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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

strange kid at door, singing

31 replies

aliasjoey · 21/12/2012 20:44

this is my first aibu, so please forgive me if this has been done before and I missed it.

we just had a kid (looked about 8 or 9) knock on the door, when I answered he sang We Wish you a merry Christmas. and then he just looked at me. and wouldn't go away. I assume he was expecting something (money? sweets?) I asked if he was with anyone, and he replied his mum - I couldn't see anyone and it was dark.

he wasn't one of the neighbours (we live in a culdesac) sometimes we get kids we don't know at Halloween, but never had this at Christmas before!

I didn't have anything to give, well I didn't really want to give him money, so I just said firmly and a Merry Christmas to you too! but I did think it was weird, has this happened to anyone else? DH said if we didn't give them anything they might go and scratch the car

ps. he had a Santa hat on

OP posts:

rubyslippers · 21/12/2012 20:46

well he's attempting to be a carol singer

it does happen at Xmas ...

BettySuarez · 21/12/2012 20:47

Well Happy Sodding Christmas to you too!

LynetteScavo · 21/12/2012 20:48

It's called carol singing.

You are supposed to give some lose change.

Merry Christmas.

BettySuarez · 21/12/2012 20:48

It must have taken him an extraordinary amount of courage to do that

AllYoursJingleBellbooshka · 21/12/2012 20:50

Oh dear, little thug!

Could you pick him out of this line up?

Booblesonthetree · 21/12/2012 20:54

allyour that looks like a festive Uncle Fester on the end!
OP he was carol singing! Nothing sinister.

SledsImOn · 21/12/2012 20:54

Oh dear. Can you go after him and bung him a quid? Poor lamb. I have a ds this age and while he would NOT be out at night knocking on doors, I know how hard it would be for him to do something like that.

I'd find it awkward too but

SavoyCabbage · 21/12/2012 20:56

We did this as children. I can't believe you have never cone across it before! Happy memories.

Allonsy · 21/12/2012 20:57

Aw hes carol singing lovely that kids still do that, surely you could of chucked him a pound or a mince pie?

Tortington · 21/12/2012 20:57

id rather give him money than the little shits who just say 'trick or treat'

TaggieCrimbleBlack · 21/12/2012 21:01

Carols are carols though. 'we wish you a merry christmas' isn't.

Tryharder · 21/12/2012 21:03

He's carol singing you berk!

We had 2 young girls who sang 'Rocking around the Christmas tree' which made us laugh.

Festivelyfedup · 21/12/2012 21:03

A child singing carols ... at Christmas. It really must be the end of the world. Whatever next?

CatchingMockingbirds · 21/12/2012 21:06

:o he's not a thug, he's carol singing! I did this too when I was a child. Have you really never heard of this?

Booblesonthetree · 21/12/2012 21:11

taggie sometimes it's the only Christmas song children know sadly. There are some beautiful Christmas Carols but they're not taught unless they go to church or a religious school.

TaggieCrimbleBlack · 21/12/2012 21:13

And halloween is about sweets.

One kid singing that wants cash.

Which I disapprove of.

LRDtheFeministDude · 21/12/2012 21:16

Oh, poor little one.

'We wish you a merry Christmas' has as much right to be called a carol as anything else!

nameuschangeus · 21/12/2012 21:22

It's called Carol Singing. Quite an old tradition I think

TaggieCrimbleBlack · 21/12/2012 21:23

Oh jesus I have just reread and I HAVE TURNED INTO MY MOTHER. oh my god.

LRDtheFeministDude · 21/12/2012 21:25

It happens to us all taggie.

(Though, I did wonder when I read the OP if you'd turned into my mother, which would be much worse ...)

Original poster

aliasjoey · 21/12/2012 21:27

it wasn't a group of carol singers singing "away in a manger" ! it was one kid, on his own. and he sang it... menacingly

OP posts:

TheSecretCervixDNCOP · 21/12/2012 21:28

he wouldn't go away

Er, did you tell him to?

cutegorilla · 21/12/2012 21:34

This used to happen in the area I lived in as a student. Kids would come to the door, sing the chorus of "We wish you a merry Christmas" badly, not know the rest of the words, and expect to be paid for it. Carol singers in organised groups singing properly and collecting for charity - lovely. Kids singing part of a Christmas song badly, not so much. It's just begging. And I quite like trick or treaters at halloween, as long as they're kids and they've made the effort to dress up. Again, if it's a teenager who has just stuck a scream mask on, not so much. Although I'd still give them a sweetie I suppose.

pigletmania · 21/12/2012 21:57

I agree cute gorilla it is begging, no different to trick or treaters tbh. A group of children singing lovely, but a single kid singing not knowi g the words and expecting money no no no. Would have given him 50p though

BoatysTinselSails · 21/12/2012 22:14

A few years back we had problems where we used to live with the estate oiks all year round, throwing stones, verbal abuse, physical assaults on DS2, who come Christmas would come carol singing, expecting money for 'We wish you a merry Xmas and a happy new year' putting their hands out!! I stood there looking at them...silence... so they sang it again...I then said 'If you are here to carol sing, sing a carol....they looked at each other....'don't know any' me: then go away and learn some!
One kid came back the following evening on his own and sang the first verse of 'Away in a manger' I gave him 20p for his bottle! The following week they reverted to the usual abuse but being a 'tight bitch' was added to the insults!!

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