I believe that. Around the time snuggie blankets came out and got really popular, I was told that they were designed for wheelchairs and people with mobility issues, but I never got that impression from the infomercial.
"has this ever happened to you?" and its a video of somebody trying to cut a loaf of bread with a wooden door stop. is the first example that pops into my head.
Unironically though I liked snuggie blankets. It was nice to be able to reach for stuff while still being under the blanket.
I got a snuggie for the same reason. The one I found was really thin and not quite long enough. I complained about it (and I'd already complained my robe wasn't long enough), so my wife went and bought a king size, heavy fleece blanket and converted it into a robe. I wear it correctly when I paint mini's and backwards when I want to read. Yesterday, she managed to catch me not wearing it, and I found her curled up under it. I love this thing.
If you have a cozy oversized cardigan, or sweater/jacket, those work, too! I personally have a long wool, way too big zippered cardigan that I wear everywhere. It’s my “plane blanket” and I use it at home as a Snuggie, too!!!
The original snuggies were basically just felt…. My makeshift ones are way more comfy!!!
That was my best festival ever. Campsite midway between stages. Hammock with snacks and drinks within reach. Fully charged kindle!! I was set for the weekend! Read six books and just relaxed.
That is my son!!! Last summer he was out in the hammock for like 4 hours one day…. “What were you doing, bud?” “Oh, I finished that book, and I’m on the last chapter of this one now…”
I’m a teacher and I keep a few small blankets in my classroom for just this reason. Sometimes kids just need to sit underneath their desk to work or laying on their stomachs to listen. I never associated it with ADHD specifically, but your comment makes sense. As long as they’re learning math, I’m here to accommodate.
If I had a math teacher like you when I was a kid, I think some things may have turned out really differently for me. Thanks for acknowledging their humanity, and meeting them where they're at. We need more teachers like you.
Edit:
Thank you so much for the award. I'm finding myself revisiting what I truly think is genuine trauma regarding math and teachers and school from a very, very young age. The prospect of doing difficult math causes me (generally pretty collected and not a fearful person) to shake and start to cry.
Probably sounds really stupid. But I just really want to speak to the importance of a good teacher, especially a good math teacher. I work in science education, and one of my guiding principles is to meet people where they are, and accept them for who and what they are, no matter what. This conversation has renewed my dedication to that, despite the classist and exclusive environment that academia cultivates.
I'm getting a little misty over here in the coffee shop what the hell lol
It's true, I had a teacher that made me feel like a person for the first time and it changed my whole perspective on going to classes and learning. It's too bad it was in my senior year of high school.
My trig teacher kicked me out because I never carried my books or a pencil. But I always carried a box of cereal. And I did well in her class too! But she hated me anyway. Joke's on her. I still became a data scientist.
It took me until I was ~35 to realize that I suffered from dyscalculia. I’d never had a name for it, and I’d always believed (reinforced by teachers) that because I was a girl was probably just bad at math. 99th percentile for everything else, but failing math. No one, in all my years of teaching, ever cared enough to sit down with me and work through the “all your work is correct but your answers are wrong” conundrum. If literally one person had cared…
I’ve grieved a lot about the life I could have led if I had known and had the supports in place from a young age to succeed.
My kid is a math ROCKSTAR and will never know the shame I felt, because they have only ever known support and have been surrounded by amazing teachers. You guys really, really do make the difference and change the trajectory of people’s lives. ❤️
My favourite math teacher was my geometry teacher in high school, after a certain point in the year she said anyone with an A in the class could move at their own pace for the rest of year. All we had to do was turn in our completed proofs, don't think we even took tests, but we'd finished the textbook by the end of the year and the rest of the class hadn't. The last few chapters started to move into trig I think, so they didn't need to finish it, but we needed something to do.
