they can be annoying. But being annoyed doesn't presuppose that teachers aren't dealing with it appropriately or whatever.

[Farrar]

My kids have the snake puzzle toy as a fidget and it does make noisy clicks when they are playing with it.

https://www.amazon.com/ShengShou-Magic-Snake-Puzzle-Twisty/dp/B00I6W5VW6

 

My youngest nephews and nieces have these teething rings which can be used as fidgets. So everyone else just need to raid the babies' stash of teething rings :)

https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Twisty-Figure-8-Teether/dp/B00009IMCK

https://www.amazon.com/Nuby-Bug-Loop-Teether-Colors/dp/B000J1OOJI

 

This is seriously the fidget version of that first teething ring:

https://www.amazon.com/Tangle-8800-Relax-Therapy/dp/B001EWC5M4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1493089040&sr=8-6&keywords=tangle

 

We have it and the first time I laid hands on it, I was like, oh, it's a teething ring for teens.

[Tangerine]

As someone who works with kids with autism, I am thrilled that fidgets are cool right now. :hurray: By all means, let all the kids have them and take any residual stigma away!

As I've lurked through this post, this is exactly how I felt. Also, more power to convenient stores for selling them. Now people have easy access. It's now easier to acquire compression clothes, weighted blankets, etc. If a fad brings down the price of weighted blankets, bring on the fad.

[maize]

As I've lurked through this post, this is exactly how I felt. Also, more power to convenient stores for selling them. Now people have easy access. It's now easier to acquire compression clothes, weighted blankets, etc. If a fad brings down the price of weighted blankets, bring on the fad.

Hear hear! I've been wanting to try weighted blankets for my sensory kids for years.

[dancingmama]

Every generation has had their fidgets, we just didn't call them fidget toys. In the 80's and 90's we had jelly bracelet and shoes, friendship bracelets and pins, trapper keepers (oh, the noise of that Velcro being pulled open and closed!), and those bracelets or key rings with the spiral, heck, kids even undid the spiral notebooks and redid them. These are just off the top of my head. More recently there were stress balls, those fuzzy balls, koosh balls. In the past there were rocks, Jacks, dice. We've always have had fidget toys. Its just that the fad right now is to actually call them fidgets. But it really isn't anything new.

 

What I do like is that my ADD kiddo doesn't stand out as much anymore when everyone is fidgeting just like him. That and that he stopped chewing his sleeves and neckline of his shirts to shreds.

[AK_Mom4]

My boss has a row of fidgets on the end of his desk. They aren't for him. It's to keep me from clicking pens and biting my fingernails during infinitely long conference calls because I drive hm crazy. Fidget Self-Defence.

 

At least half the people who work for me play with the toys on my desk when they come in to talk to me.

 

My personal opinion is that fidgets benefit a certain type of creative mind. Sort of analytical-creative, if you will.

 

And Analytical-Creative sounds 'way better than calling myself Annoying and Fidgetty.

[madteaparty]

Hear, hear!

 

Now that I kep thinking, besides the grandpa beads I posted upthread (fidgeting has to be earned, I guess ;)) in my DD Montessori school they would give the kids a marble cube to handle while waiting for parents pick up if ever late. Interesting.

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

I'm sorry, but I'm not even sure what this is supposed to mean given the context.

 

Were you trying to make any specific point or were you just responding out of habit or something?

 

I was wondering the same thing about your response.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I am all for people finding ways to help them focus.  But, if they are obvious and obtrusive, then they prevent other people from focusing.  Those spinney things ... pretty distracting for everyone else.  I got hit with one the other day - a kid was playing with it and somehow it became airborne and hit me in the back of the head. The fidget cubes that make noise... very distracting and super annoying to people who have misophonia.  (Repetitive, unnecessary sounds are rage inducing for people like me.)  Fidget away folks.  But just be cognizant about how you are impacting others. 

[importswim]

I read this thread yesterday with interest. When DS was in school he would bite all of his erasers (and some erasers of his neighbors  :glare: ) into little tiny pieces. He'd also fidget quite a bit and the teacher made accommodations for him. I'm sure if he was in school he'd probably have one of these. Thankfully, at home, we take lots of breaks and can accommodate in other ways.

 

I was still thinking about it when I took DS to baseball practice. Lo and behold, one of these fidget spinners was brought out by one of the kids and another walked over to his mom and asked him to get one too! Then one of the other dads said that he just ordered one for his child because the child was bugging him about wanting one. It made me smile and think of this thread. I guess it is pretty pervasive if it's happening here.

