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

Fun police are out in the droves today!
You can’t on one hand say .... “ stating he’s 2 when he’s not is stealing” but when the OP states he won’t be technically 2 until after they leave the resort “ it’s still stealing” why? He’s still 2 years old up until the point he was born, it’s not clutching at straws. It’s the way it is. So if a 17 year old who was born on midnight went out to the pub at 10:30pm that night your all saying that CHILD should be served alcohol? No because they are not 18 until that point. OP take your child and have a wonderful day. Leave the pearl clutchers to go about their miserable, oh so honest self virtuous lives!

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

what kind of argument is that. If you don't want to pay the full price and think you are cleverly playing the system, at least own it.

Choosing to do something you can't afford and pretending you are entitled to stealing or committing fraud because it's out of your price range is beyond CF. I suppose if you are dishonest in the first place you will be dishonest all the way through...

Everyone lies to their kids sometimes, santa wouldn't exist in a childs world if we didn't lie.

If its a rip off, then take him somewhere that's not.

You know it's morally dubious, otherwise you wouldn't have asked the question.

YABU. If you don't think it's worth the price, don't go. Simple as that. The business will have wages to pay and running costs to cover. You wouldn't go into a newsagents, pick up two cans of coke and pay for one because you though it wasn't great value for money. Ethically, no different in my book.

the difference between paying £30 and £60 over a single day is stupid.

Technically the attraction could charge £60 per person full stop, but decided it made good business sense to offer a discount to under 3.

You don't want to pay, you are clearly not the only one, but don't put the blame on the attraction!

Do it and don't even feel bad .
Another example of mumsnet and real life are complete opposites.

If course YABU rules are rules but I doubt anyone on MN including myself genuinely wouldn’t do the same!

Just book it and enjoy your day!

These places make their profit from what you do once you're in the park anyway. Drinks/ice-cream/lunch, gift shop, what adverts or sponsored exhibits you look at, in the case of some toy themed places just the lifelong marketing access to your brain is worth letting a 3 year old, on his birthday, get in on a 2 year old's ticket. These places are not 'honest' with us particularly and it goes both ways.

I bet there are very few 18 year olds who wait until the actual time of their birth to buy a drink in a pub.

I am adopted so don’t know the exact time of my birth, does that mean I have to wait until the day after my birthday to celebrate just in case I was born at midnight and I mustn’t celebrate early.

And if the attraction was only open to children 3 and over I bet the OP wouldn’t be saying to her child on their 3rd birthday you can only go in the afternoon as technically you aren’t 3 until then.

Your children were told from birth about Father Christmas being a lie then

the comparison is ridiculous and you know it. The Father Christmas made-up stories are for the benefit of your child, don't pretend you lie to get cheaper prices as a favour to the business

In these days of reduced tickets allocation, technically you are using 2 tickets that could have been paid by someone paying full price for 2. You want to fraud, fine, but don't pretend it's a charity or kindness gesture 😂

I would do it without a shadow of a doubt. I did it when my kids were younger.

Do I feel guilty? No. Haven’t lost a second by worrying about it.

These places are not 'honest' with us particularly and it goes both ways.

what's not honest about charging the advertised prices? Unless you pretend to be a charity, what's wrong with running a business now?

If you are going to do this, do it but at least accept it is dishonest and theft, don’t try and come up with some fancy excuse to try and justify it.

If DS wanted a pony for his birthday, as we can’t afford one, would it be ok to steal one of the moorland ponies that roam around near us?

When I took DD to Alton Towers I lied about her age and she proudly announced it was her birthday that day (putting her in the paying category)
The woman in the ticket booth looked her dead in the eye and pointed at her and said "You are 2, until you go thru that gate Miss" and handed me the free ticket. Absolutely hilarious and ensured a lifetime's custom.

Did you read the rest of my post Janice? I was talking about the huge mark up on food etc and the advertising revenue they get.

@JaniceWebster

These places are not 'honest' with us particularly and it goes both ways.

what's not honest about charging the advertised prices? Unless you pretend to be a charity, what's wrong with running a business now?

I think what they mean is the pricing for entry to the park is one thing, but if you have experience of the costs of goods and food, it comes as a serious shock because it's way above market price.

I voted YANBU but on reflection, how many more times after the first visit will your son pester you to take him again, and again, and with friends, and so on - are you going to keep up with the lie? Why not teach your son that you can't have everything you ask for, tell him it's too expensive and he'll enjoy it more and be able to go on more rides than just a few when he's a bit older. That's life OP, so teach your son the reality of it - don't get him wrapped up in lying and keeping schtum on his birthday, when he should be able to proudly proclaim that it's his birthday today!

Borrow some money off a parent/friend or his father if you insist - better yet, birthday money? your son can use it to spend on the day out, again teaching him value of money.

Say he is 2 dont pay. When hes 4, hes still 3 for stuff like this 😂 people long it out.

Op I took DD to Disneyland in the States when she was a few days past 3 years old and they asked if she was under 3- its like they wanted and expected me to say yes- so I said she was. DD piped up and said 'im three' but she couldnt say the 'th' sound properly so I said 'thats right you're free.' I doubt Uncle Walt suffered hardship.They can demand proof if they're worried about it.

It's theft, pure and simple.

Its the same as when they say kids menu is only for 12 and under. Fine then my 13 year old child who has an eating disorder who would never finish an adult meal is 12.

I'm pretty sure the reason they say over 3's is because everyone lies a couple of places I know used to be under 4's or under 5's free. Now it's 2 and under free.

@WaitForCake do you mind my asking which Attraction is this ? I’d just take him