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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be contemplating a soft toy cull?

76 replies

Iwantalonglie · 06/10/2020 11:44

How many stuffed animals do your DC have?

DS is almost 3. I've tried to be ruthless since he was born (one little one in his Christmas stocking last year, complete ban on family giving stuffed animals). But even so we've managed to accumulate around 20-25 of them and they're starting to irritate me. DH brought a particularly obnoxious octopus back from a work trip (grr !), godparents gave a lovely but large lion for second birthday and a few more just seem to have snuck in from fairgrounds and party bags including a very ugly camel.

AIBU to throw away half of them? DS has 5 that he's very close to (he talks to them and they talk back to him) and which sleep in his bed. The rest I think I could gradually phase out until he didn't notice their absence and then dispose of them quietly.

I'm worried that, if we don't get a handle on the little pests, we're going to end up sharing our house with thousands of the things by the time DS grows out of them. Do we need to take action now?

OP posts:

seayork2020 · 06/10/2020 11:46

My son is 13 and will not give up a single one, there must be 100, we are tiring of them but he loves them (well the idea they are always there that is)

zigaziga · 06/10/2020 11:48

Between 2 of them probably about 20-25 too. I don’t encourage soft toys and we don’t buy them as souvenirs from days out etc but you do get bought them by others or given through clubs and over the years several came from Father Christmas in grottos (you can hardly say no...). Some I bought second hand because they are ones that I thought they would appreciate (characters they like).

I do give away the ones I think someone would want to buy and the tat goes in the bin, I have a soft toy box and every time it gets close to full I clear out a few..

Spied · 06/10/2020 11:48

Take lots of photos of them for when he's older then hide some of them. If they are not missed month then get rid.

AGoatAteIt · 06/10/2020 11:49

We must have well over 200 in our house belonging to my 2 children. It really doesn’t bother me at all. Occasionally there’s a cull of toys they’ve grown out of that include stuffed animals that are carted off to charity shops or the school fair but generally I don’t see the big deal.

PeskyRooks · 06/10/2020 11:52

I regularly do this. Favourites are on the end of dds bed (about 5 or 6) I usually put the other 20 or so in a black bin bag (avoiding eye contact with them) and put them in a downstairs cupboard and if they are not missed or asked for within 4 weeks off they go...
I've done this a couple of times it's amazing how the numbers build up again, birthdays, Christmas, the fair, build a bear parties etc!

QuestionableMouse · 06/10/2020 11:52

Why throw them away? Such a waste!

Select a few of them and give them to charity or stick them on Facebook.

OverTheRainbow88 · 06/10/2020 11:53

I wouldn’t throw away, it would take most to charity. My eldest has 5 and youngest 2! All the new ones we acquire get offered to my niece then off to charity!

Original poster

Iwantalonglie · 06/10/2020 11:54

@QuestionableMouse.

Like any responsible animal charity, we'll try to rehome first before euthanising.

OP posts:

PeskyRooks · 06/10/2020 11:54

By the way they do go to charity shops not the bin! I'm not that cold hearted!

Original poster

Iwantalonglie · 06/10/2020 11:55

@OverTheRainbow88. 7 between two children - that's impressive! Why are you offering them to your niece, though? Do you hate your sibling or something?

OP posts:

bridgetreilly · 06/10/2020 11:57

Honestly, 20-25 doesn't seem that many to me. If he loves them, I would let him keep them a while longer.

bridgetreilly · 06/10/2020 11:59

I'm also not clear why you hate them so much. They're pretty inoffensive as children's toys go. They don't have little plastic bits to step on or get lost around the house, they don't require endless purchasing of extras, they help with imaginative play as well as comfort. What do you have against them?

yikesanotherbooboo · 06/10/2020 12:02

I used to find them annoying and DS2 had at least 100 . I realised it was my problem and got over myself. It's a phase .

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 06/10/2020 12:03

I really dont think 20-25 is that many. Just keep them in his room, i dont think you should get rid of childrens toys without their permission. Your going to have a hell of a lot worse toys than some soft toys as they grow up. I dont really see why you need to be ruthless, children have toys get over it

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 06/10/2020 12:05

I also dont really understand whats so bad about soft toys tbh

Original poster

Iwantalonglie · 06/10/2020 12:08

We live in a small house and DS has the box room. If he has too many cuddlies, we won't have room to store other stuff like Lego. I actually hate throwing them out, it makes me feel really guilty...But I know we'll probably accumulate a few more this Christmas and some of them are really very ugly (like the Minions one or the Jellycat broccoli one).

OP posts:

uisage · 06/10/2020 12:08

My son has never really been into soft toys, he's just away to turn 2. He has maybe 5 that he's ever shown an interest in, so I had a total cull of the rest of them. They hopefully now have new homes with loving owner after a swift trip to the charity shop. He doesn't realise they're gone.

I wouldn't feel guilty about getting rid of the ones that aren't played with.

Thirty2andBlue · 06/10/2020 12:09

I get why it's irritating, my DD has too many and even though they should live in a hamper in her room they end up scattered throughout the house. I get fed up of finding them in the bath, in our bed, under and behind the sofa, the car... And God help us when it's bedtime and we can't find the right cuddly . I tried to do a cull last week but she does actually play with all of them!

WeeMadArthur · 06/10/2020 12:09

DS has about 100 of various sizes and we have put about 80 of them in stacking boxes in the wardrobe, and they will soon disappear to the loft. I won’t throw them out because every time we moved house when I was little my parents would just throw some of my stuff out without asking so I only have one childhood teddy left and none of the toys I loved.

The best way to cope is to stop people buying them.

Witchend · 06/10/2020 12:10

Ds is my only one that's really been into soft toys. He has a cupboard full of soft toy dogs.

ivfbeenbusy · 06/10/2020 12:10

@DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon

I also dont really understand whats so bad about soft toys tbh

Trying to find a place to store them all!
I spent hours online looking at Plans to make one of those wooden soft toy zoos but looks a bit beyond my DIY skills 🤣

GunsAndShips · 06/10/2020 12:10

DS has just acquired this for his 9th birthday. He's very attached to his cuddly toys. The carrot seems to have taken things to the next level though.

Nottherealslimshady · 06/10/2020 12:11

I think you should involve him in the decision. I hate parents throwing their kids stuff away. My mum used to do it with mine and everytime it broke my heart and I didnt feel I could trust her. It's not your stuff and does it really matter so long as they stay in their room? I still have mine, I've given some away over the years, once sent one of my favourites in one of those Christmas shoe boxes. When my babys born I'll wash them all carefully and hand them down.

gigi556 · 06/10/2020 12:12

I'm in shock! My son has 4 soft toys in his bed. He's 3.5 and isn't overly interested. He has a few more small ones in his room amongst his toys. I won't buy any and I guess we'll see if he gets more as gifts? Regular toy culls are a necessity in my mind, BUT I do try hard to bring as few toys into our house as possible.

BrowncoatWaffles · 06/10/2020 12:13

@Iwantalonglie

Ack, I did not know of the existence of Jellycat broccoli but now I do I feel like DS might need one. Broccoli is his favourite thing in the whole world. He sings songs about how much he loves broccoli.

I came onto this thread thinking it would help me cull...

I feel betrayed ;)

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