to think taking your child to see santa this week

[mumsfretter]

is frankly stupid.

It's bad enough people putting their decorations up this week but taking your kids to visit Santa in November under the premise of "it's for the kids" is utter nonsense. It is all about the parent and will probably spoil some of the excitement for the children nearer the date.

[NoCoolUsername]

I have indeed and yes we do it every year, lots of people, especially my Mum get VERY het up about it but I really couldn't care less, my DC are 10 and 5 and it has never 'ruined Christmas' or taken away the magic!

I grew up with miserable parents who didn't like Christmas and it was horrible, so I always promised myself when I had DC I would really get in to it and we do! They love it and DH thinks we are bonkers!

[missymoomoomee]

I am putting up my decorations next week and going to see Santa next weekend, I might even take the kids along :) we do lots of christmassy stuff every weekend in the run up so its not like we see Santa in November and then theres nothing until xmas, it prolongs the excitement rather than dilutes it imo.

Its bloody harsh to call you a cunt though we only kick of the festivities in November because I love it so your observations are right there, you are wrong about spoiling it for the kids though.

[mumsfretter]

lightbulbsoup

I actually do believe putting decorations up so early etc is all about the parents. I mean it's the parents decision isn't it. I personally think it dilutes the excitement for the children though. I mean seeing the same decorations up day in day out for over a month before the actual day surely has to dilute the atmosphere somewhat.

I can honestly never remember anyone putting decorations up in the middle of November ever when I was growing up. Is it a new thing?

[FeckOffCup]

It is a little early but I'm happy to go with it, as I said we're quite busy in December itself so if the parade was then we probably couldn't go, I might do Santa's grotto tomorrow if the queue isn't too bad as we will be there anyway and it saves having to go back, shopping centres are like hell close to Christmas.

[HoneyDragon]

Wow. Sat down on here for the first time today and ops are declaring people stupid or idiots. Think I'll do the ironing.

[I8toys]

Saw my first decorated house on Wednesday - santa stop here sign outside. I had to double take!!

Bloody long wait!

[joanbyers]

I got in a considerable rage, on 31st October going into Argos and hearing Christmas music. Muttering under my breath about how absurd it was.

[mumsfretter]

Do you think if you started celebrating a personal birthday way before the actual date it would detract from the excitment of the actual birthday? I do.

I wonder what the mumsnet jury think?

[5madthings]

well we go see santa when we can fit it in, generally in december but if we are busy etc then it could be earlier, the children dont mind waiting its all just part of the build up and the excitement, plus the queues are generally smaller if you go earlier.

[Sparklingbrook]

I have a new radical idea. Why doesn't everyone just do what they like? Genius.

[5madthings]

putting decorations up is done when i can be arsed, my kids would have them up all year round if i let them! they like them.

[Sirzy]

Ds is just 3. We haven't been to see santa yet but we have been to a few garden centres to see the Christmas displays - infact he is currently running around with a pink star and tinsel!

He is loving it and is getting nicely excited about Christmas. We aren't going to see Santa til early December but that's because that's the date that fits best.

[NoCoolUsername]

Exactly Sparkling!

[Sirzy]

Ye and what sparkling said!

[YouOldSlag]

I actually do believe putting decorations up so early etc is all about the parents. I mean it's the parents decision isn't it.

Everything about Christmas is the parents decision otherwise our tree would be up in bloody July and presents would have been opened by now. What a ridiculous thing to say. Of COURSE everything is to do with the parents.

Our tree goes up next week, I am as excited as the kids and I couldn't give a shit what anyone else thinks or what they prefer to do.

I certainly wouldn't start a thread complaining that other people don't Christmas how I think it should be done! Every family has their own way of doing things and good for them, I say!

[TessCowDirect]

Is christmas just for children now?

[LightbulbSoup]

I don't know if it's a new thing to be putting up decorations in mid November but i think NoCoolUsername's reasons are actually really nice.

I love xmas but it does seem to come round earlier in a commercial sense every year. I feel like I'm on a conveyor belt going from one seasonal holiday to another with no rest stops.

[mumsfretter]

I agree lightbulb soup, it's the consumerism side of starting earlier that grates on me.

[mumsfretter]

tesscowdirect

Well strictly speaking it's a religious holiday on 2 days of the year isn't it? But the whole Santa's present bit is really about the kids I think.

[MrsCantSayAnything]

We're off to see the village christmas lights get turned on tonight. Father Christmas will be there. So obviously, he doesn't think it's too early.

[FromEsme]

That's what I don't like. The commercial side of it. The endless pushing of new products and experiences that you HAVE to have since it's xmas. Every town has a Christmas market, a Santa's grotto, an ice-skating rink. Of course kids are going to want to do these things and of course parents want them to be happy. It just makes me feel sad that all of this costs money that not everyone has.

[Geargrinder]

Sparkling, it might be a coincidence, but I was going to pop to our local Garden centre to get some bits from some of the other shops there today, until I looked online and saw that Santa was arriving so early. If it begins with B it's probably the same place. Really would like to go and soak up some of the Xmas spirit in a few weeks, but I think starting now is a bit much for my 2.5 year old.

[EdgarAllanPond]

it's not that much of a religious holiday in this household. more of a midwinter treat.

and i will have decs up december 1st.

taking kids to see sant now = sensoble and will avoid queueing for five hours with increasingly tetchy DC for a hurried 5 mins with an overheating bloke in a suit.

[YouOldSlag]

FromEsme, I love all the things you listed but I don't take my kids to the expensive stuff and they never know about it.

Our town doesn't have an ice rink, but we do go to a Grotto - the school does one for only £2 anyway. There are loads of cheap things you can do related to Christmas that cost very little. We collect pine cones, make decorations, make mince pies, wrap presents, watch Christmassy DVDs etc.

We get excited early and it never diminishes. We also spread it out the other side too, by retaining some gifts to open Boxing day and New Years day. People give them so much, they don't even notice us tucking a few away for when the excitement's died down.

I love our Christmases and I am unapologetic about it.

[Sparklingbrook]

No, ours begins with a W Gear. it must be the day for Father Christmas arriving at Garden centres throughout the land. I wanted to go to Hobbycraft which is in the store but will wait til tomorrow I think.