Childish interests is an Aspie thing? Feeling embarrassed?

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When I went to ToysRUs for the first time last year, it was like a dream come true! Although my mother (who drove me there) was very biased by the fact I wanted to go and spend some of my refund on toys, I really enjoyed my time there. It's also one of the only physical places around here that actually sell Sonic and Pokémon merchandise. Anything that isn't a Sonic the Hedgehog or Pokémon game, I would have to buy online, through things like Amazon. Amazon is how I got my Shadow plush. It's nice to go to a store and physically see these things before I decide on whether or not I'm going to buy.

If I had some more cash right now, I'd go back there again. It's probably my all-time favorite store! It's something that actually interests me and not stores like the Burlington Coat Factory that my mother has me go to sometimes. I'm glad no one asked me if I was buying the things I had in my cart for a younger brother or child... I would've looked at him/her with a grim scowl and stated that I was buying them for myself getting anxious for the awaited, "Oh..." followed by the commonly associated weirded-out look.

I've got a few childish interests - board games, Lego, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Doctor Who, to name a few. But being interested in childish things, I don't think, is something to be embarrassed about - there is a huge nerd/geek culture surrounding a lot of this stuff. It just makes you one of the nerds/geeks and that is definitely nothing to be embarrassed about. I know someone who's obsession is all things Disney, in particular, the Little Mermaid. Nothing wrong with that. If it makes you happy, then embrace it.

I, like others here, have also learned not to broadcast my interests too much when I'm around the general public, but if I'm at my games club, Lego store, or toy store I let loose - but only with other adults. I have a rule of never talking to or acknowledging children in these stores unless it's an emergency or the parent/guardian of the child has given their permission to do so. I know people get very suspicious if you talk to their children, even if they share the same interests as you do. I also made a point of introducing myself to the staff at the stores so they know who I am and what my interests are. Now they know me and are happy to talk to me about the new Lego set that just came out or the new Star Wars toys. They are surprisingly tolerant and are willing to intervene on my behalf if there is ever a misunderstanding. I suspect that there is a higher prevalence of ASD amongst the nerd population anyway, which could explain their tolerance; I know not all of them have ASD. Besides, I figure normal people are the weird ones - what possible joy or pleasure could they have in their lives without some sort of special interest? It just doesn't make sense!

I'm 35 and still sleep with my stuffed duck Puddles that I got when I was 3. Not having him causes a sleepless night and a meltdown. He comes everywhere with me, even to hotels when I have to travel for work.

If only I could mentally handle things without fearing judgment and without having reoccurring incidents replay in my mind. Even mentioning I like Sonic the Hedgehog raises red flags no matter who it is that I talk to, even other so-called "Sonic fans". This is because Sonic the Hedgehog has a superior bandwagon full of hatred, its basically a trend to hate Sonic and those who REALLY like it. Also I have an unconventional way in my interest to "childish" things, which tends to be very "inappropriately" sexual and "weirdly" spiritual. And due to that, it has gotten me under hot water from a lot of people throughout the years hence why I try to keep secluded from others. But I HATE IT! People should be able to express their love for things in any way they do no matter how "disgusting" or "childish" it may be to contemporary society.

I wish I didn't feel ashamed and I wish I didn't feel like killing those who don't like it. I get very sensitive towards those who show any spite to things that I like. So I feel more safe to just not display such interest in public for fear that I will either go insane, cry or become hostile towards someone.

Ah yeah, I am aware of that issue with Sonic, although I never quite understood why people would hate him. I think the trick is to find people who share the same interests or who are non-judgemental. Internet forums are a great place to start and certainly the people on WP are non-judgemental. Bad experiences, unfortunately, are common, and it's taken me a while to find friends who share the same interests. Constant replay in my head of situations that have gone wrong is also common for me. It is a delicate balancing act to choose what you revile and to whom, and I still don't always get it right! A friend once told me - "Shy bairns get nowt!" (Showing my northern English/Geordie roots there...) It translates to "Shy children get nothing." Meaning, that if you don't ask or put yourself out there, despite the pain it can cause, you get nothing in return and are no better off then you were when you started. So now whenever I'm in a situation and I'm not sure quite what to do, I hear that phrase in my head and speak up. At the very least it has worked to expand my social scripts and resulted in some surprisingly positive results. As for the constant replay of negative situations - well, that's what my meds and stimming is for. It quiets them for a while and lets me refocus.

As for the "inappropriate" stuff... well, having a bit of a background in the medical field, you would be surprised what 'normal' people get up to! I do wonder if the "disgust" they express is because they feel it's they reaction they are supposed to express rather than considering how happy it makes you. And we're supposed to be the non-empathic ones!

I'm a little embarrassed by some of mine, like my interests in dolls and stuffed animals. Sometimes, I feel like a little kid with my love of those things, but I've started to care less and less over time about how people perceive them.

"Act your age" is on my list of FKKED UP THINGS COMMONLY BELIEVED BY NTS". You like what you like. That's not screwed up. What is screwed up is the NT reaction to it, esp those who think this is stuff liked only by pedophiles. Nevermind that the Catholic definition of heaven is a nude, mute, 12 year old Mexican altar boy with no gag reflex.

My biggest passions are music and anime, but I admit, at the age of 18, I still have some rather kiddy interests.
I love soft toys and have a rather big collection of them.
As well as that, I do like some children's shows. My particular favourite is probably Rainbow (it's not aged well and it's very over the top, but that just makes it brilliant).

I never tell anyone in real life about these. They're just my guilty pleasures. We all have them in some form or another ^^

Well I don't know whether I'm autistic yet, I have my assessment tomorrow but I love Harry Potter, Jurassic park/world, shrek, Disney and I will always default to family films because I like the humour better. I'm
39.

Cut the Rope with the candy eating Sweet Pea, Om Nom is a special interest of mine. I enjoy seeing that the little green Sweet Pea gets his candy. I also have a giant Om Nom plushy that I sleep with. I like to play with Lego as well.

I have a lot of age-inappropriate interests. The big one ATM is Despicable Me, but I also like Lazytown.

I tend not to talk about them in public though, because it kinda makes me sound like a paedophile trying to groom kids...

Don't feel embarrassed! After reading many of the comments in this particular subject it would seem that many of us love stuffed animals. I can't imagine not sleeping with my stuffed bear at night nowadays anymore because it makes me feel so good! And he helps me to sleep too!

I've recently discovered over the past few months that the less I cared about NTs' opinions the better I felt about myself.

To everybody: My Aspie soon to be wife had the same feelings about her toys... and then I showed her *MY* collection. Vintage robots from the 50s and 60s. Superhero toys from the 70s to the present. Transformers from the 80s when TF was great. A massive Dr Who montage. Kenner Star Wars toys from the original three films. Of course they are now all hers too.

I could not agree more.

I agree. I'm 23 (soon to be 24) and I still play with dolls and stuffed animals. I regret nothing.

No, and no. You do not represent other aspies and it's not part of the diagnosis.

It's wonderful that you two share this toy interest commonality as Aspies! I have to say I'm somewhat jealous that you still have the Transformers from the 80s as I really miss my collection. Alas, mine are all lost now.