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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that the Easter bunny leaves an egg for morning

290 replies

littleloopylou · 16/04/2023 21:40

Just found out that the Easter bunny didn't come to my ex's. My child was taken to an Easter event where the bunny had hidden some eggs for many children to find. Ex also mysteriously discovered some eggs in his car that were left by the Easter bunny, a few days after Easter.

My child thinks that the Easter bunny forgot them.

AIBU to think that ex totally dropped the ball on this?

OP posts:
Holly60 · 17/04/2023 06:15

I really don't understand the posts on here.

Poor kid woke up and rushed downstairs expecting to have chocolates on Easter morning, like they usually do, and like thousands of other kids across the country get.

Instead there was nothing at home for them and they were taken somewhere and received a generic Easter egg (probably just the one) that they saw all the other kids getting too. Nothing specially picked out for them.

OP I think it's really shitty. You can get lovely Easter eggs and chocolates - I'm sorry your child didn't get a nice surprise on Easter morning.

Could you explain that yes actually you have to tell the Easter bunny to stop at your house and their dad forgot to do this? He WAS telling fibs because he felt bad he forgot.

They will start to work it out naturally (like Santa) but this will soften the blow.

Holly60 · 17/04/2023 06:19

ilovesooty · 17/04/2023 00:28

"angry weirdo" not to have even heard of the Easter Bunny "thing" until reading it on here?

I think PP was more referring to the posters giving OP a hard time for caring that her child was disappointed on Easter morning and telling her to grow up for being upset that the child was sad they were forgotten and felt like their dad was lying....

Whether or not countless other people have heard of/get visits off the Easter bunny is pretty irrelevant to this child's experience.

EggBlanket · 17/04/2023 06:35

When did the Easter bunny become a thing? We never had it growing up and my kids have never been visited by the Easter bunny.

Malificent1 · 17/04/2023 06:43

littleloopylou · 16/04/2023 23:59

I guess the only way to make your DC feel better without dumping ex in the shit / making daddy look worse than he already does / ruining your family concept of the EB, is to make up a white lie about confusion as to where DC would be at Easter or something along those lines

This is what I immediately did. An egg is on the way to be either found or to have a note on it from the Easter bunny saying sorry for the late delivery! there was confusion about where my child was.

This is what I would have done too.

My DC believe in the Easter bunny. They too would have been so upset to be forgotten. Learn from this and always have an egg ready from the EB, it will simply always be left at your house and not your ex’s.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 17/04/2023 07:05

I know the feeling, we mucked up the Advent Aardvark a couple of years ago.

Having hidden the chocolate ants, the little buggers were so small the kids couldn't find them!

cptartapp · 17/04/2023 07:16

I think from the minute you split from your ex you wave goodbye to the fairytale upbringing for your DC you wanted.
There'll be bigger concerns forthcoming than whether he did an egg hunt or not.
You picked him. You've now got to trust him.

Original poster
littleloopylou · 17/04/2023 07:30

I am totally mystified by these replies.

My child has just turned 7. They definitely believe in the Easter bunny. I never even told them about the EB. They came home from nursery, in the UK, at the age of 2 with the expectation that an EB would deliver eggs overnight. I rolled with it.

They thought Daddy was lying because they knew Daddy had these particular chocolates lying around for ages. I don't care if you think it's weird that he would give my child old chocolate, PP. It's true. As my child is intelligent and observant, they put two and two together and could tell that the chocolate wasn't actually from the EB.

I left their abusive father 4 years ago. It was my bad for thinking he would not drop the ball, but in the past he was really angry about not getting to do some special things (like Santa) when it was my turn for a holiday.

OP posts:
Whatafustercluck · 17/04/2023 07:32

littleloopylou · 16/04/2023 21:57

Grow up? My child thinks that the Easter bunny forgot them. It's horrible.

Show quote history

But they got eggs, they went to an egg hunt where the easter bunny had left them.

In our house, the Easter bunny comes whenever the kids can be distracted for long enough to hide them. Sometimes it's morning, sometimes not. It's not this big deal like Santa and Christmas is.

londonrach · 17/04/2023 07:38

I have a six year old. I don't know a single child who believes in the Easter bunny. It's a fun thing to do an Easter egg hunt. Its not Santa. Everyone does Easter different.

Attictroll · 17/04/2023 07:42

I think this is a weird generational thing and have sympathy for ex as well as kids. We never had the Easter bunny growing up then at 2 or 3 dc had expectations of it being like Christmas with eggs waiting in the morning. ex didn't know Easter bunny was needed - it's not like Christmas where generations have done the same thing. Luckily a bit older late primary dc just expect a hunt or gifts. The Easter bunny is not Father Christmas different scale.

mybeautifuloak · 17/04/2023 07:43

No. No I didn't make a deal about Father Christmas either. I made Christmas magical without hanging on about some imaginary character. Of course my dc heard of FC and the EB but they never believed they were real. 7? SEVEN???? Good God.
Your ex could have swing by Tesco and bought an egg or he could have taken dc to an actual Easter event which took way more effort and time and you are having a problem. It's not your exs job to perpetuate a fairy tale you choose to promote.

