Sick of myself - I can't do anything [sad]. Sorry this is a bit long

[Windermere]

I am really annoyed and pis*ed off with myself because when it comes to anything that involves doing anything slightly practical (apart from cooking) I am just useless. I have always been like this but it is becoming more apparant since becoming a mum. I have just spilt Ds's lunch all over the kitchen floor and when I tryed to clean it up, I slipped, grabbed hold of the kitchen table and knocked off a load of dishes which have broken. It was like a scene from a Norman Wisdom film . If this was a one off it would be ok but it is not I am always doing things like this and it is driving me mad. On my wedding day I tripped up the aisle (over my feet) and ripped my wedding dress.

These are things that I can't do that no one apart from my dh knows. I can't tie shoelaces, wrap presents up, use keys (until I have had loads of practice) and I can't fold ds's pushchair. Dh is losing patience with me. I know it is funny but i have had enough of having legs and arms that don't coordinate with my brain. What can I do?

It sounds to me like you should visit your GP.

And it's not your fault. you aren't useless.

have you had any medical advice regarding this matter?
If as you said you feel unable to do things with ease and that your arms and legs are not co ordinating in response to your actions then you should def see someone.
Don't bottle this matter up as you will end up worse off in the end.
hope you get sorted.

Butty.xx

My dh thinks it sounds like dyspraxia but GP said that dyspraxia goes hand in hand with dyslexia and that I would not have done so well academically if I had dyspraxia.

I know a dyspraxic that isn't dyslexic...

It does sound very dyspraxia like...

Hi Windermere,
According to DH's out of date paediatric textbook, it lists dyspraxia & dyslexia seperately & mentions specific training programs to improve co-ordination. It says:
"clumsiness in it's severe form may result in a child being so uncoordinated that he has problems at home at school and at play. Fine motor coordination problems result in untidy writing. Children with gross motor incoordination are delayed in learning to dress themsleves & have difficulty with sports, particularly ball games and they continually knock things over and frequently fall over themselves."

You could try putting "dyspraxia" and "adult" into google and see what comes up.

Dyspraxia and dyslexia are linked but it is perfectly possible to have one without the other.

I can't recall exactly but I think the overlap between the two is such that around 25% of people with dyspraxia will also be dyslexic. And of course there are big ranges in the scale of both!

Hi Windemere - your post made me smile, but in a sympathetic way!

I'm sure the dyspraxia thing is worth looking into, but if it's any comfort I'm in the same boat - my general cack-handedness only became an issue when I had ds. Had always been aware of basic ineptitude with practical and physical things: can't wrap presents; awful handwriting; tripping in the street; have trouble with left and right (I'll point right and say 'go left', drives dh mad!), but once you've got this little wriggly thing, it all becomes more serious and scary. It took me weeks to get the hang of nappies; I had to have training sessions with the pram (dh: "Again! Again!"). It makes all the usual tricky baby tasks extra hard. I just resist the pressure to go fast, try and breathe through difficult jobs (like putting vests on, orgainising supper things), anticipate tricksy moments (like packing up at the end of playgroup) and go as slow as I can and not drive others mad.

FWIW DS is always a mess, as am I, but I can do the most important things, like talk to him from time to time and remember to feed him . I was worried my clumsiness might endanger ds, but I seem to be quite steady when it comes to holding him/bathing etc.

my brother has dyspraxia and was always labelled as clumsy at school.

however it really affected his fine motor skills (as mentioned further down)... his writing is appalling!
he doesn't really fall over much, but he can't tie things up behind his back, use a mirror etc etc

having said that, you can get it in varying degrees... but would have thought you would have some probs with the fine motor skills, not just general clumsiness iyswim

sorry you feel so down about yourself, I'm clumsy too, you're great and you're doing the best you can. Plates break, sh*t happens its not your fault.