Day off school to see Santa?

[MrsPiddlewink]

We've left it too late again - hearts set on a particular place this year. The only slots they have left are during the last week of term. Would I be unreasonable to give them a day off? They are 8 and 5.

Plus, I would personally save any goodwill you have with built up with the school for something that is important.

And if your 8 year old is gullible enough to believe it's Sunday, there is no way they will be able to lie convincingly about it.

find somewhere else - do that next year it wont break christmas

It's not life threatening if they don't go, is it? It's not a life 'essential'. YWBU to take a day off school.

Santa is not real.
Did your mother not tell you?

Its just the Marquess of Bath getting you to finance his lifestyle and his wifelets and the pornographic pictures on his walls..

Ok - so any suggestions for an equally-as-magical-as-Longleat grotto in the South-West that won't be sold out?

Out of a close family wedding, a funeral, and other exceptional circumstances, I cannot see that seeing a man dressed up as a fictional character that epitomizes much of the greed and spend culture we have today will quite be on the HTs list of authorized absences.

They won't miss anything educational in the last week of term. Look at the school calendar carefully though - you wouldn't want them to miss the carol concert, nativity play, party or special meal.

There's tonnes of Santas about, lower your expectations of this perfect Santa's grotto and book somewhere else. Then you can get better organised next year.

But really, there are plenty of other places to see Santa.

Legoland has partial opening with Santa this year.

I'm going to say YANBU because it's early fucking November and you shouldn't have to think about christmas this far in advance to not miss out.

And I saw the Chinese Lanterns on TV and thought they looked beautiful. I so want to go but its a long way from where I live.

There's people talking about booking their Christmas eve Waitrose delivery slots FFS. Anyone who wants to do their Christmas food shop at a more normal time such as a week or two in advance won't get a look in.

The only santa I'd pay to see would be this one
oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2014/02/bad-santa_billy_bob_thornton.jpg

FFS its all a marketing con.

Go to this : at least its HONEST rip off
www.cokezone.com/uk/en/coca-cola/coca-cola-christmas-truck-tour-map

make your own magic its not all about the visit.

It's not about the trimmings- the poshness of the gift wrap, or the tastefully coordinated grotto decorations..

It's about how you big it up to them. How convincing you are with the spin, how excited they get, whether they are surprised or get to do something out of the ordinary (and I don't mean seeing giraffes, I mean it could be something as simple as you buying them a hot chocolate with loads of cream and sprinkles, if you don't as a rule let them have that sort of thing).

If you make it magical, it will be magical.

Slapping down a credit card doesn't guarantee magic.

Springing a trip on them as a total surprise can make it stand out. Even if it's just to the local garden centre grotto, if you see what I mean.

Which part of the southwest are you in? Eden Project in Cornwall is meant to be very good. In the past we have gone to Castle Drogo run by the National Trust in Devon, which has a quite old-fashioned Santa

Have you looked at Paultons park? We did the Christmas thing there for years and park and rides were always quiet on the day.

The children are 8 and 5 ffs. Go and have a great family day while they are still young enough to want to do it!

Why are you asking here? It's a cardinal sin according to Mums net to take your kids out of school for anything less than a death. It's completely alien to me as I am in Ireland and taking kids out of school barely raise an eyebrow here.
They are your kids. Do it if you want to. I would, but don't expect to get anything but wagging fingers and judgy comments on Mumsnet.

OnllkleyMoor I've booked my Waitrose slot (although not for Christmas Eve because if something is missing then there is no time to get a replacement!). I haven't done my christmas food shop though, just chucked in the required number of bottles of bubbly to get it over the minimum spend

YABU, and yes there is no way I could pass off a day of the week as a Sunday, won't they realise that its only X days since it was last a weekend??

Just take them.

Breaking the rules is fun once in a while.

Really? Seriously? Won't your kids just go into school the next morning and announce they went to see Santa yesterday?

I'm tempted to go and see the Coca Cola truck

"Holidays are coming, holidays are coming..." [musical note emoticon]

as most others have said YABU, there are plenty of other grottos around take them to one of them.

Will the 8-year-old not get teased for missing school for going to see Santa? Even if he doesn't believe next year, surely he would still enjoy the experience?

I see why people are saying take them and have fun, but this you're talking about taking them out of school to see Santa.

Also, are you certain there won't be any events at school they would want to take part in? Shows? Parties?

"Sorry, miss, I can't be in the play because I'm going to see Santa".