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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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..to be upset that DP shares custody of his teddy bear with his ex?

965 replies

BearProblems · 07/12/2016 17:12

DP and I have been together 2 and a half years. We live together and have a DC. A few months before we got together, DP had split with his ex, who he'd been with for over a decade. Their split was amicable but they've hardly had any contact since. She seems to be a perfectly nice person. They have no DCs.

When DP moved in, over a year ago, his ex came to my house to collect Bear who was going "on holiday" with her. DP hadn't warned me this was happening, and I was just expecting her to drop some of DP's stuff off. DP did the handing over but it was all unbearably awkward. DP hadn't told her that he was moving in with me (we have known each other vaguely for years) so she couldn't have been expecting the new girlfriend to be a witness to this nonsense. He didn't tell her because he was hardly in touch with her and was (like a total coward) hoping someone else would tell her so he wouldn't have to. Anyway, I thought that was the end of it and she would be too embarrassed to ask for Bear again.

Today DP and I went out for a nice lunch together and, over the pudding, he mentioned, very awkwardly, that he was going out this evening... taking Bear, who is off on his Christmas holidays. He will drop Bear off with ex before meeting friends to play darts. He'll be gone a couple of hours in all.

I am 100% certain there is nothing going on with DP and his ex (or anyone else for that matter) but this has made me feel incredibly weird and uncomfortable and actually a bit insecure.

He made this arrangement with his ex and didn't tell me until a few hours before the arranged drop off. I know full well the reason he didn't tell me was because he was embarrassed about it (and rightly so!) but still, it seems disloyal to arrange things with an ex and not tell me.

And then there's the fact that it's so fucking weird! I can see, when she asked if she could have Bear for Christmas, he felt he couldn't object without seeming mean and petty or making me out to be some suspicious psycho (he knows I wasn't totally happy about the last time). He's a bit of a coward who hates conflict but also a kind man who doesn't want to hurt anyone unnecessarily.

I don't know what bothers me about it so much. I had been planning to get Bear a Christmas stocking - lucky I'm not sufficiently organised to have done anything about it yet. (I think this sort of stupid infantilism about DP's bear is fine within the confines of a romantic relationship but outside of one, it's just a bit creepy).

Sorry this is so long. It's so bloody ludicrous it was hardly worth writing let alone reading!

OP posts:
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IdBuyThatForADollar · 08/12/2016 13:32

www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-11-01/grayson-perry-on-teddy-bears-transvestites-and-the-art-world

If Grayson Perry says it's ok, then it's ok.

My DP's bear applied to be Alan Measles' stand in.

In fact, my DP's bear has a very similar personality to Bear, OP. I think they'd get along. Or have a fight in a car park at midnight. Possibly both.

pithivier · 08/12/2016 13:33

You have a partner who is, manly. Sexy and likes bears, what's not to like?I bet there are are string of ex's just waiting In line.

BearProblems · 08/12/2016 13:33

Kione MNHQ came round to my house and interviewed all the other stuffed animals to ensure the veracity of my story.

Tina and bummy I am not in touch with any dealers - that really was a LONG time ago - and don't want the poor sad ex ending up in a prison in Thailand or anywhere else. Anyway, I think Bear is probably going on holidays in the UK. It didn't occur to me to ask where he was going but I will see if I can find out, although DP is probably unwilling to give me any more fuel.

OP posts:
BearProblems · 08/12/2016 13:36

Oh, IdBuy perhaps we could do a similar thing to the "Looking for a sister" threads, but for horrible bears?

No, sorry. I temporarily lost my mind.

OP posts:
ItShouldHaveBeenJingleJess · 08/12/2016 13:36

Stocking filler suggestion for Bear/the ex/both.

..to be upset that DP shares custody of his teddy bear with his ex?
IdBuyThatForADollar · 08/12/2016 13:40

No, sorry. I temporarily lost my mind.

Pahahaha. It's all a slippery slope.

BearProblems · 08/12/2016 13:41

At the risk of making the poor ex look even more unhinged, she also has a car with a name and a personality. DP joined in when they were together but obviously has no attachment to her car now.

OP posts:
MommaGee · 08/12/2016 13:41

Bear please stop updating and go fond Kevin. It's clearly a mean world out there for a bear.

I have a penguin who is looking for love is Mrs Bear has enough and fancies a bit of cross-species love.

