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AIBU?

Advert showing santa/fc isn't real

123 replies

Voteforpedr0 · 29/09/2016 22:30

I can't quite believe that an advert like this would have been allowed ? Park christmas ad on the television this morning showing one families christmas eve at home, kids hang their stockings before bed then showing the mum filling them and eating the food left out for santa/Fc. Then goes on to show the kids catching this happening, any one else think this will be too much of a give away if it's watched by believing children ? Just not nessecary whatsoever I don't think.

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nosyupnorth · 02/10/2016 17:34

any kid more than two years past school age who claims to still believe in santa is playing you
they know that way they get an extra set of presents

unless you're homeschooling they'll learn within a year or two of starting school - one of their class will either figure it out or hear it from an older sibling and that kid tells the rest

eightbluebirds · 02/10/2016 17:40

Well plenty of families do presents from Santa and parents. A simple "oooo naughty mummy eating santas/reindeers treats" should suffice if your children are all as oblivious as you say.

SoupDragon · 02/10/2016 18:35

they know that way they get an extra set of presents

They don't get an extra set of presents.

HeyOverHere · 02/10/2016 18:59

I think any kid who still thought Santa was real would probably take the ad as an example of parents being naughty and eating stuff left out for someone else, rather than a sign of them secretly being that someone else.

Princesspink999 · 02/10/2016 19:10

Totally unreasonable to spoil the magic for children. My older children believed 100% past 10 and I would have hated it to have been spoilt by a stupid advert. Those of you who believe it's "lying" to children are quite frankly just sad!

Nakatomi · 02/10/2016 19:15

I have no issue with this.

Trust me, most kids know way before the age of 6 or 7 that Father Christmas isn't real.

I don't like this culture that everything should revolve around kids. If you don't want your kids to see something that might go against your beliefs or offends you, don't let them have access to content you can't control.

hollyisalovelyname · 02/10/2016 19:35

What is Park ?

HeCantBeSerious · 02/10/2016 20:08

One of the Xmas savings schemes.

HeCantBeSerious · 02/10/2016 20:09

Those of you who believe it's "lying" to children are quite frankly just sad!

We don't tend to care. It's not exactly truthful though, is it?!

sleepy16 · 02/10/2016 21:06

My 7 year old asked me if fc was real the other week, I replied with "well what do you think" she said "I think he is real" and I said "well if you think he is real then that's all that matters".
So not telling lies as such :)
I think if a child wants to believe in 'magic' then it's such a lovely imaginative and innocent thing for them to have.
My best memories from a shit childhood was being able to believe in fc,fairies etc.
Your a long time old!

fudgefeet · 02/10/2016 21:14

I should maybe get my dd to watch the advert. She is nearly 9 and talks about Father Christmas all year round and how great he is. I don't mind telling a few white lies around Christmas time but all year round is leaving me with a huge guilt trip.

PinkSwimGoggles · 02/10/2016 21:15

when my dc ask I tell them about the real st nikolaus who lived a long time ago. isn't it great that we still remember him?!

HeCantBeSerious · 02/10/2016 21:28

Indeed, sleepy16. But "Santa" is generally a concept introduced to children by the people close to them when they're tiny (like god in families that believe in that) so they won't question it until much older.

We haven't told our kids that he doesn't exist - we just haven't created the illusion to force them to believe. If they choose to from what they hear from others then they're absolutely free to. They've opted not to do far, but believe in other "magic".

Pagwatch · 02/10/2016 21:36

I taught my children from an early age that adverts were lies - shitty, foul lies told by adults who think you are stupid and want you to buy shit.

Try that op. Worked for me.

I believed in father Christmas until I was 10 and was quite sad when all that fun and fantasy was over.

WhooooAmI24601 · 02/10/2016 21:41

DS1 will be 11 in a fortnight and has just this last month begun to question FC and his japes. Not all DCs know within a couple of years of starting school and it'll be a shame when he does find out.

DS2 is 5 and his friend at school told him FC wasn't real last year (friend is a muslim, and his parents told him FC wasn't real). DS2 came home and declared "well he won't be getting much from Santa this year, will he? If you don't believe, you don't receive. That's what Polar Express says". I let it go; he might not lat as long as DS1 in believing but for now I'm ok with him accepting a lovely little lie in exchange for some beautiful memories.

MarklahMarklah · 02/10/2016 21:51

DD is 5 and is already asking me "is Santa real?" and "is the tooth fairy real?"
I asked her what she thought and she said she wasn't sure. She thought they might be, but maybe didn't come to everyone.
Then she said if they didn't come to everyone, then the adult(s) in the house would put a present out. I asked her if she thought that was a problem and she said "no, you'd still get something."
She's not asked since.

multivac · 02/10/2016 21:51

Awww.... the little Muslim boy doesn't believe, so won't receive.

That is just precious.

WhooooAmI24601 · 02/10/2016 22:00

Multi I thought it was a bit awful that only kids who believe get gifts and told him that Santa just likes everyone regardless of their behaviour and beliefs. But then we got into the whole naughty list/nice list thing and before I knew it he was reeling off the names of children he thinks wouldn't be getting gifts because they'd irritated or upset him over the last year or so. It's a complex thing, trying to reason with an irate 5 year old.

maggiethemagpie · 03/10/2016 21:03

If they're young enough to believe, they're young enough to believe any old crap you subsequently concoct if caught out.

eg my kid noticed we used the same wrapping paper in his stocking when he was three and said 'silly daddy! same paper!'
'Oh Santa must have gone to the same shop as us to get his wrapping paper' was my response

And the game continues

When they're old enough to see through the lies they were probably just about ready to work it out for themselves anyway.

Thingmcthingyface · 03/10/2016 22:01

What Pagwatch said is very sensible.

Itchyclit · 03/10/2016 22:06

This is one of many reasons I don't allow my DD to watch commercial TV channels

Cocoabutton · 03/10/2016 22:07

DS asked me if I was the tooth fairy. I said yes. He said but how do you get small and fly into the houses? Can you show me some of the teeth you have got? Where do you keep them?

When I obviously had no answer, he decided I was kidding him and I was clearly not the tooth fairy.

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paxillin · 03/10/2016 22:13

Santa's real. I don't live with my mum and got presents last year.

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