To lie about his age for free admission?

[WaitForCake]

It's DS's 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks. I'm taking him to an attraction.

It's free for under 3s, but adult price at 3 upwards. Money is tight, but after a tough few months between lockdown and his DF moving out after our split, I want to do something nice for him.
As there is no inherent difference in what he'll get from the experience the day before his birthday and on the day of his birthday, WIBU to just buy him a 2 year old ticket?

I can't take him the day earlier due to work (I did consider this already).

YANBU - get the 2 year old ticket
YABU - pay the adult price for him

I don't get how some attractions price themselves to be so unattractive to families. Near us there's one where you can get two under 5s free of charge for every full paying adult, and then additional under 5s are like a pound I think.

"It's shocking to charge full rate for child who is little more than a baby."

My 3 year old was definately enjoying himself way more at drayton manor than a newborn. There's a world of difference.

It's an irrelevant point anyway. It's a business, they can charge whatever they like. People can then decide whether it's worth it.

People can argue the toss all they like but it's still basically cheating somebody, somewhere out of money when they have held up their side of the bargain and provided a service.

Just do it and have a great day!

You're going to be paying adult price for you and I imagine you'll probably buy a coffee/tea and a snack perhaps, so go ahead and don't feel guilty!!!

@Ohtherewearethen, nowhere did I say people shouldn't post their views. I just find very sad that parents are advocating lying to gain something for free.

They won’t let him in for free if it’s his birthday, I imagine they get lots of people going there for their birthdays daily so it won’t be anything special and they would have people pretending it’s their birthday to get in free, so ignore that suggestion!

If you say it’s his birthday and they argue that he has to pay full price, tell them he wasn’t born until late evening, so strictly speaking he’s still two. 😁

Every parent I know in rl would do this! Can't believe some of the responses on here have a lovely day out op

Those saying you'd do it, when is the cut off? 3 and 0 days is obviously still 2yrs old to most of you. What about a week later? A month later? A year later?

I wouldn’t do this. Clearly lots of people would. If you want to be dishonest, go for it. But it is what it is, don’t sugar coat it

Lots of people who have obviously never had to watch the pennies on here OP.
Go and have a lovely day with your little one.

If you can only afford to shop in Lidl is it ok to then shoplift in Waitrose?

Being dishonest to get a discount won’t be a nice memory of your child’s birthday.

@alicewasahorse

Lots of people who have obviously never had to watch the pennies on here OP. Go and have a lovely day with your little one.

Watching pennies means not spending money on things you can't afford. Not lying to get free things. OPs son is still very young, but if the cut off age was 12, would she teach her 13 year old it's OK to be dishonest if you can't afford a treat, you can have it anyway?

I think it must be National Sanctimonious Prick Day

He's already going round telling people he's 3 now and he's not quite there yet.

I'm not really sure why he would out me, tbh. He doesn't tend to go round shouting his age out to anyone and everyone.

You've already answered why he would out you.
Very high chance he'll tell them on the door it's his birthday and they're unlikely to believe it's his 2nd birthday.
Just go the day before. He won't care, and then you'll not have to worry about it.

@nanbread

Funny. But I thought everyday was generally "let's not steal today" day?
Or is it ok to steal now? As long as you say you're skint?

Adult price at 3!!!! I bloody hate it when places do this.

do what? Offer a discount to under 3?

@paintedsmile77

I wouldn't think twice, lie.

Is this the personal ethic you teach your kids.

One time on the underground when visiting London we were positively encouraged to bunk the fare.

I had an old Oyster card, but the ticket machine wasn't selling child tickets. I asked a TFL woman, who asked me how old DD was. I said she was 11, which is the age they need their own ticket. She replied "she looks 10 to me". I said "oh no, she's definitely 11", and the woman had to repeat "she looks 10 to me" before the penny dropped and she waved us through .

Can't believe some people have the energy to begrudge someone going somewhere their son wants to on his birthday, following what has been a really crap few months, when he is mere hours outside of being able to go for free anyway. If someone was loaded then sure, but if the difference is being able to afford to go or not then there really are some sanctimonious, miserable people on here.

YANBU

10000% YANBU!

@TheTurnOfTheScrew love it. My mum frequently forgets her free bus pass and she’s never turned away.

Lots of people who have obviously never had to watch the pennies on here OP.

Nobody is forcing you to pay if you can't afford it - you just don't go. I know very well what it's like to have to go without nice things, and severely delay and cut essential things to the bone, through lack of money.

I'd have some sympathy with somebody who's fallen through all of the cracks and genuinely has no money whatsoever to buy bread, milk, pasta etc to feed themselves or their children, can't access benefits or foodbanks, if they saw no option but to steal it; but a theme park?

Can a parent take your child's bike if they see it left against the fence and give it to their own child, as it's their birthday coming up and they're 'forced to watch the pennies'?

OPs son is still very young, but if the cut off age was 12, would she teach her 13 year old it's OK to be dishonest if you can't afford a treat, you can have it anyway?

I would be able to explain to a 13 year old why we can't do something and pick something else instead.

The difference between paying £30 and £60 over a single day is stupid. Already, I'm paying a full adult price and not using ANY of the adult activities - so my money contributes to running costs of things I'm not using.
I can't afford £60. I could have afforded that a few months ago, but now I can't.

We are going to this particular attraction for two reasons - DS has seen it on the TV and it's the none-ride things he likes the look of. And we are visiting my family after work, the evening before so it will be local (the petrol cost has already been allocated for the trip). Otherwise I would have just taken him somewhere similar at a different location where the fees are more proportionate.