Vacation with family

I’m going away to kos with my vanilla family in October. I am terrified of flying and really want to take my stuffie on board with me. Do you think it is acceptable for me to do that? What should I say if my family ask?

I also struggle to sleep without my stuffie due to my anxiety and tendency to have nightmares, I want to take my stuffie with me for them reasons. What do you think?

Just tell them you're scared of flying, they will understand, trust me. I always have a stuffie with me when I'm traveling (especially by plane) and no one cares. In fact, I've seen a lot of other people with stuffed animals on my last flight, it's very common

If you're still worried about strange looks and don't need a specific stuffie, just some stuffie, maybe take a look at those neck pillows that are made to look like noodle animals? Most people have a neck pillow on a plane, so that would raise absolutely zero eyebrows. Then you'd have security and no crick in your neck

Thanks for the advice. I have a strong connection with my stuffed elephant. So I couldn’t use one of those pillows. Another question is, how do I explain my stuffie on a night, my parents don’t want to accept the fact that I have anxiety

"I can't sleep without something to hold onto and my elephant is the best thing I've found so I can sleep."

The thing is, adults having plushies is a way more common thing than people think. I've always taken a plushie (or two or three!) when I go away to a hotel/camping. And no one ever says anything other than "That's cute!"

As a matter of fact, when I went to an indoor waterpark/hotel in the middle of winter I took my plush Everest with me. And everyone there thought it was super appropriate because we got hit with a nasty ice/snow storm. (It probably helped that I held her up and said "ICE OR SNOW I'M READY TO GO!")

Again, it is a very common thing for adults to have something that smells like home, for lack of better wording, with them when they sleep somewhere else. Can you simply tell them that you sleep better with it? If they know you get nightmares, that should be explanation enough.

Is it likely that they will ask why you have a stuffie with you? My mother usually doesn't comment on them, and we usually share a room if we are on vacation. If they don't ask, you don't have to explain anything. Just treat it as a comfort item: Some people might take their pillow with them, some their favourite book, some, like you and I, a stuffie. They can hardly keep you from bringing it

Also: If you already have that stuffie with you from the flight, it won't look odd if you also have it in your room/bed.

When we'd travel to be with our daughter and her family, staying over for the night, my wife would pack one of my plushies in the luggage. A lot of people understand the need. You can always ask your mom ahead of time and see what she thinks. Moms tend to be more accepting.

Something I do is just have a soft bag that has my plushie and blankie in it (and a binky or several, my worst addiction!) and I can cling on to the bag in a pinch. Because of being ic and a little I typically have a backpack with me wherever I go. I also have pretty debilitating anxiety so even if I never open my bag, knowing it’s all there makes me feel more confident.

Don't worry, you should be fine. Adults collect and even sleep with plushies in general a lot more than you would probably believe.