Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Watermama · 03/02/2021 23:17

@justbinthefeckinbyebyebox

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!!
So you judged her because you don't like her? I wonder if the other kids reactions were just for show (I don't know many 6 almost 7 year olds who would openly cry in the classroom over a teddy!) that way the unlikable kid is further isolated.
Fuckitsstillraining · 03/02/2021 23:18

Its a soft toy not a puppy. To be honest I'd be more concerned about the children who were upset by what the little 'artist' said. Are children being taught to find far more things upsetting/scary than previous generations? I got a wonderful (expensive) walking talking doll for Christmas when I was 6, two days later I used my other present, a real but miniature tool box c/w tools to take the doll apart to see how it works, no one expected me to do the same to my little brother or thought anything other than I was curious, I put the voice box in a teddy which meant cutting him open but I'm a normal boring 50 year old now.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 03/02/2021 23:21

Stabbing the eyes out would worry me, but cutting not so much.

And you sound delightful.

yvanka · 03/02/2021 23:27

I've definitely heard of less psychopathic sounding things.

SD1978 · 03/02/2021 23:29

We used to pull the head off barbies, and have a torture chamber show for my parents. We both are average and functioning adults. Kids also sometimes juts say things fir the shock value. I wouldn't be too excited about this incident.

spaceghetto · 03/02/2021 23:35

I can't imagine children being bothered by this unless another adult who was there (who isn't fond of the child) made their thoughts known.

Branleuse · 03/02/2021 23:38

My uncle dissected my mums baby doll. Hes never killed a real person.

Kids do weird stuff

boredinthouse · 03/02/2021 23:44

My 6 year old DD can be a bit dramatic and but yet I can't imagine her being upset at someone cutting a teddies eyes out. Were you there OP being "upset" by this child that you don't like too?

SinisterBumFacedCat · 03/02/2021 23:48

Well this thread is looking less and less like a psychopath child with each post. My initial thought was the kid wanted the empty sockets for another purpose, which probably says more about me than them.

AIMD · 03/02/2021 23:51

Context is everything.
In and of itself I wouldn’t find that particularly concerning (although odd) as a one off, though it might be if accompanied with other behaviours.

What is your relationship to this child?
Are you worried she is in distress or had unmet needs?

Wafflewife · 04/02/2021 00:13

As a child I'd have found the idea and the description upsetting. As an adult I think it's a bit weird and fucked up. I would be worried about a child that cut the eyes out of a soft toy and also worried about one that told other children, probably in an attempt to upset them.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/02/2021 00:17

I chewed my beloved teddy's eye out as a child.

I score very high on empathy I psychometric testing and am therefore certifiably not a psychopath.

There's a joke about fava beans and Chianti in there somewhere.

Lalliella · 04/02/2021 00:18

My ex filled his Action Man with tomato ketchup then blasted it with an air gun. He’s the most gentle sweet bloke you can imagine (I just met him too young)

ThatDamnKrampus · 04/02/2021 00:25

It sounds to me like the child is resourceful not psychopathic! She had a no longer wanted toy, was making something else, repurposed the old toy.

I don't think it is the child that has an issue.

ParkheadParadise · 04/02/2021 00:37

I remember one of my older brothers pulled the arms off my doll this doll had also a wonky eye.
My mum took it to the dolls hospital. It came back with new eyes 😂😂😂😜.
All these years later I still remember that.

Leeds2 · 04/02/2021 01:17

If someone did this to any of my bears, I would be distraught. Probably not so bothered if it was a Barbie doll.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/02/2021 01:18

@Leeds2

If someone did this to any of my bears, I would be distraught. Probably not so bothered if it was a Barbie doll.
The shit I did to Barbie dolls doesn't bear thinking about.
redpencil77 · 04/02/2021 01:32

@justbinthefeckinbyebyebox

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!!!
Probably saw it as useable material for something they wanted to create rather than Ursa-cide
Sphagnum · 04/02/2021 01:36

@oakleaffy

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.

It's a Teddy bear, she's hardly hannibal lector.
NiceGerbil · 04/02/2021 01:39

I pulled all the eyelashes out of the expensive dolls my mum gave me. And pulled their heads off.

I just didn't relate to or like dolls.

And I suppose it was a reaction to my mum pushing the sodding things on me.

By itself nothing to worry about I'd say.

FibroFighter81 · 04/02/2021 01:45

If she pulled the eyes out of her teddy to replace the actual eyes of a murdered family member then yeah, pretty suspect.

If however, she took them out and sellotaped them to a sock puppet, then kudos on her ingenuity.

user127819 · 04/02/2021 02:04

"to use it for something else" makes me think it's a craft project which sounds perfectly fine. She's probably just a more pragmatic rather than sentimental child. I'm surprised other 6 year olds were so upset by it though.

Even if she were actually "torturing" the soft toy, sometimes children that age just do things like that for fun. They know the toy doesn't have feelings and enjoy the thrill of a "taboo" action. It doesn't have to be anything sinister, unless they're doing to real people or animals.

tolerable · 04/02/2021 02:42

whoze bear is relevant probli? seems heartless/full mini psychotic if its pulled along by ear n slept with her 24/7 since birth.
did the unsuspecting donors eyes actually lead to completing her "other purpose"?
could whoever the adult in charge was not have formed a resue comittie n gofunded a age appropriate eye replacement
miracle.provide teddy with a chance?
my sister would(probably still )have went to this extreme with my bear. on purpose.no doubt insisting the relocated eyes were on display in manner of masterpiece til left home.
i wouldnt (still)cross a certain point with my sister.
i cut of someone elses bunch aged 5 tho. as in hair split middle ponytail event either side. doesnt make me a psycho.she was(in my 40yrs on)recollection...nasty,all time to me.so i didnt care...til i done it...had a wee panic then zoned out til fuss was over
kids are all different...........i need to know-what was the alternative use??????

tolerable · 04/02/2021 02:44

how did i miss "isnt nicest child/likes cause upset"...
felt that.think whatever...ffs

Hotzenplotz · 04/02/2021 02:48

What the sweet merry fuck?!