Hey guys - looking for tips to ease daily life for the clumsy people out there. Many dyscalculics have problems with motor skills, some have a double diagnosis of dyspraxia. What do YOU do to make your daily life easier?
Examples - my cutboard in the kitchen is rubber, so I can squish it together and easily put whatever I cut in the pot or the pan. Hard cutboards = chaos of vegetables everywhere.
I use (reusable) plastic plates and glasses, as I went throug...h at least 20 smashed plates and cups the first year I lived on my own. You can get really awesome plates and cups these days, they look awesome and I don't have to hate myself every time I smash one - because they can't!
For the ladies who struggle with bra locks (seriously, black locks on a black bra? I'm dying), you can mark the locks you want to go together with correction fluid, or black marker on lighter colours. It can be done very discretly.
For shoelaces, I make sure to buy shoes where I'm sure I can get in and out of the shoe without doing and undoing the lace. Yes, there are millions of intelligent people out there who still struggles with this.
These are just examples. I'm sure I use a billion tricks, but they're such a normal thing to do for me, I'm not aware of it before someone points out my somewhat odd and different ways to get my life to work. For that reason, I'm looking for YOUR tips. I want more tips to help me ease my day, and wouldn't it be awesome to have a list of genius ideas?
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6097 Joined: 2008-05-25
1/7/10
My 'tip' isn't genius. In fact, most people would probably think that it should be a 'no brainer'. But I only did this in recent months,... and then wondered why it had taken me so long to figure it out.
I forget my 'log ins',... the 'User ID', the 'Password', the PIN number, the 'Student ID Number'. the multiple 'email addresses' from different colleges,... and until a few months ago, I wrote these down in different places. Finally, I've begun keeping them all in a personal Telephone book,... all of those 'log ins' in just one place. The format of the personal Telephone book, being alphabetical, allows me to put the information alphabetically under the name of the forum or agency in question. - jus'
I've got lanyards on my keys and my phone - that's a great help when I'm in a hurry to find them in my bag. Actually, I think I need one for my wallet as well.
When I'm taking a bath, my glasses are always in the washbasin to make sure I don't drop them on the floor. Even better, I don't have to search the bathroom because I forgot where I put them.
I'm a violin so stop trying to make me sound like a piano!!
Dyscalculia doesn't bother me as much as all the nasty accessories that came with it
I am rather clumsy myself. I have an inability to realize my body's position in any given space. I decided that even though I am short in stature, I must refrain from wearing high heeled shoes. Believe it or not, that helps me out a lot!
what a great thread.
like creepingjenny, I am careful with shoes.
I dont know where my feet are in certain shoes, so I have my favourites. I never go upstairs or downstairs in shoes - always bare feet, because then I can feel where I am.... I do like fit flops because they make me very aware of where my feet are, its something to do with the contact of the sole of my foot on the differing surfaces of the shoe
keys, handbag, phone, always go in the same place in the house.
In the kitchen, everything organised, specially in the cutlery drawer
I always park in the same place in the car park, within reason
and always in the furthest car park at work because the spaces feel wider.
I use so many tricks to get tound maths/number at work its unbelievable. But the simplest is to write the date down every day , first thing, where it is very visible
1) I have ONE notebook where I leave all my notes. Any interesting articles, phone numbers, etc. go in the same book. Any thoughts or random ideas - you guessed it! It goes in the book. When that is full, it goes on a shelf. So all information is chornological. That seems to work for me. My mind seems to catagorize WHAT I learned WHEN I learned it, which I can usually put those pieces of the puzzle together to figure out where to locate the information.
2) I have a big backpack. People tease me because of it, but it has everything in it I might need in any situation (hat, gloves, small medical kit, scissors, army can opener, work badge, work information (charts and graphs that help me with my required paperwork), wallet, keys, and phone. That way I never have to "remember" to bring anything, or have to buy multiples on-the-go because I always have my basic essentials.
I know you're talking more about physical clumsiness... but mental clumsiness is my problem a lot too.
Physically I am relentless about an overabundance of junk - i need a SIMPLE and CLEAN environment. That helps!!
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6097 Joined: 2008-05-25
2/23/12
Angie, good for you for tackling the overabundance of junk problem. Universities should offer degrees in how to reduce clutter, and possibly a specialization in assisting dyscalculics. ;) - jus'
