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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I need to know stats on how many people tell their kids the easter bunny is a real thing like Santa

90 replies

supples · 05/04/2026 00:03

Seeing how many people are on taking about it like this is blowing my mind!

yabu - I tell them it’s real
yanbu - no I don’t

OP posts:
Acunningruse · 05/04/2026 02:26

Yanbu, never told them about the easter bunny. Though tonight at bedtime I did say jokingly right off to bed or the Easter Bunny won’t come but they are 9 and 13 Grin

NewShoes · 05/04/2026 03:21

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned an Easter bunny! Mine just think mummy and daddy/ grandma and grandad get them an egg or do an egg hunt in the garden, but I don’t think I’ve ever said anything about an Easter bunny. Mine are 7 and 3. I don’t think they’re mentioned it either.

Pineapplewhip · 05/04/2026 03:33

Ive always put eggs outside at bloody 5am ready for DS to come downstairs and see twinkles of coloured foil eggs peeping out of the bush. My parents did that for me as a kid and I absolutely loved it! Son imagined that EB was like the Cadbury advert - so a fluffy small bunny - and not just 1 bunny - but rather an army of chocolate egg delivery bunnies 🤣

I kind of think if youre not bothering with an egg hunt - you're just giving your kids a shit load of chocolate for the sake of it? Surely that's more pointless.

DS is 11 this year, ive been asking him if he still thinks he wants an egg hunt from EB. He says "up to you!" In a way of - he obviously knows its not real. This year ive left a trail of eggs from bedroom down the stairs and then a little egg hunt for him in the living room (storm near us tonight). Its actually a relief to know that I dont have to go and set up the garden at 5am and will probably be our new "thing" until he really is an older teen that doesn't care!

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 05/04/2026 03:38

Ponoka7 · 05/04/2026 00:55

They were handing out carrots in the Asda, for the Easter Bunny. Tbf the children looked confused. The staff member had ears on. Disclaimer I have to say 'the Asda' coming from Liverpool.

I've always celebrated Easter as a mini Christmas, but never declared the EB to be real. My children had special personalised tooth fairy cushions and I do Christmas Eve boxes etc.

I noticed the free carrots for the EB thing in our Asda and don't remember ever seeing it before.

I did wonder if they'd overestimated the demand for the '5 bags of veg for £1' offer and were looking for any old way to get rid of excess stocks!

I wonder if the Holiday Armadillo will ever take off too?!

frozendaisy · 05/04/2026 04:52

Never confirmed Santa was real - vaguely mumbled he was a symbol of the peace and good will to all men Christmas spirit

Easter bunny stood no chance!

H on the other hand has huge issues with Jesus (not personally just all organised religion as a whole) as do I, so even the nativity story was a bit of a struggle (he got there in the end!)

PollyBell · 05/04/2026 05:19

Can't say it was that complicated we mentioned santa or easter bunny brings presents now it is more "santa" with big dramatic finger quotes

We all pretend in santa we move on

It seems only the internet needs to have some existential crisis over it

Londonnight · 05/04/2026 06:44

I never did the Easter bunny when my children were young. I don't remember it being a thing when I was a child either.
We did do Father Christmas. Never confirmed that he wasn't real, they just grew out of it.

Bluegreenbird · 05/04/2026 06:47

Mine are grown now but I don’t think we ever put the words Easter and Bunny together verbally out loud while the were growing up. We just had egg hunts sometimes.
It’s an American thing isn’t it?

FindingMeno · 05/04/2026 06:57

I told my dc's loads of fibs when they were little. Father Christmas, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, that I had eyes in the back of my head etc etc.
Now they are young adults they look back on it all with fond memories.
Those who are so uptight, you realise that the tiger never actually did come to tea don't you? Half the stories for children are also whimsical make- believe that appeal to their imaginations.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 05/04/2026 07:01

I hadn't heard of it as a concept until last year...my youngest is 8 and came home talking about it. I've just said all houses/families are different.

Mine will get a boxed egg from their grandparents, and I'll do an egg hunt in the garden with little ones.

NailsForChristmas · 05/04/2026 07:12

I have such fond memories of the Easter bunny.
First hunting for the eggs, and later, thinking the bunny probably wasn't real and trying to prove it by catching parents in the act of hiding the eggs. So much fun was had.

I will be doing the same for my little one and hope he develops the same fond memories.

Girasoli · 05/04/2026 07:12

I never did with DS1, I think DS2 believed it for a year or two age 3-5ish, he must have picked it up at nursery.

We always do an Easter egg hunt in my parents garden, it's fun anyway.

EasternStandard · 05/04/2026 07:12

ReadingSoManyThreads · 05/04/2026 00:59

I've never mentioned the Easter Bunny as a thing, as I think it's fucking ridiculous. My children have heard of it but know it's not a thing.

Do you not bother with any Easter egg hunts and just hand them over instead?

34feeling54 · 05/04/2026 07:13

BewareoftheLambs · 05/04/2026 00:14

I have never suggested there's a real Easter Bunny, or made a thing of it, but dd has still managed to convince herself this year. I'm going along with it as it's clearly giving her pleasure, but other than our usual Easter egg hunt around the house, I won't be doing anything different.

