Be honest, do you lie about your children's age to save money?

[TheCatSitterDM]

I'm fully expected to get roasted and called all sorts of names but who here tells little white lies about their children's age to save money?

My DS was quite short, so I got away with him being 4 (and therefore free) on the bus until he was nearly 7 and it became obvious he was older after a growth spirt.

And this half term, I said my DD was 3 (not 4) to save money on her admission to swimming.

YABU - You're alway honest about your children's age
YANBU - You tell the occasion fib to save some £ here and there

That's completely different as it's not safe.

I'm happy to teach my kids to be money savvy 😂 They might as well reap the benefits of being short because lords knows they suffer the consequences enough

Not when they were little but a couple of times since DD turned 16 - we've semi deliberately forgotten and bought 'family' tickets for events. She didn't stop being part of the family she's still at school - she's not earning. Seems pretty arbitrary to me.

Age has never been checked and in fact actually we had a mix up with IMAX tickets recently since she turned 18 and when they reissued they gave us family tickets and refunded the difference even though I pointed out she was 18.

Yes, I meant on my lap. I did word that odd, sorry

No. Mine are grown up now but I never lied about their ages because it’s dishonest and I’d hate to be the kind of person who teaches their child to be a liar.

I don't, but not on a moral basis. DD is very tall and I couldn't get away with it. Our nearest and most visited theme park is paultons park and they charge on height not age, 1m and over is full price and unfortunately DD has been over 1m since she was 5

Wow we might be poor but we pay for every child as you should

No, but my kids are young-looking and a couple of times staff have insisted on putting them through as children, despite me saying they aren't. I don't know why! E.g. under-15s were cheaper, and they put my 18-year-old through as a child, or when the kids were early 20s we were given family tickets a couple of times, which are supposed to be for parents and under-18s.

Up until DD was around 7 I didn't pay for my kids on trains, I was never asked for a ticket for either of them, ever.

Even if you had paid for their seat?
When my daughter turned 5 and was required to get a train ticket we got a Family and Friends Railcard. You can only get the discount if you buy a child's ticket alongside the adult ones. So we always bought her a ticket.
But she frequently ended up on my lap if the train was very busy.
But I had actually PAID for her seat.
So I don't feel guilty about putting her through as a child fare now even though she's 18 😁

Our local bus drivers are very kind and will say “I’m sure she’s under 5, right?” with a nod, while ringing up just an adult fare. I’m not going to argue to pay more (in my defence, I’m so awkward that when she was under 5 if anyone had incorrectly assumed she was over 5 and charged for her ticket, I wouldn’t have argued to pay less in that situation either!)

Annoyingly I was once semi accused of lying when she was actually under 5. It was at the train station and the ticket inspector said “hmm pretty tall for a four year old” with an eye roll. The main thing that was annoying was that she is objectively NOT tall for a 4 yr old, she was nearly 5 and still in age 3 leggings!

Yes I used to. Until one of the little darlings told on me!

When DD1 was 2, and I was on maternity leave, I think I said she was under 2 a few times - I wouldn't have gone at all if I'd had to pay for both of us, and once there I bought drinks / ice creams so I don't think the business lost out overall.

I did also once sneak dd2 in hidden in the underneath of the Phil & Ted's pushchair. She was about 6 weeks old I wasn't paying admission for her 😂

Yep. My daughter is only 4ft 11 inch and she's 25.

Went to Alton Towers Pizza buffet restaurant. It's a rip off but was a birthday treat. She was definitely over the child's price age, but the lady just charged us 2 adults and 1 child.

Didn't even ask her age.. I don't feel bad as she has the appetite of a child.

She's had half price bus tickets too. No age queries from driver.

My work colleagues were shocked by her actual age after seeing her photo.

Sometimes it's good to be short 😀

Years ago I went abroad to visit my sister with my boyfriend. They were both a lot taller than me. We went to a theme park / water park place and they were charged adults and I was charged as a child 😅

I once bought an under 12 ticket for DD to enter a museum. At the counter she said ‘but it was my birthday last week, I’m 12’. The lovely lady behind the desk gave her a stern look and said ‘today, you are 11’. It’s really not a big deal and only MN would pearl clutch.

I was a child of a mum who used to lie about my age. Every Friday night we’d take the train to dancing. I was 7 and very short when I started. For a few years, mum would say ‘if the ticket inspector asks you’re X age’. I was on edge every Friday night.

She was a single parent on benefits, so I understand her need to do it. But, how I hated it. It was an uncomfortable situation to be put it, and another announcement to me that we were poor.

I’d not do this to my child.

Can’t believe 2/3 of you have done this (according to poll at 4.53pm). Genuinely, I’m shocked.

Mum did all the time. She tutored me in being an accomplished liar. She thinks she’s so upstanding but she isn’t.

I had to teach myself honesty as an adult.

I did with soft play until my toddler could walk. You should pay at 12 mnths but didn’t till around 15 months.
One year on holiday I had my youngest lie about being older so he could get into swimming with us . Then lie he was younger to get into the theme park cheaper. Poor kid didn’t know what age he was

I will admit I have done it at the zoo when the cut off age for free entry is 2 years old and then they pay full price adult at nearly £40.

At age 3, DC1 was taller than all the kids in reception class (ie the school year above) despite being the youngest in the class when they finally started school. So I had a lot of trouble convincing some people when I was actually being honest about their age. At that age though if you have a few minutes to observe the behaviour, language etc it quickly becomes apparent that the child is 3 not 6. DC2 is a ‘normal tall’ but I think I just sucked it up.

i used to work in a soft play centre where under 1s were allllowed in free. We had customers coming in with kids who were probably 2 insisting they were 11.5 months. I also experienced parents arguing about the age of the child in front of me, with the parent stating the younger age trying to cheat and the other parent presumably not realising what their DP was up to.

all these places are not a charity and need funds to even exist.

It's puzzling how many people think they are entitled to free entry by lying.
I can understand when it's a lie around 2 or 3 days, the child's birthday was yesterday but apart from that.

No. I’m not a thief.

My local soft play charges £7 for 6 months - 3 years. Everyone over 6 months has to pay even if they are not using the equipment. My son has been 5 months for quite a while because I am not paying £7 for him to sleep on me whilst my older daughter plays. I'll pay when he plays.