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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Visiting Santa

40 replies

RhymingRabbit3 · 23/12/2019 08:06

AIBU to think that attractions/garden centres etc. with a "visit Santa" event should make more effort to provide a gift which children would actually want?

We paid £13 for my daughter (aged 2) to visit Santa nearby, sit on his lap, get a gift etc. The gift she was given was a poor quality book and a memory card game with TV characters we have never heard of. This will certainly be in the charity bag next year.

AIBU to say I would rather pay more and have a decent gift e.g. characters that most kids actually know? Or pay less and just have a small gift e.g. chocolate
Or pay less and provide your own gift, so that the child gets something they really want.

Has anyone found with older children that this makes them question the reality of Santa because "why would Santa get me this thing I have no interest in?" Or am I overthinking it

OP posts:

Clangus00 · 23/12/2019 08:13

Tell them it’s not the real Santa, just one of his helpers.
Kids don’t (often) care about the present, or they go daft and adore the tat!

Ohfrigginghellers · 23/12/2019 08:28

School Christmas Fare Santa or local small place is where I go.

HoHoHoik · 23/12/2019 08:44

We go to the Santa at the local church fair. £2 per child and they get two gifts, this year it was a good quality colouring book and a large pack of pencils. At the very least if you use a local Santa then you're not massively out of pocket if it is shit!

One of the department stores local to us is charging £13 per person, including the adults, and you don't even get a gift, you get a mince pie. Madness.

Original poster

RhymingRabbit3 · 23/12/2019 08:48

We were hoping to see him at our toddler group christmas party but DD was unfortunately ill. The price wasn't extortionate - it was £13 altogether for me, DD and DH and the adults got a mince pie and hot drink. I would have happily paid £15 and got a better gift.

OP posts:

BillHadersNewWife · 23/12/2019 08:50

YANBU. The best one we ever saw was sitting in a grotto with all sorts of unwrapped soft toys and soft dolls all around him and all around the grotto. They were piled high and he'd say "Now...you can choose any one you want!"

How wonderful is that!?

Even my older DD who was 8 and a bit meh about visiting him was thrilled.

They weren't expensive toys at all...but it was such a good idea because what child doesn't like being told to choose any they want from a pile of soft toys!?

Lipperfromchipper · 23/12/2019 08:51

This is why I always take them to a really good Santa experience or just the one my dh’s work (social club) organizes because then I pick the presents, wrap them and give them to the social club!! They always have a great day.

BillHadersNewWife · 23/12/2019 08:52

Here in Oz, the Santas don't give a gift at all! The kids just queue up in the mall and have a photo!

In one way that's good but in another...no!

I often think I'll make my own proper grotto for these poor deluded Aussie kids!

It could just be here in South Australia...maybe in NSW they give gifts.

wanderings · 23/12/2019 09:13

I remember a children's story (Jeremy James) where he has to pay 50p to see Santa (oh the days!), to receive a plastic car worth 5p.

Later, he sees Santa again at the church (for free), points out that Santa doesn't remember his name, that Santa has blue eyes and doesn't wear glasses, coming to the conclusion that this Santa is an impostor, which he announces loudly in front of the other children. Santa's hat then falls off, to reveal the local vicar. So somebody hastily announces that the real Santa is very busy preparing for Christmas, so could they go on pretending, and Jeremy James is given two presents in return for being so clever, which were really good presents. He says later "It's funny that the real Santa gave me a rotten old car for 50p, but the vicar gave me this big presents for nothing."

effypandora · 23/12/2019 09:15

I took mine to the local garden centre and after seeing Santa they walk into his toy room and pick a toy they actually want.

Wheredidigowrongggggg · 23/12/2019 09:20

I’ve never done the Santa visits. We are not bah humbug about Christmas but the mystery is ruined by sitting with a man wearing a fake beard. He’s not meant to be seen by the children people! Commercialism gone mad.

Your two year old will have no clue. Chill out.

