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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or certifiable? Honestly? Or do lots of people do this?

75 replies

stiflersmom · 02/03/2011 16:23

I have a sandpit (well, an oven tray full of sand) which I play with when I am stressed, or jut when I feel like it (usually in front of the tv in the evening)

I like to play with it dry for a bit, then add a bit of water and mix through so it goes all crumby and fluffy, then massage it in my hands until it is all dry again

If I don't have it I get CRAVINGS for it, seriously, like cigarette cravings

I need to smell it and scrunch it, for some reason

I am also craving snow, but I don't know how to make that so I just chew ice cubes instead

am I weird?

OP posts:
ArfurBrain · 02/03/2011 16:48

Does it matter what anyone else thinks? It is harmless and clean and legal :)

You can buy mini zen gardening kits with sand and little rakes. You are onbviously very Zen Grin
Are you a kinetic learner?
I use blutac and platescine as a private thinking tool. Even when I am at the computer my hand is fiddling with elastic bands or bit of blue tac. It's almoist a compulsion. But it harms no-one.
I am an ex smoker FWIW, but have always been a fiddler, a twiddler, doodler etc.

Original poster
stiflersmom · 02/03/2011 17:01

I like the idea of little buckets and spoades actually

and I may put some little shells in it:)

OP posts:
Original poster
stiflersmom · 02/03/2011 17:02

I don't know about kinetic learner, I am lousy at sport but I do love mountains

and I paint an play instruments and write (not very well)

I am a "dabbler" I think

dh thinks I am nuts, he was a bit alarmed by the sandpit

OP posts:
BettyCash · 02/03/2011 17:10

It is freaking weird, but we've all got certain habits no-one else would understand. You're not hurting anyone and it makes you feel better, YANBU

Maryz · 02/03/2011 17:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hmmSleep · 02/03/2011 17:42

I think you're anaemic, take some iron supplements. I craved the smell of leather, plaster and cement when pregnant and the cravings went as soon as I got my iron levels back to normal, this happened in all 3 pregnancies. I could be found lingering in shoe shops or damp cleaning cupboards Hmm.

psiloveyou · 02/03/2011 17:55

A little strange but harmless. Grin

My mum makes something that looks just like and has the texture of snow. It's called lemon snow (as she adds lemon for flavour, duh) I will PM you the recipe tomorrow. You could leave the lemon out and it will be snow.

Original poster
stiflersmom · 02/03/2011 17:59

maryz I think I might well be

my ds has a dx of Aspergers and everyone who knows me jokes that he gets it from me

I even asked my GP about getting a possible dx for me, but there is no provision for assessing adults for ASD where I live apparently

I did wonder whether it was really that "odd" to play with sand the way I do - as others have pointed out, lots of people like fiddling with stuff - mzybe it is the fact that I have embraced it, having n actual sandtub etc, that is odd?

OP posts:
Original poster
stiflersmom · 02/03/2011 18:01

YES please to the snow recipe!!!!!!!!!Shock

even ds1 did a double take one night in January when he got up for a wee to find me sitting at the computer eating a large dish of snow with a spoon Grin

I actually felt very down and borderline depressed for a while after the snow had gone. It became part of my landscape and I felt "wrong" for weeks without it.

OP posts:
Maryz · 02/03/2011 18:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OneWaySystemBlues · 02/03/2011 18:12

I think it's a sensory thing. You say that you would probably be diagnosed with AS if you were at school today - and people with AS have compulsions to do all sorts of unusual things which make perfect sense to them, in order to fulfil some sensory need or other. My son has AS and he has to touch the corners of things! You might be interested in a book called The Out of Synch Child (it's on amazon) - I know you're not a child, but you may find lots of things make sense! It doesn't do anyone any harm and it helps you relax, so I wouldn't worry about it.

madav · 02/03/2011 18:45

You can get fake 'snow' from Hawkins Bazaar if it's the fiddly thing you like. You can't eat it though.

rightpissedoff · 02/03/2011 18:53

I think you are weird but I like it.

I have a terrible thing, my treat of the day in the winter. Before lighting the fire, I sniff all the firelighters, just once. I don't miss if it I don't light the fire. But I do wish I played with sand instead.

rightpissedoff · 02/03/2011 18:54

I think your sand thing is lovely.

Choufleur · 02/03/2011 18:54

Weird

CameronCook · 02/03/2011 18:56

I did think it sounded a bit ASD-ish - just from the sensory pleasure. But so what? You've found something that relaxes you,makes you feel good and doesn't harm anyone - that's good surely?

MogadoredMemoo · 02/03/2011 18:57

Don't worry you have to do really really loopy things to be certifiable. On a scale or 1-10 you're only about a 2!

zukiecat · 02/03/2011 19:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

itsalarf · 02/03/2011 19:05

You've just stumbled across the fact that it feels relaxing, and you've decided to continue when many people would not. That's all. How many people enjoy playing in the beach? Loads. Personally I'd love to be on swings, slides and seesaws everyday because it would relax me. I often think adults need to "play" more. You are just relaxing.

Spammead · 02/03/2011 19:10

That's one of the oddest things I have ever read on AIBU. And that's saying something.

You are really a little bit mad. But you are in bloody good company Grin

Embrace it! Seems harmless. It's things like this that make people interesting.

rightpissedoff · 02/03/2011 20:20

every time i see this in threads i'm on I want to sniff a firelighter

dammit

Jbck · 02/03/2011 20:22

I have a biggish Zen Garden that I love to rake and play with the sand. If DH touches it I go quite berserk at him, he ruins the patterns. It's out of reach of the DDs.

I really missed the snow once it went although I've never sat down on a Saturday night with a Ben & Jerry's Bowl O' Snow. It caused me a massive inconvenience and was actually quite stressful to the whole family re work, school, nursery & childcare but I loved just opening my back door and jumping into about 2 feet of it for weeks.

So I don't think you're weird at all but I do have an OCD diagnosis, although I'm in control of it now and when someone posted the links on here to the online tests to check just how Aspergery we all were I was way up there Grin

ArfurBrain · 02/03/2011 21:14

i love snow too. And sand. I play with it on the beach hours after the dc have stopped and are bored...
I'm about as far removed from asd as you can imagine.
I do like textures though.

happyteetotal · 02/03/2011 22:50

Is it wrong that I really want a mini sandpit? :) I like jigsaws, I don't see any issue with having anything harmless that relieves stress. Many people do things I find very odd like obsessing over shoes, or keeping reptiles as pets. Buy a bucket and spade.

GotArt · 02/03/2011 22:55

I like playing in the sand... never thought of my own in house mini sand pit though. Hmm

I have an impulse to knit though and have a never ending ball of knitting that is about 4 years old... at this rate I could've had a few sweaters, but no, its just a really, really, really long scarf.