Attictroll · 17/04/2023 07:44

Ok I don't know any 7 year old who believes in it, you must have some how facilitated so could have warned ex

Okunevo · 17/04/2023 07:48

He can do Easter, or Christmas, as he chooses and you can do the same. Neither are obliged to carry on each other's traditions. Children can adapt to different traditions and experiences in different households.

Newjobanxious · 17/04/2023 07:50

Unfortunately op as I said this is how it’s going to be going forward. The traditions you had are going to not be the same.

you would be best to start new traditions that you can control in your house and let your child’s dad do his house his way.

heads up. This is likely to be one of the last Santa years. Kids usually figure it out by Themselves around 7/8/9 if not before.

Original poster
littleloopylou · 17/04/2023 07:51

Attictroll · 17/04/2023 07:44

Ok I don't know any 7 year old who believes in it, you must have some how facilitated so could have warned ex

What about Father Christmas? When do children stop believing in that?

I'm not from this country and I have had to learn how things work here. EB was foisted on me by this culture and now all of you are telling me that I am stupid for following along?

OP posts:
ZeroPlastic · 17/04/2023 07:55

I don't know anyone who tells their kids that the EB brings the eggs. Eggs are from parents etc. You might talk about the EB in relation to an Easter egg hunt but it's just a bit of fun, no one really believes in the bunny.

If you want to tell you kid that the EB is real and brings the eggs, you really needed to communicate that to your ex as that's an unusual way to do it.

Original poster
littleloopylou · 17/04/2023 07:55

Newjobanxious · 17/04/2023 07:50

Unfortunately op as I said this is how it’s going to be going forward. The traditions you had are going to not be the same.

you would be best to start new traditions that you can control in your house and let your child’s dad do his house his way.

heads up. This is likely to be one of the last Santa years. Kids usually figure it out by Themselves around 7/8/9 if not before.

Yes, I know it's one of the last years. Ex has my child this Christmas too...

OP posts:
worried4698643 · 17/04/2023 07:55

Surely the sensible thing would be to have the eggs at your house for when they get home.

The bunny left it for you for when you get home.

That's what we do with Xmas stockings of by dC are with dad for Xmas morning.

StoppinBy · 17/04/2023 07:55

I'm in Aus, every child I know believes or believed in Easter Bunny, myself included as a child.

I personally work as Easter Bunny and kids definitely do believe in EB past 7. My own kids are 10 and 5 and I have been lucky enough that as yet no one has spoiled it for them. The fact I work as Easter Bunny's helper and have a 'direct line to Easter Bunny' has been pretty helpful in that though 😉🤣.

OP, let your kiddo believe as long as possible, kids grow up far too fast. The magic of Santa and EB will be gone soon enough.

P.S I also work as Santa's Elf at Christmas and plenty of kids at 7 genuinely believe.

EatYourVegetables · 17/04/2023 07:56

I find lying to a 7yo about a magical bunny is strange.

Tell them the truth. Explain it’s parents and the important thing is to show kids you thought of them and for everyone to have fun. It seems like that happened with your ex taking them to the egg hunt…

Okunevo · 17/04/2023 08:01

I'm in Aus, every child I know believes or believed in Easter Bunny, myself included as a child.
We said it was the bilby with my youngest sibling but it was just for fun for a hunt, they didn't actually believe. I didn't know of children believing when DS was younger, many did a hunt but no big deal if they were caught hiding the eggs.

MoserRothOrangeandAlmond · 17/04/2023 08:04

I honestly never knew that the Easter bunny was a thing..... so does the Easter bunny bring you easter eggs on Easter Sunday morning?

We just say.... happy Easter, here are some Easter eggs and a new outfit.
Then our daughter gets some eggs off people and we give them eggs xx

Original poster
littleloopylou · 17/04/2023 08:06

EatYourVegetables · 17/04/2023 07:56

I find lying to a 7yo about a magical bunny is strange.

Tell them the truth. Explain it’s parents and the important thing is to show kids you thought of them and for everyone to have fun. It seems like that happened with your ex taking them to the egg hunt…

Does Father Christmas visit your home?

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 17/04/2023 08:07

myveryownelectrickitten · 17/04/2023 02:02

You laugh about Palm Sunday, very funny, but it’s actually crosses made out of palm leaves that traditionally you get given on Palm Sunday, not a donkey.

I’m not a practising Christian, but I don’t make fun of other people’s religious traditions. Try it sometime?

Show quote history

I wasn't laughing about it. I was despairing that yet another Christian occasion might be made into a commercial opportunity. You completely misunderstood me.

Skybluepinky · 17/04/2023 08:07

That’s wot happens when u do silly stuff, instead of just saying who they r from.
Not shocked yr X didn’t bother, probably thought yr kids would get bullied thinking there is an Easter Bunny.
Very strange post!