I’ve never been the best at keeping up with trends. It took me ages to finally invest in those buttery-soft leggings, and I only learned about bottle flipping after shouting at my kids to stop before they drenched the living room floor about a thousand times. Don’t even get me started on the fascination with Orbeez; I still don’t get it.
More often than not, I stumble upon the latest crazes through fellow parents venting their frustrations on social media. So it was no surprise when I caught wind of fidget spinners just last week. A neighbor’s kid had one in the car, and my son suddenly declared that he absolutely needed one—even though these spinners have been around for quite a while.
What Are Fidget Spinners?
In case you’re as out of the loop as I was, let me fill you in. Fidget spinners aren’t just another passing trend; they’ve long been utilized as sensory tools for children with autism, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or ADHD. Similar to stress balls, these spinners provide fidgety hands with something to occupy themselves, allowing children to focus better. As the name suggests, they simply spin. You hold the disc, give it a twirl, and let the calming effect take over. I can’t explain why they work, but they do. Seriously.
Adults Are Joining the Trend
But it’s not just kids who find them appealing. Reports from Forbes highlight that adults are also drawn to fidget spinners. Instead of biting nails or clicking pens, you can now twirl a sleek fidget spinner. However, while the kids’ versions can set you back $10 to $20, the adult counterparts can be quite pricey—sometimes even a couple of hundred dollars.
Mental health professionals have endorsed similar toys for years; even the classic Slinky is considered one of the original fidget devices, as noted by Dr. Emily Carter. Although fidget spinners and their ilk aren’t precisely new, their popularity has surged recently. The Fidget Cube, which is essentially the luxury version of the fidget spinner, ranked as the ninth-most funded project on Kickstarter, raising nearly $6.5 million. Forbes even dubbed fidget spinners the “must-have office toy for adults” in 2017.
My Experience with Fidget Spinners
I decided to buy a fidget spinner from Amazon to see what the fuss was about, especially since my son struggles with focus at times. Though he’s neurotypical, he has a tendency to fidget and bounce around rather than sit still at a desk. I thought this spinner might help.
When it arrived, my son was at school, so I decided to try it out myself—what could go wrong? I was surprised by how oddly soothing the spinning motion was. There’s no trick to it; it’s just a disk that spins, but I found it strangely captivating and calming. My racing thoughts slowed, and I felt a bit more at ease.
But that tranquility was short-lived. As soon as my son got his hands on the fidget spinner, chaos ensued. Within six hours, I had already intervened in 15 squabbles between him and his brother over whose turn it was, and I’d raised my voice about taking it away nearly a hundred times. He spins it everywhere—at home, during dinner, and even in public. While it might help him focus, it’s driving me absolutely nuts.
The Parental Perspective
I’m not the only one who feels this way. Many parents and teachers are equally fed up. The rapid rise in fidget spinner popularity means that a lot of kids who don’t need them for mental health reasons (like my son) are using them as toys, which may lead to more distractions in classrooms than they alleviate. Parents can only tolerate so much spinning before it turns into a source of annoyance.
As for whether the fidget spinner aids my son’s concentration during reading or homework, the jury’s still out. One thing’s for sure, though: I need to get my own fidget spinner to cope with the distraction his spinning has caused.
Further Reading
For more insights on parenting and navigating childhood challenges, check out our other posts. You might find valuable information related to your own experiences, including resources on pregnancy and home insemination, like this enlightening article on intracervical insemination. If you’re interested in a more comprehensive understanding of the fertility journey, Make a Mom offers expert guidance. And if you want more detailed information on IVF procedures, visit the NHS.
Conclusion
In summary, while fidget spinners may provide some benefits for certain children, their recent surge in popularity has led to frustration for many parents and teachers. The balance between aiding focus and causing distraction is delicate, and it seems that both kids and parents are still figuring it out.