Annoyed with myself for getting sucked into the nonsense

[colddarkdarkcold]

This isn’t a judgement on how anyone else does things. I’ve never made a big deal of Santa and tried to enjoy Christmas as a season rather than a ridiculous day. This year though I’ve been sucked in big time and on my way with the kids to something I honestly think will be shit and no one will enjoy. Why do we do it to ourselves?

Well if you think your kids will think it's shit then that seems totally pointless. If you think your kids will like it then I guess suck it up for them?

Why are you going if no one will enjoy it? Peak madness imo!

It probably is. But it’s already paid for and I don’t know what it’s going to be like. It’s more that I’m annoyed with myself for booking it in the first place, thinking I have to do things I suppose.

I feel your pain, I stupidly booked a light trail for tonight, it’s a mission to get to on the tube, we won’t get home til god knows what time, and I am dreading it.

My grown up kids have fond memories of those sorts of expensive nonsense days out that felt unsuccessful at the time. We laugh now about them and it stops them saying we never did anything special. It’s still family time spent together, even if it’s learning that some things in life are just a bit disappointing!

It’s breakfast with Santa isn’t it 🤣

Yep that’s the sort of thing I’d do!

Close @SilverPink . Polar express train! Cost a small fortune …

Ah now I think my kids would have loved that! Hope you managed to enjoy it in the end!

Ah, I went with my friend and her children and it was lovely. Kids loved it!

We go on a lightsaber train each year we all like it and most importantly you bring your own snacks and drinks you get to sit down and it doesn’t matter about the weather! Win win

We did it this year for the first time and I thought it was the best of all the Christmas experiences we've done - carried out so well and grown ups and children alike loved it. I hope you enjoy it too.

We like the polar Express but then we like lapland uk too so I might not be your audience

It was OK … I wouldn’t do it again, to be honest, and it was extortionate for what it was.

@colddarkdarkcold but did the kids enjoy it?

I love a train ride, me.

We went to the Blenheim light trail early in Dec.
Absolutely fabulous plus there was the Yellow Brick Road experience, funfair, (real) ice skating and the Christmas market.😃
Would cost a small fortune to take a family and do EVERYTHING but a great start to the run-up to Christmas.🎄

But.......🤔
The weather was good when we went however there has been so much wind & rain lately, I can see how it could be an expensive flop (only part of it is under cover).
Pre-booking necessary so you were in the lap of the gods really.

They enjoyed it but it was just OK - I don’t think they adored it or anything! It’s just so overpriced and in many ways a visit to a national trust place with a really good playground would have been better!

Sounds like it's not really your thing, lesson learned!

When I was little there were zero “activities” around Christmas in the area, apart from the school Christmas Fayre, where Santa (someone’s grandfather) gave us a present at the end. That’s it. So much of it is done to make money out of parents, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You don’t have to do any of it, kids love just playing out with their friends and being excited.

Well, kids don’t really ‘play out’ any more. I don’t mind spending money on things, I think this just annoyed me as I think I knew it was just a big money racket but I got sucked in!