to be gutted by DS's lack of excitment for BIG surprise?

[happyclapper]

Did the big, long planned and anticipated, reveal of trip to Disneyland Paris at christmas. Recording reaction of DS's 10 and 5. Only trouble was there was no reaction, or an imperceptable 1.
I sort of understood as DS10 thought it was all Mickey Mouse for little kids until I explained there will be plenty of stuff for him too, and DS5 didn't really get what it was all about but even so. Not even a smile....jeez.
Its not as if they are spoilt with loads of expensive gifts / trips and it is something we've never been able to afford before.
Just feel a bit deflated. I am probably just being silly as I am sure they will have a great time when they are there but we have spent sooo long planning it and thinking about it..... sad emoticon (don't know how to do it)

Donkeys. Your DS sounds exactly the same as mine. LOL.
I have told him to fake it with other people. Not a good actor though it turns out.
Thanks Sleepless. Do I? Feel a bit crap really. Am torn between giving him benefit of doubt and just not wanting to be 'played' and ending up with a spoilt brat.
Early New Year Resolution.... I am going to let it go.

Some people are just no good at producing the expected level of excitement. Dh is terrible at it. He hates opening presents in front of people because he just can't get his voice and face to look excited enough. The pressure of knowing it is expected makes it worse.
Even though I know this, it's hard to not be disappointed when he unwraps something I know he will love and I've been excited about for months. So I understand how you and your ds feel

My parents took us to Disney world when I was 8. Because it was such a huge treat Dad told us we were going to Turkey instead. Mum freaked out about finding baby supplies out there for my little sister and put orange juice for my fussy middle sister. He had to tell her the night before.

At the airport i panicked as we were getting on the wrong plane - other kids i spoke to said it was going to America. Dad finally confessed to us kids after 6 hours on the plane. I cried. I had been looking forward to Turkey and the exciting foods and exotic sights. I was really into archaeology and had imagined it vividly.

Of course when we got to Orlando it was the best holiday of our lives. But surprises can backfire and kids can react badly to them. I am sure they will love it when there.

I think their reaction was normal. I hate the completely OTT reaction in the ad as if a cure for cancer has been found or something and YWBU to film it. If I was a child I would have acted unenthusiastic just for that!

I hope they did say a big thank you though and I'm sure they'll love it once they're there.

TBh i am awful for not jumping with excitment i find it difficult I do get excited and look forward to things but i never show it on my miserable face

If my 2 are grumpy about Lapland I will post on here and the 1st 2 people to respond can come instead

I shall be lurking with my santa hat >>look>>

Mrsjay You'll be fighting off Jiggling and Twas for those tickets!!!

Realised got distracted when trying to check my last post, meant to add halfway,
"We have not brought the DCs up to sound like spoilt monsters btw!"

{flustered}

Enjoy Disneyland, enjoy Lapland!!

I think if you film stuff, as well as making others feel self concious, you're not actually taking part. "Magical" moments are sometimes best remembered rather than recorded....

Do your dc know what Disneyland is like? I wouldn't have had a clue and would probably have had a similar non reaction!
I remember the parents of my best friend surprised me with a trip to Thorpe Park. Now my friend knew all about TP but I'd never heard of it so I must have looked so confused!

Aw Happyclapper, you're a lovely mum, no wonder you feel all weepy, you just want him to be happy!

Had a similar reaction from ours, was one of the best holidays we ever had!

Though DH and I did say about once a day, so sorry for bringing you to this awful place, do you mind, can you bear it, would you rather stay at the hotel etc.

It's really (look away, get sick bags out) a magical place and you will have a really special holiday.

Those brats on the adverts need shooting though. Gah!

Well we gave the DCs a letter from FC inviting them to Lapland etc.

DS2's (4) face lit up when DS1 (6) read out the letters. DS1 didn't really say much expect that he'd better ask his teacher first as its on a school day and he'd have to have the day off then said the last sentence didn't really make sense as there was a full stop missing (there wasn't I double checked). He said he was excited though!

They are excited but I think we all dream of the kids screaming in excitement etc but it just doesnt happen. I think they would have been more excited if it was Disney as they have been before and know how fantastic it is, Lapland is new to them.

Juggling and Twas you will still be my first port of call if they misbehave between now and then of course!

Bah!

I'm over it now - well over it - but I was like this as a child. I don't know, I felt that showing a lot of enthusiasm made me vulnerable and silly. In my heart, I was really touched but I was almost scared to say so.

My advice is to not draw attention to it. I know you don't want him to be spoiled, but I bet you anything it's only that he feels really self conscious.

And maybe the five year old is taking his cues from him?

You be enthusiastic for him and pretend that you don't notice when he doesn't join in. It will be slow work but he may thaw out with the pressure off.

And I'm as enthusiastic and openly grateful as anyone now I'm an adult. I just needed a thicker skin!

Oh and I think you sound like a lovely mum. It's a wonderful present.

My eldest DD (10 at the time) was the same when we told them. Complete non-event.

We didn't say anything until we got to the Eurostar and got them to read out the destination.

DD2 (7) had the perfect reaction, jumped around squealing, before dissolving into happy tears.

DD1 went 'oh, right, can you get me a drink. She did get excited once we arrived at our hotel and Minnie Mouse was just outside

Well we gave the DCs a letter from FC inviting them to Lapland etc.

*

There are tons of Disney Land Fail Reactions on YouTube, where the kids cry hysterically because they don't want to go! Hilarious!~

Search them and count your blessings OP.

some people don't do obvious responses to presents or surprises, I never did, still don't,

as a child I knew that people expected some sort of reaction to gifts, and my polite thank you wasn't what they were looking for, people get annoyed or angry as the OP is with her son.

so all receiving of presents made me feel very uncomfortable, I can't fake a response, the slightly over enthusiastic ones that people do naturally as a response are beyond me, eventually I manage to convince people I would rather not get presents, massive relief.

Happyclapper, I think your name says a lot. I have a friend who sounds a bit similar to you and she is constantly disappointed by people's reactions to things and personally I feel it is because she is looking for adoration for the gift she has bestowed and would never be happy with anything less.

I think perhaps you need to look at your attitude to things and allow your ten year old to have his own reactions and not be responsible for your feelings. The birthday thing makes you sound quite hard work - could the chat not have waited till the next day?

Not long after Disneyland Paris opened, a friend of ours who lives there got vouchers for very reduced admission and offered them to us. These were issued because Parisians were not great fans of the Evil Mouse Empire and the Disney Corporation wanted to tempt them in. The reaction of my dcs to the offer of a trip to Disneyland was underwhelming to say the least and although I profoundly dislike the fashion for recording every move your children make, in this instance I wish I videoed them. Because neither of them was very interested and both of them said they'd rather go to the Smuggler's Caves in Hastings!

Now it might well be, OP, that they will love every minute of your trip and be terrifically excited once they are there but in my experience, it's always a mistake to assume your dcs will initially be anywhere near as excited as you might assume.

OP said, "Just feel a bit deflated", not "Pinned DCs down yelling be happy! Adore me!"

Think she hoped for a happier response like a Kodak moment, not blank indifference.

Casmama, my name is actually a reference to where I live rather than a personality trait.
I am probably my like my DS than I care to admit and I do remember my parents being similarly annoyed with me as that sort of behaviour can make you appear spoilt and rude which, if uou read my later posts, if what I was concerned about.
I don't expect or want 'adoration' and I get ample loveliness from DS2 which probably just mskes DS1 look even more surly.
As you all suggest I am going to back off as I have been letting it get the better of me for which I am more than a little ashamed. You live and learn.