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 23/12/2019 09:23

We went to a local garden centre on Sunday, £12.95, walked through lots of bits with Robin's to get to the north pole, saw santa, he told a story and then sat with each child individually to chat.

We then got to go to his toy shop where you could choose a toy you'd like.

The room was quite big and there was a really good choice.

Fr0g · 23/12/2019 09:44

hot drinks and mince pie in a cafe would cost £7-£8. gifts were a bit meh - yes would be cheaper at a charity /church do, but doesn;t sound outrageous.

Friend had similar complaints about taking niece & nephew to see FC at Hamleys - £40 per child, no drinks etc for parents, cheap gifts, booked timed entry, but running very late - would they like to look around the store for 45 minutes?

Original poster

RhymingRabbit3 · 23/12/2019 09:51

@Fr0g
I did say the price wasn't extortionate.
Incidentally a hot drink and mince pie at this cafe would be £2.50
I'm not so bothered about the cost, just the fact that they bothered to buy and wrap a gift, we paid for it, and it will just go in the bin. Plus the fact I think it sort of takes away from the whole "magic" idea to get something so generic which the child doesn't even like.

OP posts:

LionelRitchieStoleMyNotebook · 23/12/2019 09:55

DS for a santa that didn't even say ho ho Jo or merry Christmas and a soft toy that when he inevitably put it in his mouth (teething one year old), the green came off of the gloves and was all over his face. £12 no drinks etc for us. At least DS bit him.

effypandora · 23/12/2019 10:20

@Yorkshirepudding1987 was it Tong lol?

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 23/12/2019 10:21

@effypandora

Yes it was! I thought it was brilliant!

M3lon · 23/12/2019 10:22

lol.

Why pay a total stranger to get a present for your kid and then complain that the stranger didn't correctly guess what your kid liked?

utterly idiotic.

wanderings · 23/12/2019 10:24

Isn’t there a Simpsons episode where Homer wants to be Santa, but finds the vetting process incredibly tough?

effypandora · 23/12/2019 10:25

@Yorkshirepudding1987 I did too. We try and go every year.

Original poster

RhymingRabbit3 · 23/12/2019 10:30

@M3lon well I did offer some suggestions in the original post to how it could be done differently
A) offer gifts which are in well known brands (e.g. peppa pig which everyone has at least heard of)
B) do a gift like chocolate which is cheap and everyone likes
C) provide your own gift

And other on this thread have also pointed out that some places do D) choose from a selection of toys.

I wasn't complaining just suggesting alternatives which might be better.

OP posts:

PastaSauceHoarder · 23/12/2019 10:30

We took our 2 and a half year old to see him at our local garden centre for £7.99 and it was lovely - he held her hand and talked really gently to her and then she was allowed to pick a toy out of a big selection set out all around him. She picked a pretty little jewellery box, got some lovely photos as well.

SarahTancredi · 23/12/2019 10:31

Honestly I dont know why people do this . People wont even let their brother in law babysit suddenly taking children to go sit on some strange mans lap or stand next to a bloke who's face you cant even see for photo opportunities. What other occasion wouod anyone do this?

Madness. Stick 2 quid in the charity bucket and be done with it. What presents do peope even expect?

Original poster

RhymingRabbit3 · 23/12/2019 10:32

Incidentally the character on the gift we got was called "Talking Tom". Apparently it's an app?
I've never heard of it, nor have my friends.

OP posts:

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 23/12/2019 10:33

@effypandora

It was our first time this year, our son is only 2.

We did go to Cannon Hall last year and I didn't rate that at all compared to Tong. Plus I think Cannon Hall was twice the price with not much to do beforehand.

I do like Tong in general though with the new play area.

Hope you find a good one next year OP

HoHoHoik · 23/12/2019 10:33

I do agree with you, OP. For the price you are paying you would have expected better, maybe send them some constructive feedback so they're aware of it? I'm sure you won't be the only one thinking the same thing.

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