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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think Santa shouldn't promise gifts to dc?

29 replies

Whowillsaveyoursoul · 21/12/2014 20:21

We saw santa yesterday in a shop.
Ds is 5 and greeted santa by saying 'I know you're not real santa, you're one of his helpers'
Pretend santa agreed and they had a little chat about what ds hoped for for christmas and if he'd been good. Whilst we'd been waiting (in the toy department) ds had spotted a large soft toy which he liked very much. It happened to be a triceratops which ticks all ds's boxes, soft toy, dinosaur, favourite ever dinosaur a triceratops.
Santa told ds he could choose a present from the basket which happened to be a small soft toy. Ds asked if he could have the triceratops instead. Santa said 'oh no, that's a big present. Real santa will bring you that on Christmas Day if you've been good enough.' And then winked at me.

Aibu to think Santas shouldn't promise gifts to children? I've bought and wrapped all ds's presents and don't want to spend any more money. However my main issue is I don't have time to go back to the store without ds to get the bloody toy! Ds has been wittering all day about it. Hopefully he will be so pleased with his other toys he will forget but part of me is worried he will think he hasn't been good enough for 'real santa' to bring it...

OP posts:

Reekypear · 21/12/2014 20:23

He who lives by the Santa, buys for the Santa.

If your going to tell the lie, you need to make it good.

afreshstartplease · 21/12/2014 20:23

It's not on his list is it

He will have to put it on his list next year

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2014 20:24

YANBU

But you should have put a stop to it straight away by telling your DS that Santa's helper got it wrong, and that there's no time to change his mind this close to Christmas.

HollyJollyDillydolly · 21/12/2014 20:28

It's a bit naughty to say he'll get it if he's been good. If he doesn't get one now will he think he has not been good?

When we saw santa ds requested grey swimming goggles, santa said, 'oh yes I've already loaded them onto the sleigh'. The ones I've bought are actually blue!

Original poster

Whowillsaveyoursoul · 21/12/2014 20:29

I did say 'you've already sent your list for santa so it might be too late' and ds cheerily said 'santa's helper will tell him.'

OP posts:

Mydelilah · 21/12/2014 20:30

YANBU and I share your pain. When DD met Santa last week she said she wanted 'the big doll head I can practice hair styles on'. Santa then asked his elf to note it down.

Like you, I've bought all presents already and had decided against the freaky giant head as I thought it wouldnt get much play and its weird...and over priced. I thought I'd prepped her to say 'frozen stuff' but in the heat of the moment she said that.

I've agonised about it all week I think Im going to write a note from santa and stick to another (superior) gift saying tje doll head wasnt possible but he thinks she'll like this better... lame I know...

Cooki3Monst3r · 21/12/2014 20:31

You are right that this sort of behaviour from Santa is incredibly unhelpful.

However, when we take our DCs see these unknown, probably geriatric, old men to talk about Christmas gifts, then really, this kind of balls-up needs to be expected, and prepared for.

You've got two choices - tell him Santa's Helper knows jack-shit, where as you know for a fact that the elves have already loaded up Santa's sleigh so he'll have to put it on his b'day list, or xmas list for next year.

Or, buy the dinosaur.

LovleyRitaMeterMaid · 21/12/2014 20:32

Every year without fail ds comes out with some random thing when we go to see santa.

I never rush out for it. He's survived!

This year it was an air raid siren.

catkind · 21/12/2014 20:32

Oops, tactless!santa. Ours was pleasantly non-committal. "We'll see what we can do."

SoonToBeSix · 21/12/2014 20:35

I think you need to go back or ask someone else to. I am sure if you rang the store you could ask them to hid it in a bag so you could take ds with you.

AndHarry · 21/12/2014 20:36

Surely these Santas are trained for this kind of thing? [muses]

4yo DS told Father Christmas he wanted a motorbike or a helicopter. I'm ready with the excuse that such things don't fit on the sleigh but I reckon he'll forget all about it anyway.

