Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
As a kid, I used to carry around a Dumbo stuffed animal, which was basically my equivalent of Linus’ blanket. My mom would tease me relentlessly and say, “Are you going to bring that to college?”
Over a decade later, I have three adorable plushies sitting in my dorm room, and I definitely would’ve brought more if I had the space.
When I first brought stuffed animals my first year, I was slightly nervous about how childish it might look. I was a young adult beginning college. Should I have already outgrown them?
Atomik Research, commissioned by Build-A-Bear, surveyed 2,000 adults and found more than half of the respondents still own a stuffed animal, according to Markets Insider. Out of these respondents, 40% still sleep with one.
Perhaps cherishing a stuffed plush, regardless of age, is actually not so childish. In fact, there are many benefits these bundles of softness bring.
Childhood is easily one of the first things associated with stuffed animals. You might recall nostalgic memories with a favorite toy that you often slept or played with.
While we might have thought of them simply as our inanimate best friends, stuffed animals might have been more than just fun things to play with.
Stuffed animals can be transitional objects — or items that provide comfort during times of anxiety or change to children, according to Max Genecov, a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania.
At home, I often went to plushies for comfort, and my strong attachment to them consequently led me to retain this habit as I grew older.
Last year, a strenuous evening in the organic chemistry laboratory had my goggles smudged from the few defeated tears I failed to restrain. Upon arriving back to my dorm, I flopped onto the bed with my possum plush.
“It’s because they’re [stuffed animals are] cozy and just personified enough to provide a bit of social comfort,” said Jade Wu, a sleep psychologist and researcher at Duke University School of Medicine. “That’s a great way for kids to self-soothe. We adults can do the same thing.”
After a rough day, sometimes I need alone time before I feel I can talk to other people. And, as silly as it sounds, I know I can count on plushies for silent, physical comfort that can help calm my mental state.
Certain loved ones and special moments can also be associated with certain stuffed animals.
I can still remember my aunt laughing at my squeaking Pikachu plush, which was probably actually a dog toy. I still remember the names and faces of those who helped sew Dumbo’s little yellow hat back on when it fell off from too much love and wear.
My grandma, however, never cared much for my stuffed animals and only commented how dirty they probably were.
When she developed dementia, my family put my beloved rabbit and elephant stuffed animals in her room. Sometimes, when my family asked her about them, she would look at them and remember me.
Similar benefits of stuffed animals for people with dementia were shown in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
Patients with dementia who interacted with PARO, a plush robotic seal, “were more verbally and visually engaged and reported experiencing more pleasure than people with dementia who received their usual care,” according to TIME.
Regardless of a person’s age, stuffed animals can bring much joy and evoke fond memories in their owners.
Whether you decide to bring along a special plush to college or not, continuing to cherish a piece of your childhood is nothing to be ashamed of, especially if it is something that brings you comfort and happiness.
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Email Faith Oh: faith.oh@pepperdine.edu
