30s, still have one
It’s a little yellow bear. And it’s age is definitely showing. The stuffing has been replaced, the fur has has to be re-fluffed, some holed patched, and now there are more holes that need patched.
Part of keeping it is utility, it’s a nice pillow to keep my arm in the right position. Part of it I’d sentimental.
My fiancé got a weighted dragon plush, it’s long, like a 1/3rd sized body pillow. And I’m kinds jealous of her having it. So when I retire my yellow bear I might switch to that.
I don’t normally sleep with a stuffed animal but when my two toddlers are spending the night at my inlaws, I’ll sometimes grab a couple of their stuffies to sleep with because I miss them and it makes me feel better.
I had awful parents so I really like reading loving comments like this
Not having good parents is hard. Hugs
Thanks internet parent!
I’m 43 and I had to retire my favorite stuffed animal because his arm was getting threadbare and I was afraid it would fall off, so now he sits on my makeup desk. His name is Rufus and he was Avon’s Christmas 1982 Plush Puppy.
My current stuffed animal is a lion cub I bought in the mid-2000s to take with me on my study abroad in Paris. His name is Ruffles (like the potato chip).
They’re adorable 😍
They say thank you ;)
40s here, wearing my kitty onesie in bed with a stuffed owl.
You’re my kinda person
Tutter fuckin’ rules.
Reading the comments and didn’t expect to feel like the odd one out regarding this. 38, haven’t slept with my stuffed animals since probably before I was twelve? Am I strange? I guess I just don’t feel insecure without them. 🤷♂️
When I was young I really liked them, right up until my dad made me feel terrible for doing so. I’m pretty sure he was embarrassed by it.
I didn’t really think or care about this for a long time, until randomly one time at an IKEA I saw a guy in his mid 20s who just chose a stuffed animal, hugging it and smiling. His family was with him, and they were smiling and supportive. When I got back to the car I couldn’t stop crying because the only response I ever got from my family was being yelled at or mocked. I may even have cried while writing this, so perhaps I’m still a tad upset.
My wife really likes stuffed animals however - and we have a raccoon that comes in the bed sometimes. The raccoon also came to a music festival with me once:
A lot of males or kids raised masculine have that habit broken real fast.
For the majority of the western world, it’s still considered cute and more than acceptable for women to have stuffed toys into adulthood, or that it’s feminizing in some way. Try that as a guy past a certain age though and you’re more likely to flip a coin on social acceptance from friends, family and strangers alike.
It’s a funny example how social pressure to conform to arbitrary standards and social norms is generational even if it makes no objective sense.
(For the dense out there, if you’re here to reply arguing about the acceptability of having a teddy bear as a man or woman because of your personal story/kink, you’re missing the leading subtext.)
It’s definitely something I wouldn’t admit in person. But fuck the modern definition of masculinity tbh.
I cry. I don’t like hunting or sports. Or drinking, or doing stupid things or making every waking moment about sleeping with the next woman. I’m not handy, but there isn’t a lot I can’t do.
To me, masculinity feels more like alertness. The ability to handle anything that comes my way. The ability to solve problems in unconventional ways with the resources I have. Being able to own my faults and weaknesses.
I might not be strong physically, but I’m strong mentally. It might not seem that way to other people, but I’m still around aren’t I? Yeah, I know I’m not physically attractive to most women, but I learned my lesson on the importance of physical attraction in a relationship. It’s a small part.
I ain’t getting rid of my bear, and I won’t expect my son to either. Damn whatever his mom thinks. What’s important is who we are, not what others think us to be.
Right on! I think it’s awesome when someone confidently knows themself.
I’m glad you posted this. My 35ish year old Bear Bear often gets tossed out of bed in the middle of the night because I adjust sheets or whatever and noticed just now he wasn’t with me. I found him, but he’s been through thick and thin with me.
His color has long faded. His stuffing incredibly compressed. Probably more fragile than I want to believe.
Out of curiosity, would you prefer him as is, or restored (restuffed, redyed, etc.) but otherwise still the same physical Bear Bear? I guess this is a modern Ship of Theseus type question.
As is. Wouldn’t have him any other way.
That makes sense, thanks for the answer!
it’s all fun and games until you start wearing them
Then it gets better, ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
38 and have my stuffed dog and wolf in bed with me. My real dog is jealous, but she’s in the bed too.
Ayy same age, got a stuffed whale and a stuffed kitty!
Yep I’m well into 40s and I sleep with a toy cat
I love my sheep okay
I still sleep with a nightlight and I’m in my late twenties
37 years old, I have the plush elefant, rabbit, polar bear, koala and toad I grew up with sitting on a chest of drawers next to my bed, my toad especially means a lot to me, it is in my list of five things I would try to save in case of a fire.
Swapped it for a real animal personally 😅
thirties*
Unfortunately my stuffed animals have been relegated to living in the closet since my real animal takes up their former bed space, and also loves shredding plushies lol. But that was me until a few years ago!
