Lost teddy - lesson opportunity?

[SilveryMoon]

So we went to out local town centre today and ds2 (5yo) took one of his teddies, which he put down somewhere and lost. He/we realised when we got to the car, so retraced our steps and asked staff/cleaners/security and looked around all the places we'd been and nothing. No one saw it and no body handed it in.
Ds2 is very upset.
I'm thinking to pop into the toy shop and buy him another one on my way home from work Monday and tell him they called me.
But, I'm also thinking that this is an opportunity for him to learn that we lose thngs if we don't take really good care of them........
wwyd?
He'd get over it, he has 5/6 teddies which all go through phases of being his favourite.
Should I replace it?

Bump.
(Just because it fell off active convo's in 4 minutes)

I replaced DS's teddy when he lost it on holiday in America. Cost more to replace it than it originally cost.
He sobbed and sobbed for weeks for it. I couldn't not buy him a new one.

Teddy got grounded for running away, and is not allowed out of the house anymore.

I think it's a bit harsh to use it as a 'lesson opportunity' for a 5yo, tbh.

There's a Toys Reunited thread on here somewhere (search Talk) and that also has a link to a Facebook page. Worth seeing if you can recover the teddy before replacing it. I probably would replace it if it's one of the five favourites (DD has about 40 toys in her bed but only 5 or 6 are crucial to her happiness!). Last thing I would want to do is induce more guilt, or worse, instil the idea that things/people (still interchangeable at this age) are lost through the child's carelessness. My grandmother died last year a week or so after my DD's friend has lost a favourite toy and my DD kept asking if it was because I didn't look after her properly . As my FIL is elderly and unwell, I don't want to sow any such seeds in her mind.

I'd gently introduce the lesson opportunity at the point of teddy's return though...

I also did similar to redpencils replaced the teddy but it wasn't allowed out the house again

I wouldnt use it at a lesson as the upset has proberly been enough losing a favourite toy can be the end of the world in their eyes

True. Thank you. You're all probably right. This is not the first time we have lost a teddy, but every other time, I have realised quickly and it has been handed in (or still on the floor where he left it), today I was distracted by how much I wanted to get done.
I will buy another one Monday and tell him they called me

Wingdingdong I'm sorry about your Grandmother

Oh and by 5/6, I actually mean that he has loads of teddies, but there are 5/6 that live on his bed and are the current favourites.
Thanks for replies.

I think he'll know it's a different one. There was a thread lose on the face.