Fidget Blankets(1)

Cubbiegirl

My LO has a habit of getting tissues, putting them in her pocket and the twisted them over and over. She doesn't realize she is doing this.  I saw some fidget blankets.  Has anyone used them and do they help satisfy the need to keep her hands busy?

MN Chickadee

 My mother was the same way, always fidgeting with anything she can get her hands on and for some reason kleenex was a favorite. Fidget blankets worked very well for her. I ordered a couple different kinds on Etsy, one was about the size of a sheet of paper, and one was a lap blanket with various things to mess with. They were pretty and she really liked them. Cheap fidgets from Walmart or Target designed for kids helped too like pop-its and spinners and squishies and stress balls. I also got some children’s books with animal pictures she liked paging through. Anything to keep those hands busy. 

Kibbee

A friend’s mother with Alzheimer’s was going through boxes of tissues, playing with and folding them.  I had a lot of old cloth napkins so gave him a big stack for her.  Now when she gets in a fidgety mood he just gives her all the napkins jumbled up in a basket, and she happily sits and fold them all.  Win-win…I got rid of some stuff I didn’t need, his Mom has a bit of entertainment, and my friend gets a break while his mom folds her stash.

LaurenB

The hospital issued us a basic fidget blanket. It’s ok, but mom did better with a stack of washcloths that I give her and keep cycling through them.  She doesn’t see me take from the folded pile and unfold them and pass them back.

harshedbuzz

A friend's mom did this. Sometimes she gave mom dishtowels to fold. She also offered mom a Joy For All robotic cat which gave her something to do with her hands. Our local library has one they loan out for people to try.

HB

toolbeltexpert

I have been wanting to write a song using the tune to the song " these are a few of my favorite things.

Here is a little

Tissues and towels and things that like folding...... 

These are a few of my favorite things 

And then they don't seem so sad.

Someone else could fill in the rest I am sure.

mommyandme (m&m)

My mom wouldn’t mess with the fidget blankets unfortunately.  I got her a robotic cat and the function when it would lay back stressed her out like it was falling or something.  I turned off that function so it would just meow and purr.  She also messed with napkins etc… that was fine by me until everything was going in the mouth. I painted her nails just because she spent time picking off the nail polish instead of picking at her skin.  She loved her stuffed animals and picked and picked at those while also talking to them…win/win.  Paging through books worked for a long time.  I tried so many things, play dough, fidget toys… anything that seemed childish she basically rejected. (Except for stuffed animals which she always had around in her life.) 

This disease sucks so bad. 

​fesk

We didn't have much luck with fidget blankets. Also, the ones we found were cheaply made. I find it's rather hit or miss with what will work. Also, if something doesn't work at one time, it may work months later. Plastic building blocks that connected worked, things to put into containers, different sensory items. Those popper type items. I recommend buying a few things and keep trying them out. You'll hit on the right items.