to think that a toyshop shouldn't change the fur they make their bear with?

[DachsandPup]

DD2 has an attachment to a particular bear only sold in one shop. There have been various replacements over the last 2 years and we've always had at least one bear in reserve because she NEEDS her bear.

Last night she was sick all over said item and we had to deploy the last replacement we had in the house. Went to get some replacement bears to refill the stash - AND THEY'VE CHANGED THE FUR THEY MAKE THE BEAR WITH!!!

I offered her the new bear, having sneakily removed the existing one (we swap them around regularly so they all age at roughly the same rate) and for the first time ever she realised straight away and rejected the bear.

AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH - what do i do now?

Please confirm that I'm not being unreasonable to want to hunt down whoever thought changing the bear's characteristics so much that even a 2 year old can tell the difference and drag them along to my house next time we need a replacement bear so they can see the impact their decision has had on a poor little innocent bear addict. Or alternatively suggest some other fitting punishment for them!

Our soft toys used to regularly go in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight and then a trip through the washing machine/tumble drier. Otherwise they could be full of dust mites which your child is breathing in every night. They just had to get used to their favourites being missing sometimes.

Wash him. Dd1 has one of those bears. But she also has bedtime bear. Bedtime bead got lost and fortunately then found. It was a random bear that a relative gave her and we never believed she would take to it like she did. When we realised, efforts were gone to to get a spare. Dd1 never took to spare bear - she even refers to him as spare bear. So bedtime bear is the grottiest, holiest thing ever. But thankfully being asthma friendly, was designed to be machine washable. Dts have their favourites too. They have the same toy in 2 different colours. It works, they may have them at the same time but they are happy with either if one cannot be found. They apparently are not machine washable, or so the label would have you believe. 1 has beans, the other does not. They just go through the hand wash cycle then a gentle spin before tumble drying to make sure they are thoroughly dry. They all accept that the toy has been washed far better than a replacement toy being brought in.

For op. Bedtime bear and spare bear. Bedtime bear has had his ears rubbed through. Spare bare looks more played with since a vomit and wash incident, and now dts play with him sometimes too. But spare bear is generally banished to the foot of the bed while bedtime bear is snuggled up with. Dd1 is nearly 8 and the original bear is nearly 6.

I'm oft reminded of Peter rabbit of a child I used to baby sit for. Peter rabbit is threadbare, lost his ears from chewing and granny had to knit him a new jacket. But he was a very loved rabbit and never was a replacement/spare ever found. Kids just attach themselves to things without rhyme or reason.

vombear, pinkbear and fakerubbishreplacementwholooksnothingliketheothersbear are all tucked up together on a heater having a nice peaceful sleep.

pinkbear misses his furdye but recognises that he'd get sent home from bearschool for having non-regulation fur colour so he's prepared to grin and bear it.

vombear is very pleased not to be stinky any more.

frrwlnltobear is currently investigating alternative employment.

OP is relieved to have new bear-maintenance protocols and is now seeking bed and replacement sleep...

We have Rabbie and he has been washed, sown and patched many times, he was also involved in a security incident in Budapest airport. I mDe him a pair of felt shoes as his feet fell to bits.

I love threads like these.

OP you've been a model of restraint in the face of some rather grumpy answers.

My little sister had a special teddy until she left in in the park (parenting fail on the part of my DM there). It wasn't possible to get another identical teddy in the country at the time, so my Mum had to wait until a friend brought one over. She told my little sister that teddy had been in holiday and had now returned, she was delighted.

Both my DD's have blankeys.

My eldest had a butterfly fleece blankey. Which one night, she was really ill and vomited all over it in the car on the way to hospital. I had a towel with me to clean her up and swapped that for her blankey. That was 6 years ago. She still has this purple hand towel from Asda now. It only leaves the house if we're staying over somewhere. But she used to take it everywhere with her. I've not seen a more bedraggled, threadbare towel in all my life. But, as with the toys it has become a member of the family (and blankey is male for some unknown reason)

DD2 had a duvet cover to begin with. She dragged that sodding single quilt cover everywhere. Until an 11 hour flight to Cuba. I'd bought myself a slankey so we could snuggle when she got tired. She claimed that slankey as her new (also male) blankey. Fine....

It was huge, note the word was. When I was at work my DH said to her they were going to make blankey smaller. So he cut off a large square, which DD took too. Afterall, blankey had only gotten smaller, not been changed.

Now if I had done that, I'd have cut two squares off.

But no. The pillock cut one square off. And threw the rest out (sob).... blankey went on an adventure one day. (We lost it okay?). And never returned. For 3 nights DD2 cuddled Daddys blankey (his gym towel - clean) until one day, we're walking through Aldi and they are selling baby blankets.

Now she has a baby blanket from there....but will she take another? Will she heck. I have to prise it from her when she's sleeping to wash it.

I think kids having these comforters is cute as sin. But why do they have to choose obscure ones?!

I have spent a fortune on spare Dollys on eBay since M&P no longer make her the same. Once a toy is discontinued, its second value is whatever someone will pay.

DSs 1, 2 and 3 all have their original teddies who turn 25, 25 and 14 this year respectively and they've been through the wars something chronic. Washed in many things (including white spirit once when DS3 dropped him in a tin of paint), patched, stitched, sewn back together after DS1s monkey's arm and tail came off in a tug of war at show and tell. DS3 actually hand washes his teddy now because he's scared he might be damaged in the wash. He smooths down his fur in the same direction and everything! Fun fact: watching 13 year old boy dotingly cleaning a battered teddy bear with a flannel is equal parts hilarious and adorable. I bet you Teddy will come out just fine. Set him on the radiator for a day or so, tell DD he's had a bath because he got a bit grubby and give him back.

We had a specific bear like this but as soon as the special status became apparent we aquired a second one and started swapping them around regularly to ensure an even rate of lovedness. Also allegedly surface wash only but both have been through gruesome events which required washing and ate none the worse. A few years later and he is no longer the lovedest of all the cuddlies - just a rank-and-file member of the couple of dozen who live in the bed. When we go away it is a different bear chosen to be packed but DC is old enough that if there is a disaster of the lost teddy we won't replace it.

So the question is: what do we do about the doppelgangers? Neither of them is identifiable as the original and both have been truly loved so it would feel wrong to get rid of either. However I also am not sure about confessing that there are two. Do I take the secret with me to the grave?

Hey! I’m not sure if anyone will ever see this but if dachsandpup ever sees this please tell me where you got the lollypop bears from! I hand mine since i was a kid, and the arm ripped off and got lost, and I need a replacement so bad!! If you could do a kid in need a huge favour I would be forever in you dept😭. If anyone else can find a listing or know some with this stuffy please dm me🙏

oh it was yours if you could tell me where you got the beads from I’ll forever be in your dept!!! Check my other post for context lol.