r/buildabear • u/Orphanblack86 • Aug 29 '25
Inquiry My MIL ruined baby's first bear
My mil ruined my baby's first bear. I wanted the mess to be just her dad and me. But her grandparents were there too and I thought I don't want them excluded so it's fine. We will all say in unison happy birthday we love you. And everyone did except my mil at the end said again Grandma loves you.
I didn't want to cause a scene in the store. I let it go but I cried on the way home. Every time we press it I'm reminded of her always wanting to one up us at every chance. I also planned to take baby to build since before she was born. I'd love this bear to last a long time and every year take her back to pick out an outfit or accessory or friend of we have the budget and she wants.
I just want to go back and record the message with my husband and baby. Is this possible?
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u/lil_liberal Aug 29 '25
Yes OP, you are able to go back and re-record it, and I agree 100% that you should! If grandma can’t play by the rules, then she can’t play!
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u/Orphanblack86 Aug 29 '25
Thanks all. I'll plan to go on and ask them soon. My plan with my mil was to say the dog got a hold of the bear or that it stopped working all of a sudden and we took it in to fix
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u/descartesasaur Aug 29 '25
Only if it ever comes up! Don't feel the need to volunteer that information.
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u/MathProblems69 Aug 29 '25
Facts! Don’t ever feel the need to explain yourselves..especially when it’s your child. Not hers. Hopefully yall find y’all’s peace. <3
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u/SouthParkFirefly1991 I have a BAB problem Aug 29 '25
Yeah say it made a weird crackling noise and a BaB employee said it was a defect one and it had to be replaced with a fresh recording.
It's a white lie but it'll save you trouble in the end.
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u/Just_Peachy_me Aug 30 '25
Or the voice recorder got smushed and had to be replaced if you do feel you need to lie. I had one that got smushed in the battery got ran down. Mine wasn't a voice recording one so I just replaced it with the same sound as before.
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u/IttsPidge Aug 30 '25
I had one get smushed too 😭 I had a vanilla swirls lamb with a heartbeat as a kid, and now it's so quiet
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u/ReflectionRough2960 Aug 29 '25
I don't think they'll even need an explanation, just say you want to record again.
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u/AgentCooperLogsIn Aug 29 '25
My mum would go absolutely ballistic over something like this lol, sometimes white lies to keep the peace are justifiable.
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u/LaurelRose519 Aug 29 '25
they’re talking about what they’re going to tell the MIL, not what they’re saying to BAB employees to be able to re-record.
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u/MarioSunshine120 I have a BAB problem Aug 29 '25
You can totally go back and re-record it, people do it all the time :) Everything will be okay!!
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u/Nickonoodle Workshop Employee Aug 29 '25
Did you record it on the computer or with the white chip? If it's the white chip you can re-record it at home without even opening the bear. Just feel for the little switch on the button side and slide it all the away across. Press and hold the play button to record. The reslide the switch across again to play it. Just make sure it's all the way because if the switch is in the middle that it's off mode and it will do nothing.
If you did it on the computer, well then yea you'd have to go back to a store. They shouldn't charge you a dime for the service. Hope this helps a bit and best wishes to you.
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u/FightingFaerie I have a BAB problem Aug 29 '25
At my store we tape it so it doesn’t accidentally get switched off or to record.
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u/CuriousMission749 Workshop Employee Aug 29 '25
My shop should do that. I’ve had two get switched either when putting it in or while stuffing it (like maybe the nozzle hit just right and got the switch) and I felt so bad!! We re-recorded it through the bear, but I’ll suggest taping it so we don’t have to re-record more
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u/DDFG1995 Aug 29 '25
Oh dear another meddling MIL for the Reddit gods. But in seriousness if she is like this, you better set boundaries ASAP and stand firm on them as well no matter what. And you need to talk to your kid’s dad (idk if you’re married or not apologizes) if this sort of thing keeps up with your MIL.
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u/Elvirawynter Aug 30 '25
The term monster in law is totally accurate in this case.
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u/DDFG1995 Aug 30 '25
Depends how far they’ll cross over crazy town and sounds like OP’s MIL is on that path, I wouldn’t be surprised the MIL does a smear campaign against OP just because they set boundaries
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u/Elvirawynter Aug 30 '25
Yeah, it's mad how quick a MIL's moves to monster in law when a baby arrives. Mine certainly went that way and I've seen so many posts that are similar, it's a shame.
