Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To lie about DD's age to get her in free?

375 replies

Kasterborous · 25/03/2015 14:56

I'm prepared to be told I was being unreasonable. We took DD who turned three 24 days ago to our local Wildlife park today. Under three they get in free, over three it's £10.00 which seems a lot so we said she was two. I know it was dishonest and next time we will pay for her.

OP posts:
LittleBairn · 27/03/2015 19:36

Instead of think 21 maybe we need a think 3 campaign.

NobodyLivesHere · 27/03/2015 19:42

My children are short. In folly farm in Wales you pay for over 3s, but they can't use lots of the rides until a certain height which none of mine reached until well past their 3rd, even 4th birthday. I don't see why I should pay more for a child unable to use lots of things. So I didn't.

Sallystyle · 27/03/2015 19:43

What is there to say? Is it wrong? well yes. But it didn't stop me doing it. My only excuse was that I did it because it saved me money and I could get away with it.

I can't really defend that. But I would do it again if mine were young enough.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/03/2015 20:41

That was my thinking too. It saved me money that I could spent elsewhere.

I've just looked at the ticket prices for Chester Zoo. An opened ended ticket is £22.00 for Adults and £18 for kids age 3-15.

Eighteen pounds!! Regardless of your financies that is a lot to pay for a child. Is it really so hard to see why some parents lie that their child is under 3 so they don't have to pay? And a 3 year old isn't going to remember much of it like an older child would. It's only £4 cheaper than the price of an adult ticket. Perhaps if it was only a third of that people might pay it.

But who knows.

Elsasalterego · 27/03/2015 20:55

I didn't go to pepper pig world or whatever it's called on my DS's 3rd birthday because he was 1 metre and 2 cm tall and they wanted £25 for anyone over a metre tall! I rang them and asked could this really be true, he is so young! They said he had to pay that much because he is able to travel on the super duper rides in the main theme park. He was only just not two! What kind of mother did they think I was??

But what I realised is that they had to do something about all the kids that were lying about their age- it's an expensive place to run and then they aren't getting the required income.

I reckon places such as this should check the height of the child, and if the child is under that height, then free, but if they are over that height, then prove they are under the age limit set.

My DS turned 3 this month. I have since been paying the age relevant price for her and people thought I was lying about her age when she was still 2 because she is so tall

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/03/2015 21:21

I reckon places such as this should check the height of the child, and if the child is under the height, then free, but if they are over that height, then prove they are under the age limit set

I agree. Give it a go. Do something about it if it's such a huge problem. Because as it's been pointed out somewhere on here people will get away with not paying because they can.

ASorcererIsAWizardSquared · 27/03/2015 21:25

i was looking at Chester, i can't justify £70 for the four of us to go.

i think i will wait until DS's DLA comes through and class myself as his carer instead.

Its a complete bloody rip off.

SanityClause · 27/03/2015 21:35

This is from the SFO's definition of fraud;

"Put simply, fraud is an act of deception intended for personal gain or to cause a loss to another party."

I think it's fair to call lying about your child's age (deception) in order to pay less to get in to an attraction (gain to you/loss to them) fraud.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/03/2015 21:40

Adding the cost of getting there as well Sorcerer even if I didn't pay for one of them, not possible now they are well over the age limit, it's still too much.

ErrWhat · 27/03/2015 21:45

I think its outrageous to charge £18 (for example) for a 3 year old. That seems like way too much.

However, I still wouldn't lie about my kids age. The fact that it's outrageous that it costs £18 is a seperate issue.

Nanny0gg · 27/03/2015 21:45

I've done it. And I'll do it again.

And I'm laughing at the suggestions of if you can't afford it don't go.

Oh do Fuck off!

Why? Because you don't like some people saying that it's wrong?
Can't you cope with an opposing view without being rude?

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/03/2015 21:54

Heat of the moment response. It happens.

You can say it's wrong all you like but it's not going to stop it occurring just because you say it's wrong.