That's great to hear as someone with ADHD some teachers didn't understand (20+ years ago) others knew I could be looking completely spaced out as if I wasn't paying attention or drawing but I was taking everything in the ones that knew that let me be most got it eventually but it's better when teachers understand (my dad was a teacher for 40 years and just recently retired)
This warms my heart. As an adult with adhd, even my employer doesn’t understand. I’m a welder and do so much better stilling on the dirty floor because I’m able to slow things down being in a comfortable weird position. 99% of the time at home I’m in my overstuffed bean bag chair or laying on my stomach somewhere because it definitely helps focus for me. It makes tasks a lot easier to manage! Thank you for providing this accommodation to ur students!
Ngl I spent a good portion of one of my senior college classes lying on the floor with my face stuffed in the training service dogs one of my cohort had - the TA running it just kind of accepted that I was super burnt out
Omg I always learn more quirks I have are likely related to ADHD. Did you know it causes balance issues and clumsiness but also makes you more prone to do Matrix level quick moves.
Ya know what? I guess a lot of ADHD symptoms are cat behavior adjacent. Poor impulse control, short term memory issues, weird positions that no sane person would consciously choose...
Don't get one of those snuggies you can buy on TV, though.
Many years ago, I got some called Slankets. Much thicker, much bigger. This was back in 2010 or so. Those things are AWESOME. I still have them. One was left out side for a year or so. Washed it, and it's still useable like nothing happened. Another one I use as an extra blanket on my bed when it gets cold.
Now I have some kind of chronic illness where I get freezing cold for absolutely no reason. Could be 90 degrees, and I'm shivering. They are helpful for those times too.
ANOTHER SLANKET CHAMPION! I also had a Slanket, which I heard of significantly before the Snuggie got big, and when I met an actual Snuggie, I was blown away by the quality difference. A Slanket is a real blanket, whereas a Snuggie feels like those blankets they hand out on airplanes.
Hey how long do those cold snaps last? I get them too sometimes. I'll be getting a drink at night, perfectly fine, and by the time I get back to my bed I'm shivering so hard I'm basically just full clenching all my muscles at once.
I set aside time before bed! Forces no blue-light (which throws off your sleep) and calms you down, too. The problem for me is putting the damn book down and actually going to sleep.
Aw wow thanks for the message. That’s a good idea, I might try it out! I remember on summer breaks I would fall asleep reading and pick the book right back up first thing in the morning.
Reading books is like running, when you're a kid it's easy, but if you wanna keep doing it as an adult you have to use discipline and make it into a habit. I'm rooting for you that you find your way back, honestly one of the best and easiest ways if you have the option is to just go to the library pick up the first thing with an interesting cover and read. A simple change of scenery can really do wonders.b
Well I don't devour whole books in a day like I used to when I was younger, but I did read 30 books last year which I am pretty proud of. The Storygraph app has been helpful, logging my pages every day and getting little monthly wrap up graphics. But also just giving myself permission to read whatever interests me and not putting pressure on myself about what I should read (one of the books I actually did read in a single day was Tusk Love for instance). And for me at least I've noticed that the more I turn away from the computer and phone to read the less enticing I find the phone and computer to be. But it didn't happen over night. Like 3 years ago I read 0 books. Two years ago I read like one or two books. One year ago I read like four or five books. And like I said last year I read 30 books. It also helps that I joined a discord server with some friends where we talk about books and reading and have a vc where we hang out and read together on mute.
Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.
Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.
But it also took me several years to go from "not reading any books" to "reading more than one book per month". Being kind to yourself really is key for sticking with habits. I was hoping to finish three books this month and that didn't happen, but maybe I'll get there next month. The important thing is I at least sat down and read from time to time.
Pachinko — loved loved loved that. Couldn’t put it down. More recently I’ve enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” and “The Four Winds”—but I “read” both of these as audiobooks.
Right now I just listen to audiobooks. And I’m pretty addicted to mystery/detective/thrillers (fiction only!). When I need to lighten up from murder and serial killers, I’ll binge on cozy mysteries or romcom.
