Do you have a problem with breaking things by accident?

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nick007
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29 Sep 2015, 8:52 pm

I had that problem occasionally as a kid but it may of been normal for the age.


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LtlPinkCoupe
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30 Sep 2015, 8:30 pm

I used to have problems with accidentally breaking things, too, and I think it was due not only to motor skill issues but also due to impulse control. For instance, when I was 9, I was once in this gift shop that was selling these little stuffed bats (It was Halloween) attached to tiny coiled springs. The idea was that you'd hang them up and they'd bounce around - cute. :) Now, it so happened that one of my favorite stims was to "bounce" things attached to elastic cords and springs - such as Slinkies, those little bouncy balls attached to straps, water yo-yos, etc. Without thinking, I grabbed one of the bats and started "bouncing" them around with wild abandon...which resulted in the wire spring getting all tangled and bunched up. I ended up having to pay for it and take it home...which wasn't too bad, since it was kind of cheap-ish and I did like it, anyway. I think I still have it somewhere. It was just a good thing it wasn't something more valuable.

I think what solved the issue for me was just remembering to look at things, but not touch them. Taking stock of the settings/environment that each object was in helped a lot, too. For instance, reaching out to touch/handle a stuffed animal or toy in a Target store = nothing to worry about; looking through a book at Barnes and Noble = also okay, as long as my hands were clean and I didn't tear the pages; a delicate blown-glass animal miniature in an antique store = probably don't touch.

I also spent a couple years in Occupational Therapy between the ages of 11 and 13, which probably helped with motor issues. There are still times, however, when I don't trust myself with particularly delicate items, and decide it's best to just leave them alone. I'm sure there are many things I've broken or marred by accident in my young adulthood - I just can't remember them at the moment.


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marcb0t
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01 Oct 2015, 12:20 am

nerdygirl wrote:
I drop things all the time. I have broken so many plates and glasses that we only use plastic now. A full grown adult...eating off plastic like I'm 4.

I also bang into things a lot and knock things over.

When I was younger, I tightened bottles and other things too tightly, and the rest of my family could not get them open. I do better at that now.

After living in the house I've been in for 10 years, I've also had to replace countless bowls and glasses. (I like anchor hocking brand).

Also, I always use to over tighten lids on refrigerated jars. My roommates got onto me about that, and I learned to not over-torque our condiment containers to FAA standards. :P

I don't break things near as much anymore, but I still have my moments. :? I have a problem not spilling almond milk from my cereal bowl while walking at the same time. I don't notice my bowl tipping to one side so I can compensate in time. :(


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nerdygirl
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01 Oct 2015, 5:07 am

marcb0t wrote:
nerdygirl wrote:
I drop things all the time. I have broken so many plates and glasses that we only use plastic now. A full grown adult...eating off plastic like I'm 4.

I also bang into things a lot and knock things over.

When I was younger, I tightened bottles and other things too tightly, and the rest of my family could not get them open. I do better at that now.

After living in the house I've been in for 10 years, I've also had to replace countless bowls and glasses. (I like anchor hocking brand).

Also, I always use to over tighten lids on refrigerated jars. My roommates got onto me about that, and I learned to not over-torque our condiment containers to FAA standards. :P

I don't break things near as much anymore, but I still have my moments. :? I have a problem not spilling almond milk from my cereal bowl while walking at the same time. I don't notice my bowl tipping to one side so I can compensate in time. :(


This reminded me that I have learned how to do amazing catches with elaborate (unplanned) choreography. LOL. I can drop something and suddenly realize I've dropped it, then try to catch it, then it bounces off my hand and I try to catch it again, etc. Sometimes I succeed! When I do succeed and other people see me, I get comments like "Good catch!". In reality, it's "dumb drop", but they didn't see that part...

I've also destroyed many favorite shirts by spilling or dropping food on myself. Grrrr...

My problem with dropping stuff is so pervasive that if I hadn't had this problem all my life, I'd be concerned about MS. I can just stand around holding something, doing nothing else that should interfere with holding it, and then just drop it. One time, I was standing talking to my son's bass teacher, holding a pick-up. Then I just dropped it. A week ago, I was holding something in the kitchen and turned to look at something else, and dropped it. Seriously?

