# 51% of adult men have their childhood cuddly toy & 28% sleep with it - Really? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 13, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871 "2016-09-13T16:54:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/61 "2016-09-15T15:48:01Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I do still have my childhood teddy bear stuffed away in my closet. It is of sentimental value to me. But I haven’t touched it since my own kids were young, when I showed it to them. And I haven’t cuddled with it in the last 5 decades, that I can recall. > > Still, it is precious to me. I’d type my response, but Qadgop already has. Duplicate his for my reply. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/62 "2016-09-15T19:09:46Z")
There is a Lawrence Block short story based on this theme (not sure if it’s in “Some Days You Get The Bear”). I had some kind of stuffed animal as a child which may have been a bear. Either that or an Archaeopteryx. It survived in a raggedy state down in the basement until I was 8 or so and then vanished, which may explain certain adult issues. :(⭕smack: ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/63 "2016-09-15T20:17:16Z")
Mine “disappeared” while I was at college. ☹ Thanks, Mom and/or Dad. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/64 "2016-09-15T22:20:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > That’s a normal part of the process. Basically, the whole point of these things is that they’re something the kid has control over. They’re the first aspect of the world for which that’s actually true: The child can decide to sleep with the toy or not, to take it with them or not when they go somewhere, and so on. Deciding to have nothing to do with any more is just another example of this exertion of personal power. Of course, it’s also quite possible that tomorrow, or next week, or five years from now, he’ll decide to keep it close again. > > As an aside, while transitional objects are _usually_ soft, fuzzy things like baby blankets or stuffed animals, they can be almost anything. One of my cousins, for instance, had an old electric mixer that he dragged around by the cord everywhere. A therapist told me that compulsive overeating has been correlated with not having had a transitional object. I don’t know if I had one in particular, but I did suck my thumb at night till I was 12. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/65 "2016-09-15T22:20:59Z")
I lost mine. If I knew where it was, I’d keep it. Wouldn’t sleep with it though. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/66 "2016-09-15T23:44:00Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Male, 55. Yes, and no. Meant to include, BTW, that mine is a Dumbo from Disneyland. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/67 "2016-09-15T23:45:12Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > A therapist told me that compulsive overeating has been correlated with not having had a transitional object. I don’t know if I had one in particular, but I did suck my thumb at night till I was 12. And do you still sleep with your thumb? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/68 "2016-09-16T00:01:50Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > And do you still sleep with your thumb? 🙂 One day I just decided I had no use for it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/69 "2016-09-16T02:10:11Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > A therapist told me that compulsive overeating has been correlated with not having had a transitional object. I don’t know if I had one in particular, but I did suck my thumb at night till I was 12. Lucky for me I have the metabolism of a hummingbird, I guess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/70 "2016-09-16T02:46:54Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > One day I just decided I had no use for it. 🙂 I kept my Dumbo. He’s still around. I hope you kept your thumbs. They come in handy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/71 "2016-09-16T04:44:32Z")
Male, age 34. As a kid, I had two stuffed cats named Purry and Dave. This is what happens when you let a 4-year-old name his stuffed cats. They are currently sitting on my dresser. I have not slept with them in decades, but I intend to keep them and give them to my own children. I also had a half dozen other stuffed animals, but I have no idea what happened to them. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/72 "2016-09-16T14:02:26Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I kept my Dumbo. He’s still around. I hope you kept your thumbs. They come in handy. 🙂 I only ever sucked my left one. It’s in an honored place on a shelf in the guest bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/73 "2016-09-16T14:08:46Z")
In cleaning out their attic recently my parents unearthed the two stuffed toys I had from babyhood and which I slept with up until I was about 10, and have sent them to me. They do have great sentimental value and it’s nice to have them, but I suspect if I were inclined to sleep with them they’d probably disintegrate. They are - how shall I put it - in a “well-loved” condition. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/74 "2016-09-16T14:48:03Z")
My favorite stuffed rabbit from when I was a wee tyke stayed safely in my parent’s attic for 20 years until my daughter was born. He now sleeps in a hammock in the corner of her room. I’m quite fond of him, but I would never consider sleeping with him. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/75 "2016-09-17T09:48:17Z")
Mr Boods still has his childhood teddy, Harry Harry, which lives on the dresser in the bedroom. I have just about all of my childhood animals; many of them are all over and in the bed on my side, so in a way he does sleep with an estimated arkload of them. Myself don’t give a toss who knows that I still have my animals or that they share bedspace with me. Usually one of the smaller ones travels with me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/76 "2016-09-17T12:10:11Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > As a kid, I had two stuffed cats named Purry and Dave. This is what happens when you let a 4-year-old name his stuffed cats. Great names. When I and my siblings were kids we named our two new kittens Fluffy and Furry. Imaginative names, those. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/77 "2016-09-17T21:32:59Z")
My early 30’s sons’ favorite childhood stuffed toys still exist, in our house not theirs. I guess they might claim them back as memento’s when we die or downsize, or maybe for their kids. I would perhaps have kept stuffed toys of mine if they’d still existed by the time we had to clear out my parent’s house, but they were long gone. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/78 "2016-09-18T05:29:28Z")
My boyfriend still has his Pooh Bear he had as a baby, and his Smokie he got when he was five. But he doesn’t sleep with either one of them; for that, he has Bennie. (Bennie’s a St. Bernard I bought @ Community Thrift). I’ve got a little bear who sleeps with us sometimes named Puzzy Foot-Foot Bearovitch. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/79 "2016-09-18T05:31:00Z")
please forgive the duplicate post. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871/80 "2016-09-18T17:46:07Z")
> [@DLuxN8R-13](#): > > please forgive the > duplicate post. NP. So, here, we have Zero % of adult men still sleep with their childhood cuddly, but a good number still own it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/51-of-adult-men-have-their-childhood-cuddly-toy-28-sleep-with-it-really/765871.md?page=5)