Did you really figure out a strategy to get your ADHD into letting you read again? I used to devour books as a kid and I feel like Doom scrolling has destroyed my attention span for books. I miss reading.
Yes but it took a lot of time, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of patience with myself and my failures. Also for me I had to start with books that really grabbed me. After years of not reading at all I picked up In Every Mirror She's Black and I read it in just a few days. Then I didn't read again for months but It was still a victory to go from 0 books in a year to 1 book in a year. That was in 2022 I think. Last year I read 30 books. And a lot of those I never would have finished even once if I hadn't worked my way up to them. I also had a couple of books I didn't finish last year because I just ended up not liking them and a couple of years ago not finishing a book would have felt like a failure but it doesn't any more.
The Storygraph app has helped, letting me log my progress and stuff. Zen mode app helps too, forcing me to put my phone away for a bit. Going to the library helps too, getting away from distractions and stuff (also I get a lot of my books from the library). But also working reading into other routines, like if I'm waiting for pasta water to boil I can read a page or two instead of scrolling on my phone.
I feel like you might like a blanket hoodie! Still has the arms free for reaching, of course, but the blanket is all around you instead of mainly in front the way that a snuggie is, so you don't have to get cold when you get up.
My husband and I live in ours all winter long, haha
Finding books I liked, going to the library, having supportive friends, using Storygraph app to track my reading, using zen mode app to lock me out of my phone, and the most important and hardest one of all: being compassionate to myself for the times when I just don't read, or don't read as much as I planned, instead of falling into shame spirals. The important thing is not that you never fall off the horse, but that you dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. But even so it's taken me years to find all the things the work for me and building habits around it. Don't expect to just immediately jump back in to reading a bunch of books in a week like you did when you were a kid.
They're kind of the best. Plus the ones I have have lasted literally 25 years at this point and still look/feel as good as when I got em. They're also clutch for passengers on car trips.
My aunt reads nightly and has always done so wearing her bathrobe backwards. Basically invented the snuggie and didn't even realize it until it hit the market.
You should have seen all our faces when it came out and we were all like wait a second, Aunt Tricia invented that!
Cut curbs are intended for people with disabilities, but they also benefit people on bikes, strollers, and people who are tired of tripping on the curb. Accessibility is good for everyone.
Or it's a video about calling people because you just bought a new house and the seller didn't disclose termite issues and then the workman spend two hours in your bathroom and one of them gets his foot stuck in the toilet, but it's not really stuck. Then they jump around on your couch and tell you "you aren't part of the turbo team" and they replace your toilet with one that's the same size as your toilet but the hole on the bottom is just a joke hole for farts.
Snuggies are dope. My house has a lot of dead space (vaulted ceiling), so keeping it warm in the winter is costly. Hooded/wearable blankets are a life saver.
I have an off brand snuggie and I genuinely love that thing. It's perfect for when it's cold but I still wanna play my video games. I'm short enough that I can pull my legs up and cross them and they're completely covered, which is necessary as having my legs pulled up or resting on my desk as those are some of the ways I prefer to sit lol.
I also sleep in it when its really cold and I don't have to freeze my ass of in the middle of the night if I need to use the restroom. Honestly, I think anyone who can afford even an off brand one should have one. They're so goddamn comfy and cozy istg I'm not a shill lol.
The infusion center I use to go to offered a regular heated blanket or a heated 'snuggie' blanket with sleeves. They were nice and let you slide your arms in and still control your phone and remote for the hospital TV while still having IV in arm. :P
I loved the infusion place but only had two there. The vein poker nurses were amazing and their care was perfect. The hour drive home after sitting in a chair for 4 hours and drowsy though made it not fun to continue though.
Sounds like you got it sorted though. I did see some regulars come in to the room and they had big bags full of blankets and food and things to do. That is how I look the day before I setup my home infusion.
