To not want to write DCs name and address on the back of the envelope?

[BabyDoge]

We've just written DCs Santa letters. I'm wanting to send them to the address provided by Royal Mail, as you get a response from Santa in the post. I've just had a look on their site and apparently you have to write your child's full name and address on the back of the envelope.
Given all the warnings about safeguarding, surely this isn't a good idea? I made a thread the other day about buying DS a football kit and was warned not to put his name on the back. Surely a letter addressed to Santa with a child's full name and address on the back is even worse?
Has anyone else sent a letter off? Did you put the name and address on the back or would it be enough just to put it inside on the letter itself?

OP, if you're in a financial position to, then I found the NSPCC letters were always lovely and you can do that online as opposed to the Royal Mail ones. But, to put your mind at ease I think you'll be fine putting your address on. 😊

I'm not sure, part of the thread was to see if anyone has done this before. If as PP has suggested they're not actually opening the letters I doubt they're personalising the responses.

I remember this being how people entered competitions for years.
You posted a plain postcard or sealed envelope with your name and address on the back (and if it was a competition you sometimes had to write "The answer is C").
I probably entered dozens of competitions that way.

I cannot think of any reason why it would be a problem.
BUT
https://www.royalmail.com/christmas/letters-to-santa
This is the letter they'll send - it's generic so doesn't matter what name you put on the envelope (unless your kid will be annoyed it's not addressed directly to them).

Edited for clarity: the letter has no name on it, but the envelope will.

They will use the name on the envelope to generate the response letter, so don't put your name on the envelope unless you want to end up with a confused child.

Put the child's name there or have your husband take charge of this task. It might be reassuring to you that nothing bad will happen as a result of this.

Thank you for this, so that just says "little friend". They won't notice the envelope being addressed to us (DD is only 1 so hers is just to keep the magic for DS), so I think I will put my name on it 🙂

No one is going to do that in a sorting office, they’re wildly busy in December for one, but also it’s an insanely impractical thing for a groomer to go about finding where children live, it’s just not going to happen.
let them write to Santa with their name so it comes back with their name on rather than your

It's so it's sent back to him. Put your name and it will be addressed to you. Yes, the short answer is you're being ridiculous.

My goodness!
What a bleak world you live in. I sincerely hope that you don't pass your paranoia on to your children or that your husband can tell them that your fear of the world isn't normal.

Just send your children a letter from Santa yourself. Stick Christmas stickers on it. You will be able to personalise it and just leave it on the doormat. That way, no-one will know the name of your children.

And get some help.

Thank you 🙂 We've got them all written out now, but I think I will do this next year, they look lovely.

You may notice I've said in a previous reply I am seeking help, currently stuck on a waiting list. It is a very bleak world, and it takes all my energy to make sure my DC don't see it.

Good. Well, I sincerely hope it makes you adopt a different attitude before they do begin to notice.

😂😂

I hate to tell you, but Santa is not real.

Can I just add that on another day I may not have thought twice about this. But I was going to have DS' name on his shirt and people were very adamant I shouldn't, so I've just been second guessing myself.

it will be addressed to you

If you’re worried you can always just let your little one post the letter without an address on the back and then print the response yourself from the website and put in an envelope on the mat for them to collect https://www.royalmail.com/christmas/letters-to-santa I had to do this one year when we were unorganised and didn’t post it on time.

What name would you put on a foootball shirt if not your own? Of course you put their name on the shirt!

You can print the Santa response on the Royal Mail website to save sending them and just pop them through your door yourself x

Can you seriously not understand that there's a big difference between putting a child's name on an item of their clothing, and putting their name and address on the back of an envelope for a specific purpose?

I have been in your position- absolutely riddled with anxiety and completely flummoxed when people couldn’t see the danger in everything that I could. It’s exhausting and isolating for both you and your husband. Terrifying when you feel your putting your children in danger and nobody can see it. I did find solace in antidepressants whilst I waited for help.

Be kind to yourself, try to make decisions like these when you’re having a ‘better day’. Find a good (patient) friend that you can run your anxieties by (not one that will call you ridiculous!) to lighten the load off your husband. Reach out to your GP again if you’re not coping.

Take care.

Most hospital letters come as “parent/gardian of …” so clear it’s a child.

They do (you get a letter and a recipe from the elves) and the children love getting their own post.
You're being a spoilsport.

I'm with you on that one

If you feel it is a risk your child will miss out on the treat, you can't have it both ways