Growing up, I loved teddy bears. They were great to cuddle and I had a half hearted collection for a while. When we were in Nepal, all I wanted was a teddy bear, and I got one in the missionary barrels.
Even as a teen and young adult, teddy bears were among my favourite things.
At some point, I got the message that teddy bears were only for kids, and I got rid of a lot of them, either to my kids or to the op shop.
In my teens, I went on a school exchange to Tasmania and got to hold a wombat, starting a love of wombats. They are my favourite Australian animal.
About five years ago, my nephews presented me with a stuffed wombat. It was in a gift bag and they handed me the bag and said ‘Here, it’s Womby!’ I was so excited to have a wombat of my own. He lived in random places around the house until last year when he found a permanent home on my bed.
Until fairly recently, I hadn’t realised that one of the things I love is the soft fur of teddy bears and wombats. Having access to stroking the fur is a great way for regulation, and the sensory feel of them is wonderful to me.
I am rediscovering my love of furry soft toys, and how wonderful it is to curl up and cuddle them when I go to sleep. Womby now lives in my bed, and, if I’m ever going away, comes with me. He helps me adjust to sleeping in an unfamiliar bed as well as helping me calm everything in my body so I can rest to sleep.
Soft toys are not just for kids and their emotional regulation. They are also great for neurospicy adults.
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