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mellyrose
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| Posted: Dec 06 2007 at 2:46pm | IP Logged
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Do you have a stuffed animal rule in your house? My boys have a ridiculous number of stuffed animals. They are attached to most of the ones they have left (I decluttered a ton of them in the past, but we still have a ton) They DO play with them -- they have elaborate games of jungle exploring, or zoo, or pet store, and a bunch of other things. It's not like they sit unused, but there are just TOO many.
After a horrible stomach bug last week, I declared that they may only have 7 stuffed animals on their bed. (They probably had a couple dozen each on their beds before this -- and between washing them, and throwing them on the floor to strip sheets multiple times, I have had it with them.)
The extras are sitting in 2 bins, but I have no place for the bins. They are crying over the loss and I hate to take them away . . . they are already talking about trading animals in and out from the bin so they all get a chance to sleep with them. I will probably find a place for these bins . . . but it made me wonder . . .
Do you have a rule about stuffed animals? How do you enforce it? Am I mean mom for limiting the number out?
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Melanie in AZ
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 06 2007 at 4:44pm | IP Logged
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What about those hammocks? they hang in the corner of hte room and can hold stuffed animals.. that would get them out of hte way but still there.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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hopalenik
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| Posted: Dec 06 2007 at 9:47pm | IP Logged
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We have a rule, only the amount of stuff animals and dolls that can fit under the drawers under the bunks may stay. Once the draw is filled the girls have to donate until the drawers can close but they do the picking. My son is alone so he has enough to fill his top bunk but hopefully some day, there will be a boy in there and then we will have to think about it. You do what you have to do and don't feel guilty about it but let them pick the ones to donate, then you don't get yelled at three months later:)
Holly
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Anne
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| Posted: Dec 06 2007 at 10:10pm | IP Logged
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Melanie,
I am in the same boat. My children get soooo attached to their stuffed animals and the number keep climbing. I have also gotten rid of many yet the toy bin runs over. The worst part is they remember me making them give some away and it has caused them to be less giving.
We have come to an agreement that many will go in storage and not given away yet. This idea helps if you have the storage space out side of your home. Sometimes the "out of sight out of mind" rule applies. Typically it's the "absence make the heart grow fonder" rule that takes over and I must "rescue"  an animal from storage.
All in all I guess I can't blame them. Five years ago my parents cleaned out their attic and found my bag of stuffed animals I could never get rid of. 
Guess who inherited the stuffed animals? 
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Stephanie_Q
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| Posted: Dec 06 2007 at 11:29pm | IP Logged
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I'm the one who is attached to stuffed animals in our house. My kids are playing with my old dolls and stuffed animals (my friends!) as well as the ones they've received in the last 5 years. We keep ours in a baby cradle (the baby has always slept with me).
As far as rules go, they are the same for all their toys: 1)if it's not being played with it needs to be put away. 2)everything has to get put away during afternoon clean-up before daddy gets home. The more toys are out, the earlier we start clean-up time. 3)they can choose one stuffed animal or doll to sleep with.
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mary theresa
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| Posted: Dec 07 2007 at 6:00pm | IP Logged
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Hmmm. I forsee that I'd better watch out.
My 20 mo. old has 7-8 animals now and it's so trying because they HAVE TO do everything she does -- go potty, sit at the table, get rocked and put to bed, come in the car. She even wants to have them do things like wear diapers and blow out candles. It's getting to be a bit much. I think she'll feel (when the baby comes in 3 wks) like her bears etc. are being ousted from their rightful places: i.e. in the baby's bassinet and the baby's carseat, etc.
Fortunately I haven't let her bring them in her crib, they are all in a box at the foot of it.
It's hard to make rules, but when it takes us FOREVER to get her in bed because she has to rock and sing to and kiss, and put a blanket on each one . . .
Anyways, I'm no help, but I sympathize in a only-one-child-with-seven-animals kind of way.
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Mary Theresa
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Dec 08 2007 at 9:36am | IP Logged
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The first rule I had was for the grandparents: Do not buy anymore stuffed animals. My mil works at a pharmacy, and I have learned that pharmacies are full of stuffed animals, especially Beanie Babies. (It doesn't help that her current pharmacy is in the same town that the owner/creator of Beanie Babies lives in and he comes into the store to personally make sure they are stocked up.)
Secondly, I had to ask my husband to please stop playing the claw machine in every store we went to. Not only did our older dd start to expect it to be played every time, but she started throwing fits on those rare occasions when he wouldn't win something (after pumping in three dollars). They wasted so much money.
Thankfully, my older dd did not get attached to any particular stuffed animal until she was two. But when she would occasionally want to bring a whole herd to bed I had a two-animal rule. (In the end, she always wanted to snuggle with me anyway.)
I also do not allow the kids to take any toys in the car unless we are going to be gone for several hours, in which case I usually have a backpack full of snacks and activities. The only exception is that their favorite may go with them to intimidating places like the doctor's office.
And I have learned to weed out toys either while the kids are asleep or at Granny's house. My older dd wants to keep things just because she can't stand to get rid of anything, even if it is completely broken. Sometimes she'll ask about something three or four months later (a sure sign that it wasn't played with in the first place). Sometimes she is not happy that it was disposed of, but especially at this point of the year it is easier to explain that we don't have room for everything and if she wants to get more stuff for her birthday and Christmas we have to make room.
Maybe all that makes me a mean mommy, but I'm prepared to live with the reputation. I just figured that it would be easier to set up the rules for my oldest early, since I knew we hoped to have more children. Of course, sometimes I wish I could have had more forethought and consistency in other areas. 
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Barbara
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: stuffed animals?
