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Parenting

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Original poster

How to rough up a jellycat toy?!

20 replies

Holyrolypoly20 · 07/04/2025 22:38

My child lost their jellycat cuddly recently.... one they sleep with every night. They have been devastated as a result. I've bought a brand new one and plan to replace it for him. However, ideally I want him to think it is the old one. Any ideas how to make the new one look older quickly in the hope he will be fooled?!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TruthOrNo · 07/04/2025 22:39

How old is the child. If the child is old enough to know the toy has been lost, then just tell him you've bought another one

Why lie

Annascaul · 07/04/2025 22:40

Put it through the washing machine?

CatsWhiskerz · 07/04/2025 22:40

Probably give it a wash, also buy 2, a s jeep swapping them every week or two do you'll have a spare

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Stichintime · 07/04/2025 22:40

Can't you tell him the old one has been on holiday/spa and is feeling very refreshed?

Springflowersyay · 07/04/2025 22:40

It won’t smell the same

CatsWhiskerz · 07/04/2025 22:40

Keep swapping ... I really need to proof my messages lol

EmeraldRoulette · 07/04/2025 22:42

Please don't beat up a jellycat toy ☹️

Hayley1256 · 07/04/2025 22:43

I don't think you'll be able to fool them. It won't smell or feel the same.

Unitarily · 07/04/2025 22:48

They will know. We tried it. If he’s over it I am not sure would recommend reintroducing.

We actually had two as was swapping and one day there was an error and he realised he had two. So he still had one when we lost it. Introducing new one was rejected and he got quite upset. Thankfully the other one was found two weeks later. It had been dropped in a road and a neighbours child picked it up. Turned up on a community WhatsApp group a couple of weeks later! Complete miracle.

So we have two ‘billies’ again and now a ‘billie eilish’. 😂

CarpCarpCarp · 07/04/2025 23:03

I had the same situation with a doll (plastic head and limbs, fabric body). I actually rolled it around in the flower bed a bit 😂 it still looked no where near as beaten up as the original but DD had no idea.

She's 4 and usually pretty switched on so I was surprised, but i just don't think that the possibility of a switch occurred to her.

Twoshoesnewshoes · 07/04/2025 23:06

We did this, twice, worked fine.
i washed the toy, then sort of scrubbed with a towel, wrapped it in the towel and left to dry on the radiator.

parietal · 07/04/2025 23:06

We tried. Monkey got lost when dd was 6. The replacement monkey was too clean and didn’t smell right but got named “monkey sister”. Real monkey showed up a few days later so then she had both.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 08/04/2025 08:04

Sleep with it.
Wash it.
Hang it outside.
Carry it around in you bag all day.

Young children want to believe their toy is back, but there's no fooling anyone over about 4.

Broccoliboat · 08/04/2025 08:06

Stichintime · 07/04/2025 22:40

Can't you tell him the old one has been on holiday/spa and is feeling very refreshed?

Exactly this. He’s been to the spa and is feeling very renewed and refreshed. I would even go as far as to say that the spa must be amazing as he looks brand new 😉

ThejoyofNC · 08/04/2025 08:08

Make a note that says "I'm back, went for a nice bath, how do I look?" and place them both on the side like it's magically reappeared, naughty elf style.

TruthOrNo · 08/04/2025 08:08

He knows the toy is lost and he's sad about it

Just give him the new one and tell him it's a new one.Honestly, why the parents keeps three versions of one toy in case their kid ever loses it. Or lie to them about it being lost and finding it again. Life happens.Things get lost, just given the new one and say it's a new one.

BruceAndNosh · 08/04/2025 08:09

Broccoliboat · 08/04/2025 08:06

Exactly this. He’s been to the spa and is feeling very renewed and refreshed. I would even go as far as to say that the spa must be amazing as he looks brand new 😉

Show quote history

I'm booking a facial at the Jellycat spa

BeaAndBen · 08/04/2025 08:14

This backfires sometimes.

“Jelly’s sister has come to be your friend while Jelly is missing” worked better with my perspicacious DC. Straight swap worked with the less observant one.

BugBugTheTornado · 08/04/2025 10:19

As a naive first time parent I bought DD a pink Jellycat bunny with the view that it would be easy peasy to replace should anything happen to Floppy… of course, JC now no longer make that bastarding colour.

Instead, we’ve introduced lots of additional bunnies alongside Floppy. Not JC - we don’t wish to remortgage for bunny purposes - but Card Factory do an excellent dupe, and she now has an entire fleet to choose from (and cart into my bed at 3am).

Floppy is still the OG, but I am less panicky about loosing the bastarding thing now.

When you’ve solved the immediate issue of roughing up your new JC (washing machine would be my suggestion) I’d consider some complimentary friends to ease the burden! Lol

DiscoBeat · 08/04/2025 10:51

Ha we ended up with three! Lost the first one, bought another one but got a spare as well to keep circulating to get equally 'loved'. Then the first one reappeared. He knew exactly which one was which though, I don't think there's any fooling the experts. Just let him have two and say one always has to stay at home to have a rest when the other goes out.

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