Not to see the point in taking 14 month old to see Santa

[LadyScatterbrain]

I've been asked by friends if I want to go and have breakfast with Santa on the run up to Christmas. I have a 1yo DD (who will be 14 months old in December) and my friends have one child each of roughly same age (13 month old and 11 month old in December).

Now, I might be being a miserable twat, but I just don't see the point in this charade. Breakfast with Santa is more suited to 2-8 year olds in my opinion. My DD wouldn't get anything out of it as she won't understand what Christmas is or who Santa is. Sure, we're going to buy her presents and make a fuss of her on Christmas Day, but I am under no illusions about her knowing what the heck is going on. I cannot imagine anything worse than having breakfast with Santa and a lot of other older, hyper children. I know my two friends are excited that they have young children at Christmas, but I think the event is a daft idea, and not aimed at their age group. Am I missing something here, or is this a ridiculous idea? I'd rather spend the money it would cost on a toy for my LO.

yanbu, daft at that age IMO. My DS is 19 months and I have no intention of taking him to see Father Christmas (sorry, cannot say Santa!). At best he'd be disinterested and at worst quite terrified I imagine.

Yanbu

Definitely not unreasonable, I don't get it either. I have a photo of myself at about 9 months with Santa, absolutely crying my eyes out like most kids that age! Waste of money.

But they are 'making memories', and if you don't take her your DD will grow up to hate you, or something.

Yanbu I took my 13mth ds to see santa last year and he screamed the whole time. I'm not taking him again until he asks to go

So basically Santa won't really be able to have a conversation with the babies somit will just be a group of grown women sitting around making small talk with him.
Seriously - you are the sane one here.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one. One of the two friends I have takes her baby to every event and every class going. Surely she cannot think her baby is actually interested or cares. My DD is interested in noisy toys and eating. She has her priorities right.

My DSIL was very excited about taking DNephew also 19 months to see Santa last year and he screamed the place down and was traumatised! (nephew not Santa ). "Making memories"? bollocks!

You do it because YOU want to see them with Santa and you want a picture of it.

They won't get anything out of it.

Not "also" sorry!

Trills exactly! It's for THEM not their babies.

Yanbu, however looking back at the photo of me at that age screaming in horror as a shocked santa holds me for a picture is hilarious

Yanbu, however looking back at the photo of me at that age screaming in horror as a shocked santa holds me for a picture is hilarious

agreed, so tell them and suggest something else -- they probably just want to socialise in a xmassy and child-friendly fashion and were looking for somesuch pretext for you all to meet up.

Most of these things are for the parents not the child. So if you're not into there's no point.

Would you get a NICER breakfast if you spent all the money on breakfast and none on Santa?

I did it for the photographs at 6 weeks and 13mo. In both those photos, and the one when DS was 2, he was sitting on my knee as I wouldn't risk him being upset. And now at nearly 5 those photos are some of his favourite things. I put each photo in a bauble for the tree each year and DS loves getting them out as we decorate and seeing himself meeting Santa every year as he grows. Then later in the month we go see Santa again and make up that year's bauble and give that one pride of place on the tree.

YANBU. The first time we took DS to see Father Christmas he was almost 3. The place where we took him do it as an hour long experience where you go as a group from room to room making decorations, reindeer food etc. One couple brought their 6 month old daughter, no other siblings. 🙄

My son was just about to turn one last Christmas... I took him to see Santa at a local farm and it was lovely but he wasn't bothered lol. This year taking him back to the same place as he's almost 2 and even if he doesn't love the Santa he'll get a day at the farm! My friends are similar, take their toddlers to loads of things I know mine wouldn't give a toss about! Some things we go along to as it's nice to catch up, but others I just politely decline. Poor ds2 is due in early Jan and will no doubt be all Santa'd out by the time he's 2 😂

I think its sick yo give kids access to santa whilst also teaching them that lying is wrong

Aw the bauble thing is lovely.

Gimme 😂😂😂 Good woman.

Breakfast with Santa isn't suited to any age! Children that young are also far more likely to find it all a bit distressing as they'll realise the face is covered up or fake in someway but not why?
If they want to go (as adults) why don't they just go? Do they need a group to justify it?

Definetly a bit young in my opinion. DS will be 13 months at christmas. Dm and I are going to take him to the big glitzy posh garden centre near us which does huge Christmas tree displays to look at all the twinkly lights. We go every year, choose a bauble, and have an extortionately priced coffee and cake. There's plenty of time for breakfast with father Christmas when they're older.

We took ds last year to see fc when he was 2 and 10 months so nearly 3 and he loved it I didn't bother in the years beforehand as he wouldn't have understood anything and it would have been awkward with me effectively talking to a strange man in a fake beard.

I will take him again this year but the breakfast thing seems a bit much tbh you sit with 20 or so other tables whilst the aforementioned beardy weirdy eats his on a stage in front of a cheesy looking fake cottage made of ply wood with some cotton wool stapled on it.