You never know when your experience of domestic abuse, psychological abuse in my case, will creep up and surprise you.

Today is one of those days.  I hadn’t realised that today is Winne the Pooh day until I was scrolling through social media whilst enjoying a cup of coffee this morning.

I love Winne the Pooh.  When my son was new-born (he’s almost 15 now) his nursery was decorated with Winnie the Pooh and he had big 3ft plush toys of Winne, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore to welcome him home from the hospital.  They became well loved ‘playmates’ until his dad decided they were dirty and too young for him and needed to be thrown out.

But that’s not the part that saddens me.  You see, I didn’t choose Winne the Pooh to be my son’s theme.  In fact, I wasn’t involved in choosing any of the accessories or décor for my son or his new nursery.  It was all presented to me as a fait accompli and I had to accept it or be told I was ungrateful and mean.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship with a narcissist (and I hate to use that word as it’s so over-used these days) you will recognise what I’m talking about.

In the weeks leading up to my son’s birth I would regularly be presented with ‘gifts’ – a new pushchair and changing bag that I had no involvement in selecting or even having any input into.

And when I returned home from the hospital with my new-born son after a particularly traumatic birth, I was presented with a fully accessorised nursery adorned with Winne the Pooh decals, lampshades, curtains, mobiles to join plush toys taking up all of the room in the cot.  You name it, Winne the Pooh and his friends looked down from in it or on it!

As I’ve said, I have nothing against Winne the Pooh but to have had him foisted upon me, with absolutely no input, at such a significant stage of my transition into motherhood turned me off him for a long time.

If I commented that I would have liked to have had some input into the décor for our son’s nursery I was told I was ungrateful and I hadn’t been involved because it would take the pressure off me.  Excuse me? How many mums do you know who don’t want to be involved in the décor of their child’s nursery?

When I mentioned that I was planning on a different style of pushchair than the one I was presented I was told I didn’t know what I was talking about and I should be grateful that he had made the decision for me, particularly as my pregnancy brain was confusing me about what I did and didn’t want!

Winnie the Pooh – such a lovable, effable character but to someone who has been through psychological abuse such an inanimate object can take them straight back to a time of fear and darkness.

Thankfully, I have since had years of counselling, coaching and therapy and can once again enjoy Winnie the Pooh and friends for who and what he is.

Happy Winnie the Pooh Day.