Oh God, what have I done?!

[Nutjob]

My ds is 5 and he absolutely loves his teddy, who he has had since birth. He takes it to bed with him every night, takes him with us on days out, basically he is part of the family.

The trouble is because of excessive cuddling over the years he has begun to get really smelly, sort of musty and yuck. I have squirted him with Febreze a few times but it doesn't seem to have worked, so in a moment of madness I shoved him in the washing machine (on hand-wash mode I hasten to add), he is in there now, and I am starting to panic, have I done the right thing?!! Ds will be inconsolable if anything happens to him. HELP!!! Is he going ot be OK?

[KeepingMum]

Beetroot, I still have my blanket and I am 33. I used to hate it when my mum washed it as it was never the same and took a good few days of softening up before it was back to normal. Mine is absoultely disgusting now, if you cultured it I dread to think what would grow. My parents always threatened to burn it and I'm not sure if I could have ever forgiven them if they had. I'm sure even if your son doesn't want to give his up it will only be used in private as peer pressure was enough to keep mine hidden for many years.

[easy]

Thanx, the suspense was killing.

My ds (now 3.5) has never been much interested in cuddly toys, but does have 2 pram blankets which have to sleep with him at night. He is quite matter-of-fact about me washing them, but I have always got them dry before bedtime

[KeepingMum]

beetroot, his future girlfriends would be brave women to try and remove it from him as well. My dh knows mine is sacred and it would be straight to divorce courts if he tried to get rid of it (he has threatened). I don't actually use it any more - it is in a secret place hidden from people who think it should be destroyed on health grounds.

[SoupDragon]

Wiltshirelass. We must introduce your DD and my DS1. They'd be perfect for each other!

Nutjob, glad to hear bear is clean and alive!

[M2T]

Damn! I was really looking forward to the "I've killed his teddy" thread, in a morbid sort of way . I had loads of advice racing through my head too.

[wiltshirelass]

soupdragon - probably, she is very matter of fact and literal. actually so is ds (2.5). my mother was here and helping with bathtime and ds said to her in a dramatic fashion "oh no! there are monsters in the bath!". she said "no darling, there aren't any monsters anywhere, it is a lovely safe house" and he looked at her witheringly and said "I'm just pretending, granny. It's a game"!

[eidsvold]

my dh has his teddy that he was given when he was born - very much worse for wear but much loved ( as a child). Now over 40 yo. No he does not cuddle up with it or anything. He/she sits on the blanket box in our bedroom with our wedding bear.

[eidsvold]

sorry forgot to add.. i came to this thread late and was reading with baited breath to see if the bear survived......

[LIZS]

Thank God, Teddy survived.

We too have had a teddy washing day , after weeks of sucking, yoghurt and dribble the final straw came yesterday in a hot car with chocolate - not a good combination. dd has been lost since teddy went in at 8 am, sobbed herself to sleep at noon despite having a substitute and rescued a damp teddy from his "sunbathing" on our balcony at 2pm.

I think he's still damp as she takes him to bed but nothing is going to part them. Very traumatic for a not yet 2 year old!

As I was reading this I suggested to our 5yr old that his Dogdog might like a bath - "No Way", to quote. Anyone know how to clean a Beanie Baby ?

[janh]

Nutjob, did DS spot the difference and did it matter?????

[codswallop]

yes - TELL

[Ghosty]

Classic thread .... LOL!!!
Luckily DS has Muzzies ... (muslins ... due to the fact that he was a sicky baby) ... he has about 20 of them and has one or two in his bed at a time. Every couple of days I put them in the wash and replace them with clean ones ... he doesn't drag them around that much ... only at bedtime and if he is tired or upset ...
A special bear would be too stressful for me ... what happens if you lose it?

[wiltshirelass]

ds's bear is crucial to his ability to sleep. we have never lost it, but it has cost us a bit in time and money in retrieving it occasionally. finest moment was when we were splitting easter between my mother in devon and dh's parents in somerset - arrived in somerset on easter sunday morning to discover that the bear had stayed behind in devon! had to send a motorcycle courier from bristol and back on easter day at a cost of £120. Will never forget speaking to him and him saying "right, so what am I picking up?" "a polar bear" I replied. dead silence on the other end of the phone...

[SoupDragon]

We had to stop the mini bus transfer to the airport on our recent holiday to Antigua to go back and fetch DS2s bear from the kids club. Luckily, I remembered it before we got out of the hotel complex. I'm not sure what I'd have done if we'd got further.

DS1s Red Ted is only about 10cm high - it's a real b@stard to find if he's left it somewhere.

[codswallop]

Lo withsire
We have black and white cat - called EDgAR AND A BLUE fINNISH RABBIT CALLED rABBIT. bABY CHARLES HAS YET TO CHOOSE HIS OWN BUT IS UNDER PRESSURE TO FORM HIS BROTHERS,
balls all in caps sorry

[wiltshirelass]

uh oh, cods, my ds is called charles too. creepy.....

[Ghosty]

No need to shout Coddy! LOL Witchirelass!

[Mo2]

DS1 (now 3.5) has squeaky duck who is about the size of a fist and is ALWAYS disappearing just before bedtime. Recently got left at grandparents and then mailed just in time to spend Bank holiday weekend at the sorting office - aaargh!
What's really cute is that whenever anyone's upset DS1 always offers them Squeaky Duck to console them (cos that's what consoles him!)

SQ has been washed many times but still has his squeak thank goodness!

[codswallop]

coddy crap typer

[Linnet]

My dd has a little lion that she got as a chirstmas present a couple of years ago that she just can't go to bed without. He's never been washed but doesn't smell to bad, I'd be to scared to wash him as I know that I can't get another one, dd wanted santa to bring a friend for lion at christmas time but when santa tried to get one the shop didn't have any more and didn't know if they would ever get them in again! She also has her old cot blanket which she also takes to bed with her which gets washed every now and then, it doesn't get dragged anywhere so it's in good condition.
Incidently I still have my old cuddly dog, she is in a very poor state, no ears, tail hanging off, has been washed many times and stitched up again where the seams have gone. And of course she's full of foam from the 70's. Dd asks why I keep her in a drawer and why can't she have my little dog, I offered to swap her for Lion but dd wasn't to impressed with that idea. LOL

[lou33]

Linnet is it a beanie baby Lion? I bought one last week from a shop, because it happened to have not only the same name as ds2 but the same birthday (don't ask how I found out I am not a bb fanatic I promise!). It was only 4.99 too.

[bea]

oh dear this thread has got me all worried now as dd (almost 2) has suddenly become very attached to two softies... Gerald the Giraffe and Oatie the Donkey (geddit?? dh named him and was very pleased with his little joke!!), she now shouts for them when going to bed... and gives them tea and milk etc and puts them to bed... i'm trying to not make their presence a big deal as i don;t want to get into the awful situation of her losing one and then having a hissy fit! btw, gerald got dunked into something icky over the weekend and i think i hear the machine calling!!!