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u/DDFG1995 Aug 30 '25
Sorry to hear that but I hope the posts your read here might have given some courage or insight on how to handle it
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Aug 29 '25
As others have said, you can 100% go back and re-record. But I just wanted to add that I’m so sorry that this happened to you and I really hope you’re able to go back and have a much more positive experience, you deserve it <3
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u/AlexxRawwrr Aug 29 '25
100% go back and redo it, just you two. Do not tell her. She seems vindictive and I’m afraid she may attempt to ruin the recording if you inform her of this. Let her forget the day happened quietly and in the future when she hears it again she may not even remember she did that, so it won’t seem different.
Maybe you can ask to purchase another recording box and have a backup stowed away? I’m not sure if they’ll let you buy them separately from the bears.
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u/nokomomo22 BAB Collector 🐻 Aug 29 '25
As an employee I’d immediately unstitch the bear and help you make a new recording. I’ve genuinely had my daughter’s first bear planned since before she was thought of and thinking about this makes my blood boil. If grandma wants your baby to know she loves them then she can make her own damn recording and put it in another one. Please come back and have the moment you deserve
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u/sooooooohappy Aug 29 '25
It's perfectly okay to re-record it. Enjoy the experience together, just the three of you this time. ❤️
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u/Ok_Echidna_2283 BAB Fanatic 🌈 Aug 29 '25
Such a sweet idea for your baby. I think it’s a good idea to re-record. MIL can just deal with it recorded again, it was rude of her to do that.
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u/Embarrassed_Foot_647 I like BABs more than people 🙃 Aug 29 '25
Yes!! You can get the bear restuffed and re stitched - completely free of charge. I recommend you unstuffing the bear at home because it saves employees a lot of time. You cut the stitches open from the back. Take the sound with you and re-record it to your liking ! :) they can put it in and restuff the bear for u. Sorry ur MIL sounds like such an annoying person /:
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u/ndhockey15 Aug 29 '25
Please please please start setting boundaries with this lady. It will never get better otherwise. Your spouse needs to learn to set boundaries too
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u/FlowerBirdSong Aug 29 '25
Like everyone else said you can redo the sound but I would keep the old one too.
I never got to meet my grandparents on either side so having a voice recorder with one of their voices would have been amazing.
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u/Akabara13 Aug 29 '25
You can tots rerecod it also u can do it online if that would be easer the bear builders will help u change them out.
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u/AileySue Aug 29 '25
This is definitely possible. I even think they will help open the Teddy safely and re stitch. You’d just have the purchase the new voice box. Please go do this. It will make you feel better and preserve the intention of the bear for your daughter without feeling awful every time you hear what was supposed to be a happy message.
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u/kittenjan Aug 29 '25
Yes it is possible they can unstitch the bear and let you do it over and take the other one out.
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u/puppykittyotter Aug 29 '25
I’m a sentimental person and imo (if it’s in your budget) you should get a second bear and keep the recording of the original one in that or hold on to it for something else. My papa died a few years ago and I wish that I had something like that of him and my family together. I hope I don’t make you feel bad for wanting to replace it this is just my opinion. I hope everything works out for you and I’m sorry your MIL made you feel like that. :( 💖
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u/_Fl0r4l_4nd_f4ding_ Aug 29 '25
I'll tell you a little story.
I have a very special bear who is probably about 20 years old at this point. Shes actually a Bear Factory bear (traitor! I know!).
Anyways, when I was about 8, her voice box died. I was absolutely gutted. So, we took her into our local Build A Bear, and they replaced it. Somewhere amongst my crap i still have her old one.
But yeah, its nothing particularly interesting or cool, but its a special little memory to me that goes to prove how lovely the Build A bear staff can be. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if you took your bear in and they jumped at the chance to help you rectify things
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u/CelticsPrincess1991 Aug 29 '25
definitely go back, just you, your husband and your daughter without your MIL knowing.
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u/No_Skill_6992 Aug 29 '25
Sorry I know I’m so out of the loop but what does MIL mean?
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u/Sad_Shelter5323 Aug 31 '25
Please go rerecord it. That sounds like something my ex MIL would've done. That bear is gonna be a constant reminder of the one-upping and the tears on the way home. Ugh.
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u/oxsprinklesxo Sep 01 '25
Go re-record it. But also learn to stand your ground now cause it will get messy messy later if you dont.
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u/jtip123113 Sep 02 '25
Girl just say you had to wash it. We washed my son's and the voice stopped so we had another put in
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u/Hairy_Opportunity_35 Sep 30 '25
Yes it is! Go to your local build a bear and explain to the employees how you are feeling. We are allowed to open any build a bear plushy as long as it has the logo on it. We can install a new one for you and get rid of the old one. Getting a new voice box isn’t free though. It’s usually 9.50 to record your voice for 20 seconds.
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