Brices · 27/03/2015 22:10

Think 3 Campaign!! LittleBairn so funny, so glad I kept reading this thread

KidLorneRoll · 28/03/2015 00:11

And I'm laughing at the suggestions of if you can't afford it don't go.

Yeah, being a decent human being is fucking hilarious.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 28/03/2015 08:44

I AM a decent human being!!!! GrinGrinGrin thank you so much for reminding me of that.

If occasionly lying about my kids age to save myself some money is the only wrong thing I ever do then I think I'm doing ok.

Feel free to beg to differ.

I've invested enough time in this thread, it's been hilarious but it's time to move on.

Littlemonstersrule · 28/03/2015 08:45

Some very entitled attitudes, I want to go but not pay so I'll lie.

It really is as simple that if you can't afford to pay, don't go. If you couldn't afford something in a shop and wanted it would you steal it? No difference.

Howcanitbe · 28/03/2015 09:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BucketFullOfDinosaurs · 28/03/2015 09:20

I can see how a family who genuinely can't afford to pay for everyone might say one of the kids is a few months younger, if it's a one-off special day out. What drives me nuts is when people who can afford to pay decide they don't want to - especially if it's a charity or something. I know someone who will do anything to get free entry to a wildlife park or the zoo (saving about a tenner) and then think nothing of spending £60 to go to the local trampoline park or buying random toys that the kids will play with twice before chucking them out.

But then with her I think it's partly that she wants to feel she's outwitted the system.

tarashill · 28/03/2015 09:21

We must all do the right thing and make sure we never break the law, however trivial. In the meantime the multi millionaire tax dodgers who fiddle on a grand scale get richer. As long as the peasants do the right thing.

SomewhereIBelong · 28/03/2015 09:33

We must all do the right thing and make sure we never break the law, however trivial.

it is not just about breaking the law though - I expect honesty from my kids - teaching them to be honest is partly done by setting that example, not by lying (and getting them to lie).

Caboodle · 28/03/2015 09:40

Actually, the world is a tricky place. I don't want my children to slavishly stick to all the rules....an entrepreneur this does not make.
Not relevant to this though...and it has been amusing.
PP makes a good point about the bankers etc though. If you think the world sticks to the rules you are naive. But judge away...

TaraBoomDeAy · 28/03/2015 09:43

TaraShill I wonder if those Tax evading squillionaires were snuck into theme parks by their parents. Confused I bet they think their crimes are victimless too. I mean,it's not like they are shoplifting is it. Confused

The most pathetic reason for excusing dishonesty is to say that you are only doing it because everyone else is. If you are going to do it at least make it your own desision.

DurhamDurham · 28/03/2015 09:48

I used to change the ages of my two girls all over the place deepening on whether I wanted to get them into an attraction where they had to be older, or in to places free by pretending they were younger. My 5 year old was asked how old she was and she turned to me and asked ' how old am I today mummy?'

We had lots of lovely days out while they were growing up. They are both adults now and as far as I know they haven't turned into mastermind criminals.

I don't feel proud of what I did but I don't regret it at all. It's hard to feel guilty when you are paying £20 pp to get into somewhere and then they want to charge you £3 for a bottle of water.

Honeyishrunkthekids · 28/03/2015 09:53

I do this I have a 1yo , 3yo,7yo,10yo and me and Dh if I can get away with paying for two of the children i do they still get a lot of money out of us(I don't actively lie and if questioned I would pay)

tarashill · 28/03/2015 10:10

I remember as kids how we used to sneak through the fire escape and get into the pictures for free. Sometimes we'd get caught but usually not. Times have changed now and kids don't go to the cinema without adults but back then we thought it was the most natural thing in the world. We never thought for a moment how we might be actually contributing towards the cinema having to close because of our dishonesty, because we were just kids. It hasn't turned me into a bad person and tbh kids aren't going to turn into criminals if they ever witness their parents telling a little white lie about their age to save themselves a few bob. There's far worse things.

Swipe left for the next trending thread