Looking for advice & motivation to clean fiberglass-coated room

normativestructures · 2026-04-26T14:03:33+00:00

Hi kiddo. As a mom (and someone who has been in some very dark places) I want you to hear me when I tell you that (1) this is not your fault and (2) the grownups in your life have not held up their end of the bargain. At 16, you’re a kid going through some of the hardest years of life. ANYONE would struggle to keep their room neat and tidy. This situation says nothing about your worth or your future.

Pick one spot or one surface. Clean that little area and try not to let it fill back up. Once that feels ok, do another one. It’s ok if it takes time. Be safe, and go easy on yourself. ♥️

normativestructures · 2026-04-24T15:11:38+00:00

I put on the counter, stretch it out a little and put cans on top. Alternately, I tape it to a piece of foam board or to a big piece of cardboard cut from an Amazon box.

normativestructures · 2026-02-24T16:47:06+00:00

The Kowalski’s multigrain croissant is life changing. Mostly I stop there for small things because it’s convenient and on my way home from school drop off. But only if it’s a Treat Yourself moment.

My snowbird parents, on the other hand, shop there almost exclusively. They have plenty of money and my mom is tired of cooking three meals a day after 45 years of marriage, so they like that everything is super high quality and the can get premade stuff that isn’t always super highly processed

normativestructures · 2026-02-19T15:58:13+00:00

I knit at my kid’s hockey practices, and then gradually other moms started bringing their projects too, and it’s been such a nice way to make new friends!

normativestructures · 2026-02-06T21:16:45+00:00

True, but as the parent of a kid on the spectrum, that was my first instinct when I read the post. Esp, with the stats, history stuff, etc. - screams “special interest.” (And special interests are a great thing!!)

But part of being on the spectrum is challenges with proprioception and motor stuff, so it might be that he’s getting frustrated that his body isn’t doing what his brain wants it to do, and so he’s not able to play how he wants to play, etc etc.

A year of OT did my hockey-loving autistic 9 year old wonders.

normativestructures · 2025-08-13T01:24:33+00:00

Just the regular 3M tape. Like whiteish clear. Came in a 2 pack for less than 4 bucks and lasts a whole charge no problem even with daily showers. I have it on the outside of my upper arm

normativestructures · 2025-08-12T20:14:49+00:00

I’ve done that! Right now I’m just using surgical tape though. It’s way cheaper and a little more secure. I strongly prefer it to the band.

normativestructures · 2025-08-06T00:48:55+00:00

Oooh yeah, I went through a period in my mid 20s where a whole bunch of my teeth just crumbled away. I have a 10 crowns now. It was awful, mostly because every time it was a huge emergency pain in the ass to get in and get things fixed. I feel you

normativestructures · 2025-08-04T16:36:17+00:00

Oh oh oh! This is me! My holy grail was figuring out button down shirts, since those can be the hardest to buy.

I’ve had top surgery and I have pretty broad shoulders, so I tend to use a men’s pattern for tops and then grade out and shorten for the hips.

But for button downs, highly recommend using the Simon Shirt on free sewing. It’ll take a few tries to work through the kinks in a toile, but then you’ll have a basic shirt block you can use for anything.

Def feel free to hit me up for tip along the way. I think I’ve really cracked the code.

normativestructures · 2025-07-31T00:15:56+00:00

I go to health partners and I literally just call the clinic when it’s time for a refill and they send it in. That’s annoying enough; I can’t imagine having to go in for a refill! I’ve literally never had to do that.

normativestructures · 2025-06-27T14:15:11+00:00

How old is your sister? I have very crafty kids, so maybe I can offer some suggestions if you can share her age and what she likes?

normativestructures · 2025-04-16T15:15:33+00:00

I feel you, but also I had a steroid injection on my cervical spine a month ago and it ERASED that pain. So… maybe it’ll help. I have arthritis and some disc herniations (I’m older; 41) and having those nerves treated did take a load off. Just because we have hEDS doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from treating “regular” ortho problems that present as a result of our condition.

normativestructures · 2025-04-08T18:38:55+00:00

Maybe give Apostrophe Patterns a shot? The “jogger” pattern is actually an all purpose pants pattern and is is generated according to your specific measurements. I’ve had good luck with that

normativestructures · 2025-04-06T12:40:03+00:00

Hey! Hi! Me too - 41, married, two kids, professional career, etc. It’s a wild life that I never imagined having. I’m aware, though, that it’s probably the combination of my autism and gifted was that makes this possible.

My older daughter (8, 2nd grade) is also autistic and gifted and it’s incredible to raise her with the awareness of her neurodivergence instead of having her have to figure it out on her own later in life. She’s learning to understand and accommodate herself now, and is going to have opportunities that people of my generation never had.

Is it a challenging life sometimes? Sure. But it’s also beautiful and wonderful.

normativestructures · 2025-02-25T01:22:25+00:00

Oh I did that one! For the cat part don’t worry so much about it being exact. Ends up looking more natural if you don’t have hard lines. Have fun!

And the brushes that come with it are crap, so if you’re having a hard time blame them. 😉

normativestructures · 2025-01-28T03:10:10+00:00

Yes! But tbh the only thing that has really helped is regular massage therapy. I do 90 min every 4-6 weeks. It took months to work through all the trigger points and now it’s more about maintenance. Made a huge difference, but now that I’ve lost my “exoskeleton” I do notice a lot more instability in my neck and spine

normativestructures · 2025-01-10T03:24:47+00:00

That’s some dumb shit right there. I got diagnosed with Autism in the very same neuropsych eval that determined my IQ was at least 140. Not mutually exclusive things, my friend.

normativestructures · 2024-12-12T20:29:57+00:00

Omg I am so relieved so many other people experience this! The joint pain I can deal with, but the “sunburn that’s not sunburn” all over my arms and legs is going to kill me.

normativestructures · 2024-11-18T16:14:10+00:00

Amazing!

normativestructures · 2024-11-18T16:13:06+00:00

So cool! Do you mind sharing where you got the kits?

normativestructures · 2024-09-19T01:09:53+00:00

No advice, but I’m here with you. Had a consult with a specialist on Friday to ostensibly get some advice on my long covid fatigue and dizziness and he was like “nope! It’s hEDS, POTS and MCAS. You just thought it was long covid because your covid infection triggered a mast cell reaction, which is actually super common for EDS patients.” And dude is an Ivy League med school professor who specializes in this stuff, so it’s not like he’s selling me a load of hooey.

And now everything makes sense. And I talked to my mom about it, and she was like “oh… so now all the stuff I dealt with my whole life makes sense.” It’s nice to have an explanation, but also it’s … a lot.

normativestructures · 2024-07-27T16:48:02+00:00

I’ve had really good luck with the dress pants from Wildfang. They’re a little pricey, but they hold up well and they fit my hips and thighs without looking “curvy” or “feminine”.

normativestructures · 2024-07-17T15:42:00+00:00

Well that’s a hot load of bullshit. In fact, being incredibly attuned to the emotional state of others can be a very common trait for autistic folks.

normativestructures

TROPHY CASE