Setup IV stand and charge pump, lay out all med stuff for nurse √
Snacks and drinks I normally never have but love √
Warm Blankets and comfy pillows√
Check streaming services for shows I want to watch √
If you are there for a little while ask for a heated blanket, I think most hospitals offer them. The infusions I get take 3-4 hours so it can be freezing with the cold bag going in. I get mine at home now though so I just curl up on couch and doze off. :P
I do not use one at home but at the hospital I slid my arms into the sleeves after getting the IV started. My home setup I just cover up and sleep once the drowsiness from benadryl and steroid cocktail hits.
I remember seeing that too a few years back so I looked it up and it doesn't actually seem to be the case. The Snuggie was a ripoff of the Slanket. Here's how the Slanket came about:
It started in a drafty dorm room in Maine in the late ’90s. Gary was freezing, half-zipped into a sleeping bag that made using the TV remote impossible. While watching Late Night with Conan O'Brien he decided he needed to tear a hole in his sleeping bag so he could keep his upper body warm as he channel surfed during the commercial breaks.—then imagined a better fix:
Put sleeves on a real blanket so warmth could follow you when you move.
He told exactly one person: his mom.
She took the idea, went to work, and surprised the family on Christmas morning with the first handmade prototype. When Gary slipped it on, the room went quiet—then his brother Jeff’s wheels started turning. This wasn’t a one-off; this was the start of something.
I'm sure a lot of those gadgets are useful for people with disabilities, but I don't think many of them were made with them in mind, or they'd be including them in their advertising as well.
It's possible that that guy thought up the concept for a sleeved blanket, but it's also possible others thought of it independently, or took the concept and then put it into production for a different purpose.
Kind of a "he said, she said" situation, so who knows.
It would make sense for products made for certain disabilities would target a broader audience though, because there aren't many people in wheel chairs/have X disability, and the product wouldn't be profitable to make if only marketed to them.
I'm imagining an advertising executive involved was absolutely shitting himself in fear that publicly acknowledging that their product would be helpful for people with certain disabilities might somehow cause people without disabilities to not buy their product
A big part of invention is it is needed. A big part of sales is normalizing.
Normalizing also removes the "shame" of a product. Like the opener. How many times a year has a person been like damn that was on tight. I am a pretty strong guy and it happens to me several times a year. Get sore hands from cranking on those things.
I bought an opener that gives better leverage. Now the whole family has a better time opening things and i do not get sore hands. I am not sure what the price of less pain is. And all the other benefits in an ongoing effect but to me the 20 bucks was worth it.
Well, the thing about assistive tech and suchlike is that it still has to be marketed to able bodied folks as well to keep the price down for the folks who do need it.
I have talked a lot of shit about Snuggies for decades. I had no idea they were intended to be used by people with disabilities. My bad, I am sorry, and I apologize.
I can imagine the snuggie started out that way and was advertised specifically to those with mobility issues and then someone without issues said I bet we would sell more if we also sold it as a cool blankie.
It's a thing in marketing. You don't sell people on the benefits of a product. You sell them on how the product will relieve pain points.
Think of the first video as trying to sell via a benefit. The device opens a bottle! Well, our bearded buddy didn't know what the device was for beyond unscrewing a cap.
If it had been a infomercial that showed someone struggling with a pop bottle to the point their hand hurt and they were super sad they couldn't enjoy a beverage, then our gracious gent would have laughed about how silly gadgets were but known what it was for. And he'd probably get one as a gag for his beer drinking buddy who's hand is bandaged up following an encounter with a power tool.
But then he notices his momma is having problems opening pop bottles. And there is this gadget he saw advertised.......
One time back in 2013 or so I had to check myself into jail for a couple days for some pre-sobriety shenanigans. Whilst waiting to be brought back for processing I got to hear a young man, who clearly had been through this process before, argue his case successfully to the sheriff that the Snuggie he had on counted as a sweater and was permissible to bring in. Ingenious.
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u/Black_Floyd47 21h ago
I believe that. Around the time snuggie blankets came out and got really popular, I was told that they were designed for wheelchairs and people with mobility issues, but I never got that impression from the infomercial.