Really, it's okay to cuddle stuffed animals all your life

Some may see adults playing with soft toys as another sign of the infantilisation of a younger generation. But is it?

- Denise Chong

People who tut-tut over grown-ups carrying or cuddling soft toys — from furry monster bag accessories to office cushion-plushies and a big stuffed capybara or Hello Kitty on beds — may need a hug (from a giant teddy).

They could be worried that today's adults are apparently suffering from an extended adolescence, and could interpret this as another sign of the infantilisation of a younger generation. But is it really?

CUDDLING OUR 'CHOU CHOU' OVER THE YEARS

Adults hugging a soft toy as they go to sleep? It's not a new thing.

A YouGov study from a few years ago found that half of Singaporean respondents slept with a "comfort object" — colloquially known as a "chou chou" (stinky in Mandarin), which is some type of stuffed toy or security blanket.

Both men and women across a range of ages snooze with a chou chou even though Singaporeans aged 25 to 34 are much more likely to do so than those aged 55 and over (61 per cent versus 32 per cent).

It all started with a "bantal busuk" (smelly pillow in Malay), or a kiddy blanket that has been clutched for hours and drooled on.

And now you have status symbol furry monster hit toy Labubu hanging from luxury bags, or half-a-century-old Sanrio character Hello Kitty, which is still making millions for its company.

Over in the US, a survey CNN cited found that more than half of American adult respondents held on to a childhood stuffed animal, and about 40 per cent said they sleep with a plush toy.

Some 56 per cent of respondents have owned (and held on to) their favourite stuffed animal for more than two decades. Additionally, more than 70 per cent said they plan to keep their stuffed animal forever.

So if clutching a soft toy is "childish", then many of us are so. But it's more about keeping childlike happiness alive than being childish.