When I heard there was a shortage of NeeDohs'the squishy, stress-relieving toys'I called the toy store in my town in northern Florida and asked if I could buy some. Unfortunately not, the nice woman who answered the phone told me. They were completely out. They'd last had a large shipment of 180 NeeDi two weeks prior, but those were gone within an hour, even with the store limit of three per person. Apparently, she added, some kids skipped the first hour of school to nab theirs. NeeDohs'for the uninitiated'can take the form of a palm-size cube, sphere, heart, or other glob, all of which are satisfyingly squeezable. Since the product launched in 2017, NeeDohs have become popular among adults and children with autism and anxiety, stressed-out teens, and really all school-age kids. Maybe too popular. At some point recently, NeeDohs went viral on Instagram and TikTok, and kids quickly seemed to conclude that they'd better not show their face in homeroom without one. Tweens can be...
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