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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have told the dc that the recession has probably affected Santa's pension fund..

27 replies

Joolyjoolyjoo · 22/11/2011 22:52

Things are going to be a bit tight in our house this Christmas. The dc (7, 6 and 4) still have a much-cherished belief in Santa, that I in no way want to shatter (this is NOT an are-you-lying-to-your-child-if-you-encourage-Santa-belief thread, OK?? I love Santa, and his magic, as do my children, so please no replies about about how they are naive, you feel sorry for them due to my dishonesty etc)

I have explained to them about the recession and how elderly people in particular are getting less return on their pension funds (we did a brief tutorial on the markets) How the price of food (and reindeer food) is rising, and how businesses are struggling. How Santa has elves to pay, and may not be able to take on so many temp elves this Christmas, and therefore may not be able to make so many presents this year. How heating costs are rising (and, let's face it, even with as many layers of flab as Santa has, you're going to run up some gas bill at the North Pole)

My children have accepted Santa's precarious financial position, it seems, without too much fuss. (Let's face it, if Mrs Claus becomes unwell and he needs to become her carer, things could get worse- I spared them that part, though) But others have suggested I am being mean.

Is it mean to inject some financial reality into it, but still keep the Santa myth? After all, they will get presents, and still have all the excitement of "has he been??" I just don't want them to be disappointed, and I hate the whole idea that your parents pay Santa/ buy the main presents. To me, Santa is all or nothing. They have a few precious years of believing, and I don't want them to think they haven't got as much this year because of any fault on their part.

So AIBU? Or do you think the economic downturn will have affected Santa as I predict?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 22/11/2011 22:54

Fucking hell, talk about over complicating things.

This is why imo it's best to tell your kids from the start that the pressie in the sack is from santa, and all the others under the tree with labels on were bought for them by people.

PelvicF1oorOfSteel · 22/11/2011 23:02

Perhaps as well as a mince pie, sherry and carrot you could leave out a few leaflets about pension credits and winter fuel allowance?

JaneFonda · 22/11/2011 23:02

I think you've explained it very well, actually. :)

If you're worried about them not getting as much, go to poundland/other bargain shops and buy lots of little things - they won't really mind WHAT the present is at that age, as long as they have lots of things to unwrap!

spendthrift · 22/11/2011 23:02

I think it's wonderful and DH and I have just laughed and laughed and laughed. But I do know that our DS would have asked searching questions about why the North Pole Treasury got its forecasts so badly wrong, whether under another government the reindeers would have been able to travel more economically and, most trenchantly of all, whether this means that the total number or the total value of the presents came down. So I think you must be prepared for supplementary questions to come up and then be compared with what others say at school. On a similar theme, we had to explain that each family has its own particular tooth fairy and therefore rates of pay were of course not going to be identical with those that other children got - how could they be? But there was no efficient labour market in tooth fairies; families could not swap between them. You were stuck with the one you inherited. Very feudal, tooth fairies.

butterscotch · 22/11/2011 23:07

Wished there was a like button on MN for PelvicF1oorOfSteel's comment! Love it!

My DD's are 4 and 18months so still believe big time but they only get one pressie from Santa and each other........this year one pressie from us was supposed to be joining pressie of kitchen (wooden to replace cheapo plastic one - but these feels mean! However hubby has a different view....i.e. they are spoilt etc... that said last 2 birthdays for eldest abd xmas's I've had control over what has and hasn't been bought for them!)

Whilst I like a lot of control I think it would be nice sometimes to be able to go mad and spoil them!!!!!!1

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 22/11/2011 23:11

Worra- I like things to be complicated- gives them something to think about Presents from other people are always from the person who bought them, but pressies from DH and I are from Santa, and I do usually go a bit OTT

PelvicFloor- dd1 has already suggested that Santa could grow his own carrots for the reindeer- we may leave him some carrot seeds instead of a carrot this year

janefonda- yes! poundland is my friend this year

and spendthrift yes- although I believe as an individual Santa has to look to his own financial advisors for answers. And I agree with the feudalistic nature of the tooth fairy!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 22/11/2011 23:20

Butterscotch - I usually love to spoil them a bit at christmas, tbh That's why I don't want this year to be a disappointment, and I don't want them to think they haven't been "good" enough or anything.

OP posts:

missingmumxox · 23/11/2011 00:14

you could have saved yourself the trouble and just played them this

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 23/11/2011 00:22

missingmum- Not sure they could handle the reindeer steak bit!

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Bogeyface · 23/11/2011 00:47

Plonker · 23/11/2011 00:50

Wow, you've given this a lot of thought ...

ohnoshedittant · 23/11/2011 00:59

This is the craziest thing I've heard in quite a while and I mean that as a compliment OP.

I'm not sure I buy that Santa has been affected by the economic downturn though. He's magic surely that gives him some protection from things like this...

squeakytoy · 23/11/2011 01:29

Even at 4 years old I understood that my parents bought the presents, and Santa just delivered them. I wouldnt have understood the value of money very well, but I knew that gifts were from people, not a man on a sleigh!

squeakytoy · 23/11/2011 01:31

Posted before I finished there..

