AIBU to still find comfort cuddling my childhood teddy occasionally?

[Clusterflusters]

My DD aged 8 is an extremely cuddly child and will often give me a cuddly toy of hers to take care of for her overnight. We visited my parents house recently and she was so interested in my childhood cuddly toy, and she took it home with us. He’s a bear and he was my absolute favourite growing up.

She was insistent that it wouldn’t be nice if I didn’t take cuddle him at bedtime, so to appease her, I said I would. She sometimes has nightmares so I just sat the bear on my bed in case she came in during the night. However, one night I woke up cuddling my bear! 🤣

I know I sound weird and pathetic, but there was something so comforting about it but I am absolutely mortified and would never admit this to anyone irl.

Am I being unreasonable, or does anyone else have a beloved childhood cuddly toy that they’ve taken into adulthood?

I am 66 and have a cuddly toy in bed with me every night. 😀

I'm a whisker off 66. I occasionally cuddle the doll that I was given for a childhood birthday. It still has the velvet coat and hat that Mum stitched by hand.

My childhood bear lives in my room and still gets a cuddle now and then, although he doesn't come to bed. No shame in it at all.😊

I am 49 years old and every bedtime, I give Norman the Monkey a goodnight kiss. He's the only man who has never let me down!

My teddy is still with me. He has become a way to talk about mental health with my kids. (Now 10 and 14 but from a much earlier age)
teddy came down off the shelf if I was feeling a bit sad. They would suggest teddy comes off the shelf if I was clearly struggling and occasionally have asked for teddy when they are feeling down.

i think that mirroring the behaviour of our children having a teddy for comfort is a great thing.

I am more confused by why your Ted was at your mums and not with you.

I sleep/live alone now & my Ted sits near my bed. She only doesn't sleep with me because I worry about damaging her now. Still have lots of cuddles though. I'm 57 & I've had her my whole life. She was bigger than me when I was born.

id save her before anything else in a fire.

I still have mine in bed with me.

You are not being at all unreasonable but it’s fascinating to me as even when I was little I didn’t get it. Maybe I was a psychopath. I actually faked loving a random cuddly I had at home when I was at school because other children loved theirs and were attached.

I like cuddling people and animals, does it feel similar to you even though it doesn’t respond? Or is it more association with how it felt when you were a child and you maybe thought of it as a living thing?

Mine sits next to me while I am working from home.

(He was hoping to have retired by now but here we are.)

Still sleep with mine every night, just feels more comfortable. Although he is 50 now and looking very threadbare.

Not only do I have my childhood cuddly, but my husband has provided 2 further cuddly animals in the past 20 years.

My son has my childhood toy on his bed. I was sat on his bed the other day and picked it up and then cuddled it and it felt so familiar and comforting i didnt want to put it down. Its a Roland Rat soft toy and his nose rested on my neck just so and it really took me back

What a lovely thread OP.
Your DD sounds such a lovely wee soul.

Mine is in my bed with me every night. He usually starts off tucked up under my arm, but I'm a restless sleeper so doesn't always stay there.

My childhood bear is at my mums house. However, I do have an Ikea white rat and small baby stuffed crocodile. They sleep with me in bed.

I cuddle a massive jellycat bunny every night. I actually think it helps my back and shoulder pain as it keeps me in a better sleeping position. And its so soft 😀

I have two toys - James the dog and a Disney Colonel Hathi elephant. I sleep with one every night, and they rotate each Friday when the bed is changed. The one “off shift” goes to the spare room. (DP draws the line at both in our bed.)

I’m 53, James is just about as old as me, and really in pretty bad nick - he was a prize my dad won at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and I suspect would not meet health and safety regs now.

I’m 40 and still sleep with my childhood teddy every night, he is my most loved possession and the only material thing I’d care about saving in an emergency and definitely brings me lots of comfort.

Totally normal! Most humans get comfort from cuddling something, even just a cushion, and your childhood teddy bear obviously also has all the memories attached to it of being happy and safe.

Not unreasonable at all. I slept with my favourite bear until I moved in with my partner at 30. I ended up just cuddling a pillow as I’m so used to sleeping that way. My toddler has recently taken a shine to my dear old bear and I can’t resist a cuddle when I see him.

I’m 51 and sleep with a cuddly toy that I built with DC when they were tiny. My DGM always had a cuddly toy too. Crack on. I find a good night sleep is had when holding said cuddly toy in my arms

I sleep with a ratty old black and white cat. I’ve had him for about 25 years, he is an original Jellycat from before Jellycats were hard currency! I found another one on eBay for £85 recently…!
Anyway I can’t sleep without him. Going on a very posh cruise for my best friend’s 50th in September and he will be coming along.

45 and I sleep with my teddy from childhood. For 30 years she didn't have any stuffing. My DD age 5 asked my mum her grandma to restuff my toy. It was honestly the most restorative thing, the minute I hugged my newly squishy toy I was transported back to a safe space. She sleeps with me every night. It just feels like home. We went on holiday last year and when we got there I discovered my ds age 9 had snuck my toy into my bag because he thought I'd be sad without her 😭. I'm a lucky mum to have such wonderful kids I know.

Can I just say thanks for this thread and these lovely replies. I have an autistic 9 year old daughter who worries that once she’s grown up she won’t be allowed soft toys any more which makes very very sad and worried. I’ve read a few of these replies out to reassure that many of us do love & cuddle our beloved soft toys throughout our lives! Thank you so much

I have a bad shoulder. My stuffed frog was just the right height to rest my arm on to relieve the pain when sleeping. However I often just cuddle him.