Carrying plush animal in public as a child vs as an adult

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<snip> Also the purse thing isn't really an option for men because it'd be socially unacceptable for men to have purses. I'd also like to point out that i've carried around a plushie for years and no one has said anything negative. People don't often confront you about things. But staring yes they do that quite a lot.

The male equivalent is a re-usable shopping bag.

I've seen loads of people carry them around. (Reusable shopping bags)

What do people round you do when they want to go shopping? (considering the environment etc)

I run around with a Rocket Raccoon stuffed animal backpack and anyone that says anything is always positive about it. "That's so cute!" I used to take my elderly Timon plushie places with me at 20. People had something negative to say, I had a come back something along the lines of "He's much better company than judgmental pricks like you." If someone did say anything it was about how cute he was so I never had to use comebacks.

But as a child, if I brought a stuffed animal (even a small one) to school, it was always a big deal to the teachers. Even if I just sat it on my lap as I listened to the teacher talk and did my school work. I had an IEP for my little Timon plush that was my comfort item but most of the time he just chilled in my pocket or my backpack. Still, teachers hated that. I had a school bus driver threaten to take them away and never give them back. He even stopped the bus for quite a while in an effort to make me give in and hand it over. I don't think so dude. You just told me I wouldn't get it back so what makes me think I'm going to hand it over. Eventually, you are going to have to take everyone home so you can't sit here forever. When my parents found out what had happened, I told them as soon as I got off the bus...in tears. Both of them blew a gasket but dad was ready to beat the man up or something. We only lived about half a mile from the school bus driver and my mom had to watch my dad more than me because she was worried she was going to go down there, beat him up and get arrested or something. My dad had quite the temper and anger problems, but you don't mess with the daughter of a US Marine like that and expect to get away with it so easily.

People always told me that as an adult, I wouldn't be able to bring stuffed animals in public with me. No big deal, when I was an adult I simply brought REAL animals with me. I took my bearded dragon everywhere and even got a service animal letter from my psychiatrist for her. The law for service animals was different back in the early 2010's and it was such a small town, I never had to show it. I became known as "the girl with the lizard". More people knew my bearded dragon on first name basis than they did me. "How is Pippin today?" Pippin really helped my social anxiety but that's another story. But no one gives me crap about my Rocket Racoon backpack or the few times I took my elderly Timon plushie to the fabric and grocery store...no one gave me a stink about it. As a child, it was as if bringing a stuffed animal in public was akin to contraband. Adulthood is nothing like I expected. I LOVE being an adult more than I ever liked being a child.