Same. We've never really made a thing of it, unlike father Christmas, but my daughter seems to 'know' there's an Easter bunny. Last year we had to have a quick rethink of Easter eggs as to which the bunny delivered her 🤣

14Sorrow22Bad · 05/04/2026 07:15

I’ve never suggested either are real, and when they’ve asked me I’ve been honest. I always tell them that a lot of other kids do believe, so they should be polite and not contradict them (same rule we have for other people’s religious beliefs). But I’ve never understood the desire to lie to kids about these magical creatures/people.

DDivaStar · 05/04/2026 07:15

We never made a big thing about the Easter bunny bringing the eggs, more just a symbol of Easter.

One of my friends made bunny footprints using flour all through her house was a bit bonkers to me.

Gertle · 05/04/2026 07:25

I’ve read a lot online lately that people think it’s a new thing or an American import but 30 years ago as I child I definitely believed the Easter bunny brought me eggs and all of my friends did as well.

We do the Easter bunny although it’s not as big as Santa. We don’t hide the eggs. They are just there in the morning and we don’t have any rituals or Easter bunny lore. If asked eg how the bunny got in I am very non-committal and unsure.

I think it’s just a fun thing like Santa and the tooth fairy. I struggle to understand how so many people are fine with those two but the Easter bunny is too much. To me, if I am happy with the other magical characters, why not let the bunny be the one to bring the eggs?

Poppins2016 · 05/04/2026 07:30

Meadowfinch · 05/04/2026 01:07

I don't know the percentages but I listened to a dad telling a 4yo girl, today in Tesco carpark, that the Easter bunny was a bit like Father Christmas. She wouldn't actually see him but he would hide Easter eggs in nana's garden on Saturday night.

I can hear our school rector revolving in his grave with fury. 😁 He hated anything other than ecclesiastical reverence for Easter.

My parents are rather conservative (small c) church goers (e.g. they've always been very clear that it's "Mothering Sunday", not "mother's day" and "father's day is secular nonsense" therefore my father asks us not to celebrate it, etc.).

However, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas existed throughout my childhood (and beyond). There will be an egg hunt in my parents garden later (and there would be even if there were no grandchildren present) 😁

DarkForces · 05/04/2026 07:33

All these mythical beings are real though, they just happen to be dh and I

Poppins2016 · 05/04/2026 07:33

Gertle · 05/04/2026 07:25

I’ve read a lot online lately that people think it’s a new thing or an American import but 30 years ago as I child I definitely believed the Easter bunny brought me eggs and all of my friends did as well.

We do the Easter bunny although it’s not as big as Santa. We don’t hide the eggs. They are just there in the morning and we don’t have any rituals or Easter bunny lore. If asked eg how the bunny got in I am very non-committal and unsure.

I think it’s just a fun thing like Santa and the tooth fairy. I struggle to understand how so many people are fine with those two but the Easter bunny is too much. To me, if I am happy with the other magical characters, why not let the bunny be the one to bring the eggs?

Me too. The Easter Bunny was definitely real during my childhood (and I have my own children now...).

I think the "import" is the additional "stuff". It used to be just eggs (and maybe a few fluffy chicks to stick on a cake). Now it's cuddly toys, lots of plastic tat, decorations, etc. plus chocolate...

Barrenfieldoffucks · 05/04/2026 07:36

It definitely wasn't real when I was a child (born in 81). We would get given an egg by our parents, one by grandparents etc, and if we were up with family we would have an Easter egg hunt with our cousins in the garden. But I'd not heard of the Easter bunny.

WhereIsMyLight · 05/04/2026 07:38

I don’t think the Easter bunny is a new concept. I remember people talking about the Easter bunny when I was young, even though my mum didn’t hide eggs.

For DC, they had the Easter bunny visit nursery! But I hid the eggs last year. They’ve said they want the eggs hiding this year and definitely believe in the bunny. We’ve not reached tooth fairy age yet but they already talk about it. My dad gave them an egg and they picked and egg from us. So I’ve separated it out into eggs from other people and Easter bunny eggs. She can find the small Easter bunny eggs bug the others are on the side. Which is the same approach we take with Santa, Santa bring one or two presents and the rest are from other people.

I wasn’t hiding them at midnight or going out in the storm to hide them. They’ll just have to find them round the house. I probably put a bit more effort into believing in Santa as we do the mince pie and the carrot.

ClaredeBear · 05/04/2026 07:39

Neemon · 05/04/2026 00:40

How sad.

Show quote history

Not necessarily. They were always real in my house but there are plenty of ways to keep it fun and “magical” even if you go the evidence route.

Dollymylove · 05/04/2026 07:39

It's just a bit of fun for the kiddies. Why spoil the magic?
Children are little for only a short time. Let them enjoy it while they can

OriginalSkang · 05/04/2026 07:39

We always did easter egg hunts when DD (14 now) was little, but we never mentioned the Easter bunny once! And she never asked about it. I don't think I ever heard anything about the bunny at all back then, from other people or school or whatever

I never overdid Father Christmas or the tooth fairy either and confirmed they weren't real as soon as she asked - aged 7