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.

Sirzy.

I think it's stupid because parents do it on the idea that it's great for the kids to start early but I actually think it dilutes the excitement for them.

I think extending Christmas to early/mid November makes it less special and more commercial.

I think less is more, I think good things come to those that wait. I think the great things in life are better in moderation.

Supermarkets are full of Halloween from September, valentines from January. It's not limited to Christmas for the overkill!

Ignore what you don't like, enjoy what you do. People enjoying things you don't like in this sense is rarely going to harm anyone else!

Oh balls, Christmas is way more overkill than Halloween or Valentines day.

I am yet to meet any child who has had their excitement diluted by chiristmas starting "early"

In fact with schools rehearsing for plays and planning Christmas fayres and other things even if parents don't start it it has normally started earlier than December anyway.

I don't recall hearing Valentines or Halloween music in every store months before the event.

Not in shops it isn't. Only difference is that town centres don't fill with lights and Santas. Shops still go OTT with it

Really? I've never seen the Halloween department in Debenhams or the Valentines floor of Selfridges. The Halloween tunes must have passed me buy. The adverts on telly to tell me to buy up pumpkins NOW.

Clearly I've been living in a dream.

You have a point Sirzy regarding school plays. At least they tend to actually tell the real story and sentiment of Christmas though and don't tend to be sponsored by Coca Cola

Sirzy has a good point about schools. If their Christmas events and services are in early-mid December, as many of them are, then the children will have been rehearsing Christmas carols and songs and poems from November.

I agree with a lot of what FromEsme says.

FWIW I enjoy Christmas, but nothing Christmas related is allowed in our house before December. It starts with the advent calendar and builds from there.

I don't like a lot of the excess and pressure to spend. It's not something people should get into debt for.

Lol had to chuckle at this rang john lewis last week to book tea with santa its running 4consecutive fridays in restaurant prebook/ticket only limited numbers and its 30nov 3.30 or 5pm but due to school 5pm fills up fast.

Was told ohh you so lucky places filling up fast, next year ring in october some people ring us in august!

A lot of school xmas fairs are end of november.
We went to dds yesetrday there was santa, saw few kids with crap looking pressies and thourght save myself a fiver as jl santa is pricey side.

I do have middle dds fair to go to and she has end of yrem party with a santa but both are cheap and in dec.

I've booked for my 3 children to see Father Christmas next Sat. In our home town the lights are switched on this weekend and Father Christmas and his reindeer as well as other attractions will be in town. Yes its money making. Yes its probably too early but its really the only time its possible to see him round here as there are very few grottos around. In any case my kids think they are going to see if they are on his good behaviour list (which can be changed before the big day if behaviour slips) and make their requests for a gift they would like. They need to see him now so that he has time to get it if he feels it is appropriate. My children are 8, 6 and 2. The older 2 are already doing things at school and the little one has no concept of time anyway so a week or a month until the big day really makes no difference. There are plenty of things going on with the 2 schools and various clubs too. No harm done imo. Having said that we don't decorate until after 9th Dec as that's DD's birthday and we like to keep it separate from Christmas for her. Each to their own as usual. Who cares what anyone else does??

I have just seen my 1st trimmed up house

I think its way way too early to be visiting FC. He arrived in our town today and there was a queue out of the door, so many people they had to close the grotto early because they couldn't cope with how many there were!! FC is for December.. Obviously not many people agree though!

Well considering English Heritage were only doing 'Christmas at Osborne' this weekend we didn't get much choice.

It's not happening any nearer to Chrimbo.

But the actual proper 'Santa Meet' is on 22 Dec. More to your liking?