Redglitter · 21/12/2014 20:37

A friend of mine is working as Santa this year. He takes his cue from the parents. A quick glance as the child says what they want usually steers him in the right direction. unless he gets a confirmation from the parents he's non committal if he gets a no or a look of horror he says a very nice no. so far no upset kids & the feedback from the parents has been excellent

thatwhichwecallarose · 21/12/2014 20:39

This is why we see Santa at the start of December! So I can (hopefully) still get it. I would hope that the Santa wouldn't commit to it though just in case I didn't get it for whatever reason!

Ilovehamabeads · 21/12/2014 20:41

DS does this every year. He gets awestruck, forgets everything on his list and blurts out something obscure that none of us have heard him mention ever before. This year it's a toy Alsatian I told him it was too close to Christmas to change his original list, and hoping he'll be too excited by his other presents he won't notice.

Nerf · 21/12/2014 20:47

Well santa helpfully told ds he wouldn't be getting COD advanced warfare earlier today, and informed them he'd seen the hair pulling incident. Brilliant!

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2014 20:55

I did say 'you've already sent your list for santa so it might be too late' and ds cheerily said 'santa's helper will tell him.'

Well there you go then

You said it might be too late instead of it is too late...that's why he thinks he has half a chance of getting it.

It's not easy all this Santa malarky but believe me, you'll live and learn

RaisingMen · 21/12/2014 21:38

I don't think you have much choice but to get the dinosaur, especially as he's spoken about it all day. He's unlikely to forget about it in the next 4 days . YANBU to be annoyed by the way!

BlackeyedSantaStuckUpAChimney · 21/12/2014 21:41

far too late for santa to add something else onto the list. he has packed his sleigh already. tough luck ds no x box for you this year.

Bulbasaur · 21/12/2014 21:52

What? A toy store Santa "making" parents spend more money in the store? No. Way.

He's doing a good job getting the store more business, but not much help to the parents. Next time go to the general shopping mall Santas that only have a photo sale agenda to push.

You might have to just suck it up and get the stupid thing and next year only have him write a letter instead. Was the dinosaur expensive and out of budget? If not, a little "Christmas magic" won't hurt any.

It is irritating that Santas do that. We were always told growing up that Santa doesn't bring everything on the list.

tallulah · 21/12/2014 21:55

YANBU. Santa promised DD two build-a-bears . One was a small horse so not too dear but the other is the Elsa bear that comes to over £40. I've already bought tons.

woodwaj · 21/12/2014 22:00

Why don't you risk it and see if you can get the toy in a sale after xmas if it gets mentioned? He is likely to be too overwhelmed to remember!

lickingstars · 21/12/2014 22:19

Ah this happened to me and DD1 when she was 6 she asked for a bear she had just seen and Santa's helper promised to tell santa she would have it.
She talked about for two days so I ended up leaving her with my nanna for half an hour and getting it on Christmas eve.

We now go in the first week of December and write the Christmas lists when we get home which helps a bit. Luckily the Santa's helper who goes to school is very noncommittal.

GazpachoSoup · 21/12/2014 22:26

Aww no, that would REALLY annoy me too. This coming from a complete Santa believer at the age of cough far too old and should know better!
Money can be tight at Christmas after everything is bought and then that's thrown in to the mix.
If it was me, I'd come up with something along the lines of " Santa's already got everything piled onto his sleigh ready to take to all the children. Put it on next year's list and he might bring you it."

Saz12 · 21/12/2014 23:32

But the elves make the toys, and they won't have time to make the dinasoar for this Christmas, and they'd be really upset to think that he was disappointed, but they've just so many toys to make, and they've elvish children to look after, too.

80sbabe · 22/12/2014 00:25

When DS1 was 3 he asked Santa for "a box of piles"
Santa said he'd do his best to deliver them.
We had absolutely no idea exactly what he was asking for and DS couldn't explain what this mysterious thing was either. Thankfully he wasn't too disappointed when the "piles" were not delivered on Christmas Day.

However over the years this has now become a bit of a family in joke and 16 years later he still puts "a box of piles" on his Christmas list.
He doesn't seem emotionally scarred from never having this wish fulfilled though

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