MommaGee · 08/12/2016 13:42

I think you should get the car for holidays

bummymummy77 · 08/12/2016 13:46

Oh come on. Can you image the mirth of the customs people as she's sobbing and explaining her ex boyfriend must have stashed the drugs in Bear while he had custody?

Twogoats · 08/12/2016 13:47

Where do you keep db (darling bear's) clothes? Does he have a little wardrobe?

Also, can we have a picture of mrs bear?

ItShouldHaveBeenJingleJess · 08/12/2016 13:47

I reckon the ex runs some sort of Bear Bordello, hence all his whoring around.... She's enabling his unwholesome behaviour which is why she needs to go!

..to be upset that DP shares custody of his teddy bear with his ex?
HeadElf · 08/12/2016 13:47

Oh good god this is still going Grin

miserablesod · 08/12/2016 13:50

I've not laughed so much in ages. 😂😂

I read the post thinking Bear would turn out to be a dog or something. Fuck me. Your dp sounds like a drip. A bear?! 😂

This is odd. Maybe he should go for full custody? Sorry couldn't resist. 🤔🙄😂

staggeringaroundthexmastree · 08/12/2016 13:51

Could be worse my dp came home with a huge teddy yesterday. 2 dcs can happily sit on it with room to spare. Wouldn't mind but it's all out of shape. Angry

SugarMiceInTheRain · 08/12/2016 13:51

Thank you for this thread. Certainly the most insane thing I've read in all my years of being on MN, but after a crappy week which has left me so on edge I've burst into tears in public twice in the past 2 days, this thread has made me laugh out loud for the first time in a while Grin

My autistic DS who struggles connecting with humans treats his bear family better than his real family and yes, his main bear has a girlfriend, brother, 2 children and a puppy, all of whom look very much like the original bear (who he's had since birth and was given to him by my old work colleagues). We bought his bear a 'girlfriend' (after much searching on Ebay for an identical discontinued toy) several years ago for Christmas and it just spiralled out of control from there!

LifeLong13 · 08/12/2016 13:52

I think Bear is all the things DP would maybe like to be but is too nice to IRL Grin

Who wouldn't want to be a port quaffing, whoring bear? I know I would!

BeyondTheHarpy · 08/12/2016 13:53

Shouldn't this be posted in step-parenting...? Wink

Jiggl · 08/12/2016 13:54

I was at a wedding when our Next Door Neighbour took a teddy out of her bag and sat it at an empty chair. She then proceeded to request that the waiting staff put a dinner in front of him, and 'bear' complained about the service and loads more 'requests'

This is a woman in her late sixties and the husband were smiling indulgently while she fucking kept at it while the staff were already run off their feet serving actual humans Hmm

She knew it was a toy, and its one that she takes everywhere - weird but fine. Bring it along it as a mascot, take a photo for fun and upload to instagram or whatever. Just don't expect it to be served a three course meal and have wine top-ups at a massive wedding that someone is paying for. And staff don't get paid enough for that kind of shite.

SuperFlyHigh · 08/12/2016 13:57

I have never been attached to a bear at least not since I was 11.

Any romantic bears were put in a box after the relationship ended, I Charity shopped the lot about 5-6 years ago.

I had a friend years ago who shared custody with his ex of a Jack Russell and I thought even that was strange!

This is mad. Grin

staggeringaroundthexmastree · 08/12/2016 13:58

Photo of said huge bear!

..to be upset that DP shares custody of his teddy bear with his ex?
UnoriginalNN · 08/12/2016 13:59

Kevin didn't run away

THE EX HAS KEVIN

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN

Adala · 08/12/2016 13:59

Sugar, I've just been looking to see if it could be an autism thing as dh and I are high on the spectrum, and it may be connected where the brain personifies "things" as well as people, which is an interesting one.

I don't think it's "unhinged" though Bear - that doesn't seem like a nice word to me (might just be me though!)

CotswoldStrife · 08/12/2016 14:04

I haven't read the full thread but wow. Just wow.

If he loves the bear so much, how can he bear (no pun intended) to part with it? The custody visits have to stop, that is the ridiculous bit. Or perhaps he can take her car while she has the bear.

AmeliaJack · 08/12/2016 14:06

I'm wondering if the ex is an MNer...

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