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Is this unusual ?

(64 Posts)
ninathenana Tue 23-Feb-21 11:58:05

Brief background. Oldest GS will be 12 in May, his 9 y.o. brother is SEN.
They haven't had a very stable home life until a year ago. They share time between their dads house and my daughter's. I certainly wouldn't say 12 y.o. is at all 'street wise' and is quiet a sensitive boy.
They both still sleep with cuddly toys, is this unusual for their age ? I realise it could be due to their history but worry about the 12 y.o. mates finding out.

MissAdventure Tue 23-Feb-21 12:14:33

Both my grandsons sleep with a cuddly toy.
(One is 18!)

When the 13 year old has friends round, nobody seems to comment on it like they probably would have done in "our day".

kittylester Tue 23-Feb-21 12:23:09

DGS3 has a variety of cuddlies dotted round his room and doesn't seem to be embarrassed about it.

JaneJudge Tue 23-Feb-21 12:24:35

My 13yo has no SEN and sleeps with loads of teddies etc

TerriBull Tue 23-Feb-21 12:30:21

My son's girlfriend when visiting our house a year or so ago found my son's first teddy in the wardrobe in the spare room where they stay. She felt that said bear shouldn't have to live a solitary, life all alone in a wardrobe sad so he was spirited back to their house to be coupled up on bed with her threadbare bear smile Not sure they sleep in the actual bed with them though, but I gather the inanimate object bear is a lot happier now, or so I'm told!

timetogo2016 Tue 23-Feb-21 12:30:56

I have three cuddlies by my bed as they were bought for me by my Gs my dad and my mom whom are both deceased,so i gain comfort from them.
My Gs thought it was really nice i kept the one he gave me even though he was only one y/o at the time.
And he still has a cuddly my friend bought him when he was born and that was over 13 years ago,and yes it`s still on his pillow.

Hithere Tue 23-Feb-21 12:33:10

Worrying about what people might think is pointless

Somebody will find something that they can make fun of, however tiny and insignificant it is

eazybee Tue 23-Feb-21 12:51:51

Taking classes of eleven -year olds away for 'adventure weekends'. the pupils were advised to take a cuddly toy with them, and all of them did, some pretending that they were a mascot..
When they went up to bed all the toys had disappeared and there were tears; the extremely odd teacher whose class it was had hidden them, for a joke, and thought their distress was very funny. She didn't last long.
But the point is, all the boys seemed quite happy to produce their soft toys in front of their friends.

PaperMonster Tue 23-Feb-21 13:00:38

I still sleep with a cuddly and I’m 51!!

M0nica Tue 23-Feb-21 13:14:40

DD is still inseperable from her cuddly toy and now several friends so said toy is not lonely all day when she is at work.. She is nearly 50.

Anyway, who cares what other people think?

annodomini Tue 23-Feb-21 13:30:41

GS(15) still sleeps with 'big dog' in his bed. His brother (13) takes one of the cats to bed with him! As for me - well, I'm 80.

ninathenana Tue 23-Feb-21 13:31:02

Thanks for your replies. Reassuring.

Snowbird7 Sun 28-Feb-21 20:00:21

He's in good company to have a few cuddly toy friends. My son is over 16 and he uses them to push up into a pillow at night.

Woodmouse Sun 28-Feb-21 20:07:04

My daughter has just turned 29 and sleeps with a collection of cuddly toys. Please don't worry.

MiniMoon Sun 28-Feb-21 20:18:05

My 3 grandsons all sleep with cuddly toys. They are 12, 10 and 8. The eldest boy often takes his out with him when they go on a trip.

NanKate Sun 28-Feb-21 20:28:14

My 10 year old football playing DGS is permanently attached to his Moo. I suspect he will take it on honeymoon ?

nadateturbe Sun 28-Feb-21 20:47:12

My 10 yr old GS has a collection of cuddly toys.

ValerieF Sun 28-Feb-21 20:49:27

Slightly sexist - in this day and age lol- would you be querying it if it was a granddaughter?

Nothing wrong with boys loving their cuddly toys. I was upset that my first grandson rejected any kind of cuddly thing from a young age. He slept with Thomas the Engine and only loved things with wheels. Then at 9 he watched Mr Bean and asked for a teddy. smile. Was thrilled ?

BrightandBreezy Sun 28-Feb-21 21:44:07

My dgs is 16 and his special, from babyhood cuddly toy is still in his bed. When we go on holiday as a family the toy comes too. He doesn't take it when he goes on sleep overs to his mates' houses though grin

Oldwoman70 Mon 01-Mar-21 07:47:07

I gave my nephew a cuddly toy when he was around 2 years old - he is now in his 50s and although he doesn't sleep with it (I think his wife would object) he refuses to part with it.

AliBeeee Mon 01-Mar-21 10:41:13

My DS made it into The Times a few years ago with his beloved Eddie. They were both aged 31 at the time, the photo was part of an exhibition of adults with their first toys.

AliBeeee Mon 01-Mar-21 10:42:44

Photo didn’t seem to load first time.

polnan Mon 01-Mar-21 10:44:08

firstly, what is a SEN?

I am in my 80`s. grew up during war years and after, never ever had a cuddly toy, first doll when I was about 11 ish, but didn`t know what to do with it!

latest few years, my best friend, dil and other dil and ds have bought me cuddlies,, but I don`t know how to sleep with one..

seems I miss something? especially as my dh died 15 months ago, still don`t know how to cuddle "cuddlies"

Gelisajams Mon 01-Mar-21 10:47:29

I was concerned when my 14 year old son still had all his toys and cuddlies in his room and was reluctant to part with them. One day I came home from work and his room was transformed. All toys gone and posters on the wall. Everything was in the dustbin!

Tea3 Mon 01-Mar-21 10:52:50

I’m getting worried about my two now, neither was much interested in soft toys at any stage in their childhood.