I don't understand how I can play elaborate piano pieces, but I can't figure out how to make sure I'm holding something correctly.



marcb0t
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01 Oct 2015, 8:08 am

nerdygirl wrote:
marcb0t wrote:
nerdygirl wrote:
I drop things all the time. I have broken so many plates and glasses that we only use plastic now. A full grown adult...eating off plastic like I'm 4.

I also bang into things a lot and knock things over.

When I was younger, I tightened bottles and other things too tightly, and the rest of my family could not get them open. I do better at that now.

After living in the house I've been in for 10 years, I've also had to replace countless bowls and glasses. (I like anchor hocking brand).

Also, I always use to over tighten lids on refrigerated jars. My roommates got onto me about that, and I learned to not over-torque our condiment containers to FAA standards. :P

I don't break things near as much anymore, but I still have my moments. :? I have a problem not spilling almond milk from my cereal bowl while walking at the same time. I don't notice my bowl tipping to one side so I can compensate in time. :(


This reminded me that I have learned how to do amazing catches with elaborate (unplanned) choreography. LOL. I can drop something and suddenly realize I've dropped it, then try to catch it, then it bounces off my hand and I try to catch it again, etc. Sometimes I succeed! When I do succeed and other people see me, I get comments like "Good catch!". In reality, it's "dumb drop", but they didn't see that part...

I've also destroyed many favorite shirts by spilling or dropping food on myself. Grrrr...

My problem with dropping stuff is so pervasive that if I hadn't had this problem all my life, I'd be concerned about MS. I can just stand around holding something, doing nothing else that should interfere with holding it, and then just drop it. One time, I was standing talking to my son's bass teacher, holding a pick-up. Then I just dropped it. A week ago, I was holding something in the kitchen and turned to look at something else, and dropped it. Seriously?

I don't understand how I can play elaborate piano pieces, but I can't figure out how to make sure I'm holding something correctly.

Lol, that description with choreographic catching is priceless. I know how that is. I don't know how many times I've done that.

I think the reason we have so much trouble with focuses coordinating is probably the same reason that listening to multiple conversations is near impossible... for me at least. Personally I can generally focus on one thing at a time. If I try to do more, I risk forgetting something, like if in focused on walking to a table, I am not able to focus on bowl stability and compensation for that, and looking ahead of me to determine my steps all at the same time. So I spill the milk, or forget tasks at work because I was so focused on the previous thing I was doing.

Just a thought. Piano playing is challenging for me. I'm still trying to learn how to use both hands for playing "Lucy and Linus". I can do left or right hand separately, but both at the same time is pretty tough! :?


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GodzillaWoman
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02 Oct 2015, 5:43 pm

All. The. Time. My partner gave me the "Godzilla" nickname after I accidentally destroyed the DVD player. I knock things off shelves, drop things, toss things into the air, and knock them over. I also lose my balance and lurch into things, earning myself a bruise. I've fallen over on perfectly flat, smooth surfaces, looking as though i just tripped off a step. I broke a lot of toys as a kid, probably because of problems estimating pressure. (many had masking tape leg or arm casts) I trip or fall over because I have trouble figuring out my center of balance. Lots of things get knocked over because I seem to not know how long my arms are, and I try to put my arm through something. Most of the appliances and furniture have some sort of damage done to them. I jokingly say that my home was decorated in "Early Crime Scene." I usually spill something on myself once a day, so I always pick clothes with complicated patterns so it doesn't show. When I was painting, I frequently had a splotch of paint on my face or hair. I avoid using any art materials that are toxic, because I'd almost certainly poison myself.

I've gotten kind of philosophic about it. It's annoying and a bit embarrassing, but not the worst thing in the world. I don't buy anything expensive that's breakable, and I drink from plastic cups. I avoid china shops as though they are mine fields! I think my co-workers are pretty much used to their shambling, slightly scruffy co-worker lurching through the halls.

If you see some woman stumbling absentmindedly down the street with tangled hair, a coffee-stained blouse, a slightly ripped skirt hem, and a bit of oil paint on her forehead, say "hi GodzillaWoman!"


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