WIBU to troll DS with his Christmas stocking?

[PolkaDotMankini]

DS is 12, football mad and has spent the day composing a letter of complaint to the French FA about their players. I've left him to it cos it's good French practice but he's furious.

He asked for an England shirt for Christmas and I noticed while browsing that French football shirts are half price at the moment...

WIBU and a really bad mother to get him the France shirt too and pack his Christmas stocking so that he opens the France shirt first? Just gentle trolling for being so cross over a game of football.

Trolling is not gentle.

Absolutely unreasonable. I don't follow football, but when my husband was young he was mad on it. One year for Christmas, the one after Germany beat England in a match of some sort, his parents gave him a Germany shirt. He was gutted, it ruined Christmas, and it's still something he remembers now.
It's good that your son is passionate about something, winning matters!

Nah, waste of money and you don’t mess with kids at Christmas

Seriously, what would you gain from it?

I'd say even at half price it's an expensive way to get a 5 second laugh.

If you're a house with that type of banter generally, and joke like that, then fine.

If not, it may just confuse him and the joke will be lost.

Why on earth would you waste money on something that’ll upset your son?

I mean, I get you, I have no interest in football either. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean something to him. Imagine if someone went to the trouble of buying something completely the opposite of your passion just to show you how ridiculous they think it is! You’d be humiliated.

Are you going to shout 'it's just a prank bro' if he doesn't get the joke? No one likes a troll to be honest, it's childish and a waste of money.

All good points. It's a nice design to be fair and he'd absolutely wear it. Maybe I won't.

Seems wasteful on multiple levels.

Aa a football fan I think he absolutely would not, even if it is a nice design.

*as

What's with all the "aibu to be mean to my kids at Xmas?" posts? Don't you LIKE him and want him to be Happy? Why are you wasting money on something he'll hate. Or even just risking dredging up negative feelings for no reason? He'll probably have forgotten about football on Xmas morning unless you deliberately remind him

When I read your OP it made me laugh and I was surprised to read the first lot of replies.

I asked my husband and DCs and they all thought it would be hilarious too. I guess it depends what sort of relationship you have and what sort of banter you have in your family.

I would definitely do something like that if it was my DC and they'd find it funny and probably think of some equally funny revenge.

I don't think design counts for much for rival football fans 😀

I think it's hilaroius he's writing to the French FA - good on him!

Why would you try to get a laugh out of upsetting your child on Christmas day?

Why do people think it's funny to upset people?

He collects all sorts of football shirts - usually from lower league teams and some retro ones. He likes the different styles and wears them at training.

Last night he was incandescent. The referee was thoroughly slandered.

Surely OP you know how your son will take this joke? I mean, is he likely to know immediately you're winding him up and laugh, or is he likely to get upset?

If he's likely to get upset yabu, but then I don't know why you'd consider doing it in this case.

And if you know he will take it OK, yanbu and a load of opinions from people on mumsnet isn't gonna make a difference.

Some people on here need to lighten up. I mean, he's 12, not a baby. Like a PP says, it depends on what the vibe in your household is like.

twitter.com/suzannezeedyk/status/1601911351189950464?s=46&t=rfgpK8SYzZ_cQSxqVwrA8Q

Maybe read this thread first before doing something like that?

To be honest, I don't blame him for being mad. They fouled us so many times and the ref/VAR team let it go because they all undoubtedly had french grandmothers. He should complain about them as well.

On a more serious note, what a creative way to practice his French.

Agree with someone else saying that there is no such thing as gentle trolling.

So Christmas when you're 12 is meant to be fun. You get things you're excited about, that you care about. It's not about jokes and trolling. Just get him an England shirt and whatever else he wants and forgot your horrible idea that it'll be "funny" because it won't be.

YABU troĺling your kid.

Okay that made me laugh. But I think probably YABU for a 12 year old, unless you already have a family history of joke presents. As a first “joke present” it’s probably a bit too painful... If it was your DH I’d say crack on 🤣

At best, your DS is brushing up on his French. At worst, your DS is a bit OTT to complain about England losing to France. The fact is - England has lost. He needs to get over it until the Lionesses are back on the pitch for the Women's World Cup in 2023. It's only 6 months away :-)

As for the OP, I think you are being U to troll your DS with the opposite team's shirt. It's like a Harry Potter fan asking for Griffindor merchandise (if that's his favourite house) and then you bought him something from Slytherin or one one of the other houses instead. Just buy what he would like, and if an England shirt is more than what you normally spend, then arrange it with other family members as a syndicate present.

@Tippexy those are much younger children though, not the same.

I completely agree those videos to little uncomprehending children are HORRIBLE though. But OP’s DS is 12 and might well already have played his own practical jokes, it’s very different if so.

Oh that video is awful. I couldn't watch all the way through - those poor kids. Thankyou for sharing. The thread was very thought-provoking.

In any other circumstances, DS would love the France shirt. As we've just been knocked out by France, he'd be momentarily cross (before loving it and wearing it all the time). Therefore, having read through the responses, I've accepted IWBU and won't do it. It's a good deal though so I'll buy it and save it for his birthday, by which time he'll have forgotten all about the world cup and be excited again.