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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Torturing a soft toy

189 replies

justbinthefeckinbyebyebox · 03/02/2021 22:43

Sorry for this in advance!
Is it ever acceptable for a primary school child to cut the eyes out of a teddy bear to use for other purposes?
I need some prospective but I'm horrified!!!

OP posts:
JanuaryChill · 03/02/2021 22:48

What age and gender? Creative is probably what I'd call it!

Is it a previously loved toy or just one of dozens crowding the bed?

Dilbertian · 03/02/2021 22:48

If it's his bear, why not? Just because it has emotional value to you, it doesn't mean he cares about it in the same way.

OTOH if it is a much-loved toy- that is worrying.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 03/02/2021 22:49

I'd be horrified too!

withsexypantsandasausagedog · 03/02/2021 22:50

It doesn't sound like they were torturing it, just needed the eyes for something creative!

ErrolTheDragon · 03/02/2021 22:50

Did the child in any way think of it as being akin to a real animal and take pleasure in 'torturing' it. Or were they just seeing it as one physical object (which happened to be in the form of a bear) which they wanted to reuse part of for something they found more interesting? You presumably wouldn't have been horrified if a child disassembled a Lego animal to make into something else?

FlumpetCrumpet · 03/02/2021 22:50

Depends on what the other purpose is I guess

Original poster
justbinthefeckinbyebyebox · 03/02/2021 22:51

It's a girl aged 6 or 7, I don't know if it was precious or not.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 03/02/2021 22:52

Depends on the purpose really. If it's because they wanted them for something they were making, it sounds very resourceful!

titchy · 03/02/2021 22:52

Was the purpose to use the eyes for something else or was the purpose to torture? You've said both...

redferrari · 03/02/2021 22:53

My very creative sister repurposed part of a toy when she was 6-7, she just had a new vision for the old toy. I was so cross though as it was previously mine and before it was handed down to her.

Godimabitch · 03/02/2021 22:54

I hung a bratz doll from a fan by her neck and drew blood on her. I haven't harmed an animal or person yet. Shes probably fine.

wideskies · 03/02/2021 22:54

My daughter is constantly crafting and recycling things into others, I wouldn't worry about it.

Original poster
justbinthefeckinbyebyebox · 03/02/2021 22:56

The phrase they used was "cutting it's eyes out" to use for something else - I don't want to say anything identifying as it wasn't my child.
This was said infront of other children who became upset.

OP posts:
minipie · 03/02/2021 22:57

I used to pull the tails out of my little ponies to use them as water pistols.

I wasn’t into horse torture, just wanted a water pistol.

FlumpetCrumpet · 03/02/2021 23:00

Children have poor impulse control and don’t think about consequences which is why barbies end up with terrible haircuts.

A 6 year makes or thinks about making a toy out of plasticine for example and acts on impulse to find some eyes for it without much thought to what they are actually doing when they remove them seems very normal indeed

A 6 year old ties the toys up and cuts all their eyes out and uses them to bring life to the rotted eyes of animal corpses that they “found” probably needs someone to have a chat with them about it

OliviaPopeRules · 03/02/2021 23:00

Hardly torturing unless the child did it for fun and said so. If they wanted to use the eyes for something else I really don't see the issue. The child obviously knows teddy bears are not real!!

BillyIsMyBunny · 03/02/2021 23:05

You can’t really ‘torture’ an inanimate object. It sounds like she wanted the eyes for something else creative and was seeing the soft toy for what it is, fabric and plastic, and not anthropomorphising it or seeing it as something with feelings. There’s nothing wrong with cutting up old jeans to take out a button to repurpose, cutting up an old soft toy to take out the eyes to repurpose doesn’t seem wildly different.

Jasperjosephjulian · 03/02/2021 23:05

So long as they weren't re-enacting some kind of horror scene I don't really see the problem. The tedybbesr had eyes and they wanted eyes for something. I doubt it was more sinister than that. Not every child anthromorphises teddies.

squishedblueberry · 03/02/2021 23:06

I used to do things like this and I’m not a serial killer and I don’t think I’m a psychopath Grin
I was just really into crafts and really impatient to make new projects even when we didn’t have the supplies... so I’d source them.

I’d get quite regretful later however when I realised what I’d done!

Theunamedcat · 03/02/2021 23:07

Someone needs to watch toy story not five nights at Freddies

Watermama · 03/02/2021 23:07

You are being a bit dramatic it's a toy not a living being, there was no torture involved!

This is something I could see my DD she's very into crafts and recycling materials and finding random things for a project. If an object has no sentimental value she will often repurpose it.
She far she doesn't seem to be on the serial killer track more craft addict with a craft stash route.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 03/02/2021 23:08

Unless emotionally attached to it or it's a special (expensive) toy my DD will often take apart things to turn into other things.

It's impossible to torture a soft toy, if it was a unwanted toy then reusing parts is recycling.

Original poster
justbinthefeckinbyebyebox · 03/02/2021 23:10

I suppose it because of the way the other children reacted to it.
She isn't exactly the nicest child and does like to create upset!!

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 03/02/2021 23:12

It sounds alarming.

Eyes, even teddy bear eyes are respected by most children.

She sounds a bit disturbed...What has she been watching?

Also, most teddy bear eyes are well anchored in, and would be hard to remove.

What ''Other use'' could a 6 year old be putting them to?

Kids tend to not attach a toy's face unless they are a bit disturbed.

oakleaffy · 03/02/2021 23:15

Edit ''Attack'' not attach.