I think it is also quite wrong to burden children with your financial difficulties. Children so young shouldnt need to worry or be told they are getting less. At their age they shouldnt really be materialistic.

kipperandtiger · 23/11/2011 01:45

Lol at the thought of teaching a four year old, nay a seven year old about financial markets and pension funds...... Children at this age aren't like twenty year olds - they like lots of little fun things more than one big expensive thing. I remember my nephew enjoying a little fold out cardboard snow scene with a magnetic wind up train that cost a fiver from one of those postal book order clubs. We've even forgotten what the expensive "big" gift was - we got him that but I couldn't resist the wind up train when I saw it in the catalogue. But his mum said he loved the wind up train and played with it everyday for 2 months till eventually it broke. Why don't you scout around the smaller shops (even bookshops) and avoid the big chains with their pricey samey electronic, light and sound toys? Have posted this idea before but another idea popular with seven year olds was a DIY gingerbread house for them to put together (and that is great for siblings to do together too) - they loved the combination of sweets, small house, sweets, something to build, and sweets (haha). Christmas presents don't have to be expensive large toys. My DS has always liked his new (inexpensive) books best of all his Christmas presents. Me too - books don't require AA batteries (replacing them = bane of my life, even the rechargeable ones).

garlicnutter · 23/11/2011 01:58

I love it, Jooly You should write a little book about it, make some money out of the recession!

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 23/11/2011 09:03

squeaky- see, we have never done the bit about us buying the presents. As far as my children are concerned it's all done by the Big Man in red. I'm not trying to burden the children with financial difficulties, but they understand now that poor Santa is a wee bit strapped this year,which didn't seem to weigh them down unnecessarily. They were actually quite interested in the economics, and came up with some very funny ideas about how santa could save some money (I'll save them for the book- thanks for the idea, garlicnutter )

Of course we will get them lots of little things, but some of the things they are asking for are quite big, and I don't want them to be unduly disappointed on the day. I try not to let them become materialistic- they enjoy lots of things in life, many of them free, BUT to them, Christmas is about getting toys I'm afraid!

OP posts:

kipperandtiger · 24/11/2011 00:09

Oh, I see what you mean about asking for toys that are quite big.........they do go through a phase of either wanting every expensive thing that appears on a poster or the newspaper, or even just appears for 2 seconds on tv (you try to limit what they watch but then there's the relatives' or friends' tv, or their school friends talk about it). Funnily enough, mine sometimes even forgets what was asked for! I do insist on setting limits otherwise there will be no end to it. Eg I say he can only ask for one thing on his letter to Father Christmas, or that the toy has to be appropriate (no toy Porsches!! Which regrettably we once spotted in a car showroom!). Or I'd say it can't be too big or else it will deprive another child of having something at all. (as you can see, quite creative with the excuses here...!!!)

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 24/11/2011 00:29

kipperandtiger- that is just it. They have no concept of how expensive the thing they have asked for is, they just see it and ask for it! Mine are allowed 3 things on their list, but they know from past experience they usually get more. I'm just trying to inject a bit of realism without dispelling the magic.

And I like your creative excuses A lot of parenting seems to involve creative excuses, I find!

OP posts:

kipperandtiger · 24/11/2011 00:34

Mine once asked for a plane - a real plane. It was all very innocent, I don't think he even has a concept of how those things are "owned". Of course, I said it wasn't possible.

Thanks! Always a case of (lovingly) keeping one step ahead of them! Haha.

SparkleSoiree · 24/11/2011 00:42

Some of you lot are REALLY creative! Love it!

Original poster

Joolyjoolyjoo · 24/11/2011 00:58

lol at the plane! I remember my little cousin being absolutely unbudging on the only thing he wanted for Christmas....a FROG! It had to be a real frog, nothing else would do. My poor aunt was tearing her hair out, as he refused to even ask for, or show interest in, anything else.

Thankfully, the next year he asked for a balloon. that is all.

OP posts:

soandsosmummy · 24/11/2011 08:18

This is a great thread. Interestingly DD knows about the recession (she calls it hte world not having enough money) and has already asked me whether Father Christmas will have less money this year and also whether the elves will be going on strike when the teachers do

I LOVE the idea of feudal tooth fairies. I'm nicking it some of DDs friends seem to get obscene amounts of money for their unwanted body parts

planetpotty · 24/11/2011 08:30

Fuuuuck... What if he strikes!

planetpotty · 24/11/2011 08:35

Don't panic Easter bunny has nothing on and is skint so could do with the extra money.

I think it's good that it's explained in a way children will understand. If we don't explain how can the understand.

Also I can't remember what presents I got when I was those ages but I can remember the magic of leaving out his carrot and whiskey (errrrr DD issues there) and waking up at 4:30 to see if he'd been!

Anyone seen the reindeer food you can scatter down you drive/path it's just oats with gold glitter in so could easily be made at home

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