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Christmas

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Replacing a beloved toy - honesty or deception

52 replies

InbetweenDreams · 27/08/2026 16:42

I know some people have bought replacements of their children’s favourite toys and they might tell them a little story of how they “came back” from wherever they were lost or that kind of thing.

I am having a bit of a dilemma. My children’s favourite toys were damaged severely by being in a mouldy environment. My youngest has asthma and a laryngeal disorder that is reactive to mould, otherwise we might not have noticed. We had to get rid of everything that was “soft” - toys, clothes, furnishings etc.

I knew my DDs would be devastated to lose their favourite soft toys, so I tried to save them. We have treated them with everything we could get, done loads of research - after everything we’ve done the toys are barely recognisable. The fur is totally ruined. And still, my youngest gets this reaction so they’re still not even safe.

I have found, on Vinted, replacements of these toys - like some kind of miracle. My DDs don’t want the replacements. They want their original toy. But their original toys are making DD ill! Should I lie and say I’m sending them off to get a “make over”? Or another thing I thought was to buy some “special wash” (cheap conditioner) and chuck them in the wash, and then produce the “restored” ones after? My final idea was to swap their old toys for the replacements on Christmas Eve so they wake up with the new ones and say Santa did it? 😂

My DH says it would be dishonest. I just don’t know what to do. They flat out refuse to replace the toys, but I know continuing use is making my DD worse.

OP posts:
InbetweenDreams · 27/08/2026 17:22

Tryagain26 · 27/08/2026 16:46

I don't think a little white lie to make a toddler feel better is a bad thing.
Get the replacements and tell them that they have been in a special wash or been to a special toy hospital and now they are safe.
I wouldn't wait until Christmas and I wouldn't worry about being dishonest either.

This was my thought - it needs to be asap really. I wish they would just agree to replacing them, but they won’t. Do you think if I produced the fluffy new versions they would want to swap? Or would it be best to just sneakily swap them?

OP posts:
Tryagain26 · 27/08/2026 16:46

I don't think a little white lie to make a toddler feel better is a bad thing.
Get the replacements and tell them that they have been in a special wash or been to a special toy hospital and now they are safe.
I wouldn't wait until Christmas and I wouldn't worry about being dishonest either.