To not want to write DCs name and address on the back of the envelope?

Oh Lordy 😂

Your average postman delivers to between 400 and 600 addresses every day. They sort and process 0s of thousands of items through the sorting offices. The huge mail centres are hugely automated. Everything is dumped out of sacks into machines to be sorted. They barely have time to do more than glance at each one. You don't sound silly, you sound completely irrational. I can't even begin to explain how utterly ridiculous this sounds.
Even if the postman registered that it was a child's letter to santa what do you think will happen? Do you think they will try and groom your child by first class post? Presumably the postman already knows you have children? What exactly is it that you are concerned about?

Can you not just not post the letter and not get a reply - or not post the letter and write your own reply to your child? Or post the letter and not get a reply / write your own reply?

I'm currently working for Royal Mail as a Christmas temp. Their rules around confidentiality of data are really strict. Addresses on envelopes and parcels are covered by GDPR and any employees copying or using that information can find themselves in serious trouble.

You're massively overthinking this.

Just throw the letters away, print out the Royal Mail letter yourself and deliver them.

And you wonder why, this is ridiculous then don't write to Santa hide yourself away and then think about the affect this is having on your child/ren

In Germany it is obligatory to put the sending address (at least) on the front of the envelope, in the top left-hand corner. Surname optional. Never had any issues with it.

Sorry but you are being ridiculous.
Do you think someone will note down all the addresses so they can snatch your child. Get a Grip!!!
Also noone is making you sent a letter to Santa. If you aren't comfortable then don't do it.

Well yes, this too!

The irony of having such a shitty attitude yourself yet making this comment.

This!

Oh - I see you're on a waiting list.

Well go and see your doctor again anyway and push hard for help. You can't live like this, it's not good for you.

OP you are overthinking this massively. Your child will be fine, it is not a risk you need to concern yourself about. No one from the post office is going to note your child's name and address and then contact or otherwise do harm them.

I say this kindly, but please, if this is making you so anxious that it's in your head to the point you're having to sense check it with a DH who is losing patience or ask on here then go and see a doctor next week. It is hell living with a busy and anxious brain like you are, but there is help out there.

I got my grandson kit with his favourite player's name on. Not for safeguarding reasons, it's what he wanted.

@BabyDoge Op I don't know how old your DC are but are they able to read the letters themselves? If not would you feel easier if you put their middle names instead, or an entire made up one (and obviously if you read it to them then you road out their actual names). The address part there's no getting round I wouldn't think.

Take care of yourself, anxiety is the worst.

There are letters you can pay for, we used those a lot. Videos too - the portable North Pole.

If you write your name on the envelope you'll end up with a letter from Santa addressed to you. Super useful. All your Christmas wishes will come true!

Messi? Ronaldo?

I'd just do pretend letters and replies. The Royal Mail thing is too much effort.

I understand the anxiety and worry of putting your child in danger, and sometimes it is good to be cautious and double check.
However in this situation I think it is perfectly fine to put your child's name and address on the envelope, the Royal Mail workers won't know for sure it is a child, it could be an older teen, a spouse, or even someone sending one as a joke to a friend.
As a groomer/paedophile ring it is not a very efficient way of finding children.

This is different to putting your child's name on clothing as that is a double identifier, the actual child and their name, a person with nefarious intentions can see the child and use the name as a means of familiarity and to obtain trust, same as posting pics of your child in school uniform or with other identifiable objects/locations.

The Royal Mail letter is just one identifier without anything else it is practically useless for the reasons above.

We never included an address and got someone else (an aunt) to write and post a reply.

No one at the local sorting office will see the letter really.
The mail will be taken out of the pillar box in handfuls and stuffed in a mail sack (and I’m pretty sure they are sealed then). The sacks will be taken back to the local office but only so they can load them onto the van going to the main sorting facility. There the sacks will be sorted by a machine reading the postcode to be sent on to the next location. As its a Royal Mail facility it probably doesn’t get the final hand sort which is usually only done just before it is actually delivered.
Even 25 years ago when Dh was a postman it was only when the mail reached the receiving sorting office that a person would actually start looking at the letters rather than a machine.

I did the RM letters and I didn't write their name and address on the back of the envelope. I wrote all their names at the bottom of the letter and address underneath. They each got a response.