#restuffed

Hey there lovely!

Awwww that is so lovely and such a good idea. When you can see that your items are going to somewhere where they’re going to be loved and used is such a great idea. Giving clothes that don’t fit anymore/that I don’t wear anymore away to charity shops helps too as that way you are giving them away to be used rather than just throwing them away which can be hard!

Thanks so much for sending this in, it’s always lovely seeing followers supporting eachother!

Hiya!I relate to this ask a huge amount as I also love my large stuffed animal collection! First of all - it is totally okay to love your cuddly friends :) having stuffed toys can be very therapeutic for some people, and it doesn’t make you pathetic or vain, I promise.

However, the practicalities of having many stuffed animals can be troublesome, and that may be the reason that your father is asking you to reduce your collection. They take up a lot of space, and for someone who doesn’t realise the emotional attachment they may genuinely not understand their significance.

When I moved I had to make some painful decisions about how to manage my collection. For me this resulted in assessing which animals I had the strongest emotional attachments to, and which animals were simply too large (such as a nearly life size unicorn). I also had to be firm with myself and for every new animal I got, to try to pass on another which I felt I would miss less. I also have a large box under my bed where I keep many of my cuddly friends because I don’t want to part with them yet.

Now I know everyone is different and everyone has their own ways of coping. You might not be in a place right now where getting rid of any of them is a possibility, and that’s okay. You have a right to take this at your own pace.

Is there any way that you could store some of your collection? That way you aren’t getting rid of them and can access them whenever you need to, but they won’t be a constant visual presence for your father and could be a step towards potential future changes.

It might also be worth thinking about the reasons behind your attachment to your collection. Perhaps they provide companionship when you feel lonely, or keep you grounded when everything feels overwhelming. Where/who you got them from may also have sentimental value for you. Working through these things one step at a time may help you to find some peace in this situation, and there is support out there to help you if you find this distressing - try looking here and here.

Is there any way that you could explain to your dad the emotional significance of your collection? If it’s hard to talk about you could always write him a letter, or try to relate how you are feeling to something that you know that he is very attached to? I know that speaking about personal matters can be really scary and leave us feeling quite vulnerable. You can take this at whatever pace you need to, because the most important thing is that you look after yourself. You deserve to be happy! You don’t have to go through this on your own. We are always here for you <3

You aren’t pathetic, or vain, or childish. You are unique and precious and I hope that everything works out for you! Please do send another ask if you have any thoughts/worries/questions :)

Take care,