Would you let your 4/5/6 year olds go carol singing for money, door to door?

[Carla]

I know that their parents were waiting in the wings, but somehow it just doesn't seem right to me. What do y'all think?

Were they collecting the money for themselves, or for charity?

I wouldn't, no, unless I was singing with them and it was collecting for charity

Only if I was with them.

For themselves . Part of me feels good for them, part of me feels sad they need to, part of me feels it's exploiting the children.

No
is the short answer

In that case Carla, no.

It's not exactly the spirit of Christmas is it?

No way, I'm against it, the same as I am against trick or treating.

As eveyone has said, only if I was with them, and only for charity.

actually I wouldn't put kids in any kind of situation where they are asking strangers for money, red rag to dodgy villains if you ask me.

I just wonder what sort of message those children must have had, from having had their parents ask them to do it. I don't begrude giving them money at all, but don't feel it was the right thing to do.

That's an interesting question - my gut reaction is to say 'no, only if for charity and I was with them, or as part of organised group, eg church, choir, school' but on the other hand, carol singing is a real tradition - and one of those things children always did as a matter of course. I don't think it's like trick or treat, as there's no threat involved. I would rather have littler children than teenagers on bikes like we got this week who bawl out 'Good King Wenceslas' out of tune and then expect a tenner (ok, I'm exaggerating ) . I really don't look at all those christmas cards with carol singers at a door, huddled round a lantern and think 'Well I hope that money is going to charity!'. But I'm not sure I would be comfortable with it either.

Also, meant to add, I would definitely only let children do it round our road and people we knew. When I was a student we used to do carol singing in the pubs to raise money for charity - now that took a bit of nerve I can tell you!

No

deffo no as i wasnt allowed until i was 12 and i only allowed in the street..

definitely not - you havent heard my kids' voices

No way!!!

Not door to door, no. My ds1 sung at the local shops with the rest of his class and they collected for a local hospice. But i don't agree with the door to door bit. We have only had 1 lot of carol singers this year and i can't say i miss them at all.

Probably I would as long as they were only caroling & not collecting money... being American, I find the money collection side very bizarre, very un-British, even.