Went to a performance today with Eva

[conuly]

Seven young adults telling their life stories in more or less chronological order - so we switched from one to the other as each year went by rather than staying with them the whole way through. I love the New Victory. Seriously.

Anyway, Eva spent a good deal of the show fiddling with the contents of her change purse (noisy), nudging the back of the chair in front of her (that seat was empty, but it's still disruptive to the people on either side), kicking the floor (both). I, consequently, spent a lot of time tapping her leg and shaking my head at her. When the lights came on, I took advantage of the noise to let her in on something she clearly didn't know yet - it might be easier to be involved in something if you move around, but it makes other people think you're not interested, and it's often disruptive. You gotta find a way to stim unobtrusively... or, barring that, at least quietly if you're in a theater.

Comments

[lilysea]

it's often disruptive. You gotta find a way to stim unobtrusively... or, barring that, at least quietly if you're in a theater.

THANK YOU. Some adults have not learned this lesson yet - I still remember seeing Pirates of the Carribean in a sold-out cinema, and the person behind me spent the entire movie kicking the back of my seat every 5 to 10 minutes...

As I have lower back pain, this was especially unwelcome.

[conuly]

I would not hesitate to turn around and tell them to quit it. I've done it before, and I'll do it again. Adults, at least, are supposed to know better.

[lilysea]

I turned around and glared/scowled at them a bunch while seated... they didn't notice, I guess.

Maybe next time I'll stand up, blocking their view and say "Please stop kicking my seat, it causes me pain."

[conuly]

You gotta say it. Deathglares don't ever work.

[julian]

I sometimes sit in back, in non-movie theaters, so I can get up and not be disruptive.

[conuly]

The trouble here was she was making noise and jostling the other seats.

[julian]

Yeah, that's a different level of issue.

[ancarett]

We have some stim jewelry from a company called Ark therapeutic. They've been great for quiet managing.

[conuly]

I bet!

[novel_machinist]

I dunno if this is an option, but I've seen people giving their little ones knitting or crocheting stuff to fiddle with. I know adults who still knit as a way to keep the fidgets down.

[conuly]

She'd have to learn to crochet first....

[jesse_the_k]

I know it's totally out of fashion now, but damn I love my silent fidget spinner. They're also much cheaper since they're yesteryears hot fad.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Hair ribbon. I stimmed my way through countless plays, ballets, concerts and operas by playing cat's-cradle with my hair ribbon. Hair items almost never stayed long in my hair before I pulled them out to mess with them: I could make a stim-toy out of almost anything. But satin hair ribbon is both nice to play with, and silent when dropped; plus it won't skitter away under the seats in front of you like a barrette will.

[conuly]

And it won't tangle up like hair itself will.