[jewellsmommy]

This was my experience and also a sort-of funny experience w/ the public school:

 

When ds re-entered school (post homeschool). I met with his teachers about issues they were having with him. I spoke of some things we had done at home for his adhd, and suggested that he bring his thinking putty to class to help alleviate some problems. The teachers didn't want him to bring something from home, but was open to what they could do there. The math teacher (a bit of a nut that we had issues with later) started looking up something on his phone. He excitedly reported that he found a list of ideas that they could use. He spoke of big rubber bands that could be snapped, and then he was like, "oh smooth rocks sound great for rubbing and fiddling with, i could keep a bucket of them on my desk and all the kids could use them." I'm just listening to him go on and on as the teachers debated the whole concept. Then the math teacher decided he would do both and kids could pick or use both.  :huh:

 

I interrupted at that point and asked, for confirmation, that he was indeed planning to make both rubber bands and stones available *at the same time* and then added that I did not think this was a good idea to give these to a kid who has no impulse control and a documented aggression problem!! I spoke calmly, but in my head I was yelling that he was an idiot.  :scared: This was the same teacher who had to take all of the mechanical pencils from ds because he had altered them to launch spitballs (ironically, during the school's anti-bullying week), in math, at the only girl in the room and at the teacher!  Thus one of the reasons for the meeting  :lol: .

 

Yes, Mr. Teacher, you are totally right. :001_rolleyes: It is much better to arm him than to allow my thinking putty from home.  :lol:  

 

I think sometimes good ideas get way over-engineered/over complicated. I can see why objects that look or are similar to actual toys are not a good idea in the classroom. I do think, for kids, simpler is better - no noise, no lights -something to squeeze or stroke or twiddle between the fingers will meet the need with the least distraction. 

Edited April 25, 2017 by jewellsmommy

[Guest]

This was my experience and also a sort-of funny experience w/ the public school:

 

When ds re-entered school (post homeschool). I met with his teachers about issues they were having with him. I spoke of some things we had done at home for his adhd, and suggested that he bring his thinking putty to class to help alleviate some problems. The teachers didn't want him to bring something from home, but was open to what they could do there. The math teacher (a bit of a nut that we had issues with later) started looking up something on his phone. He excitedly reported that he found a list of ideas that they could use. He spoke of big rubber bands that could be snapped, and then he was like, "oh smooth rocks sound great for rubbing and fiddling with, i could keep a bucket of them on my desk and all the kids could use them." I'm just listening to him go on and on as the teachers debated the whole concept. Then the math teacher decided he would do both and kids could pick or use both. :huh:

 

I interrupted at that point and asked, for confirmation, that he was indeed planning to make both rubber bands and stones available *at the same time* and then added that I did not think this was a good idea to give these to a kid who has no impulse control and a documented aggression problem!! I spoke calmly, but in my head I was yelling that he was an idiot. :scared: This was the same teacher who had to take all of the mechanical pencils from ds because he had altered them to launch spitballs (ironically, during the school's anti-bullying week), in math, at the only girl in the room and at the teacher! Thus one of the reasons for the meeting :lol: .

 

Yes, Mr. Teacher, you are totally right. :001_rolleyes: It is much better to arm him than to allow my thinking putty from home. :lol:

 

I think sometimes good ideas get way over-engineered/over complicated. I can see why objects that look or are similar to actual toys are not a good idea in the classroom. I do think, for kids, simpler is better - no noise, no lights -something to squeeze or stroke or twiddle between the fingers will meet the need with the least distraction.

Good Lord, that teacher! Yes, let's have a David vs. Goliath lesson during math class. 😳

[Dmmetler]

This was my experience and also a sort-of funny experience w/ the public school:

 

When ds re-entered school (post homeschool). I met with his teachers about issues they were having with him. I spoke of some things we had done at home for his adhd, and suggested that he bring his thinking putty to class to help alleviate some problems. The teachers didn't want him to bring something from home, but was open to what they could do there. The math teacher (a bit of a nut that we had issues with later) started looking up something on his phone. He excitedly reported that he found a list of ideas that they could use. He spoke of big rubber bands that could be snapped, and then he was like, "oh smooth rocks sound great for rubbing and fiddling with, i could keep a bucket of them on my desk and all the kids could use them." I'm just listening to him go on and on as the teachers debated the whole concept. Then the math teacher decided he would do both and kids could pick or use both. :huh:

 

I interrupted at that point and asked, for confirmation, that he was indeed planning to make both rubber bands and stones available *at the same time* and then added that I did not think this was a good idea to give these to a kid who has no impulse control and a documented aggression problem!! I spoke calmly, but in my head I was yelling that he was an idiot. :scared: This was the same teacher who had to take all of the mechanical pencils from ds because he had altered them to launch spitballs (ironically, during the school's anti-bullying week), in math, at the only girl in the room and at the teacher! Thus one of the reasons for the meeting :lol: .

 

Yes, Mr. Teacher, you are totally right. :001_rolleyes: It is much better to arm him than to allow my thinking putty from home. :lol:

 

I think sometimes good ideas get way over-engineered/over complicated. I can see why objects that look or are similar to actual toys are not a good idea in the classroom. I do think, for kids, simpler is better - no noise, no lights -something to squeeze or stroke or twiddle between the fingers will meet the need with the least distraction.

I think there would be a real likelihood of unauthorized physics experiments even without documented aggression issues. I mean, one of the rules for my DD's summer program is "no science experimentation outside the labs".