FAO Sherrard

[EvianBaby]

I remember you being a little peeved by this a while ago. Just thought you might like to know you are not alone.

http://www.dailymail....Christmas-advert.html

[daffy654]

What a stupid thing to complain about. I would just tell the kids that Santa brings some present and mum and dad get into huge debt for others :)

[EvianBaby]

Lol. I can't really say I think it's that worthy of complain either but then I'm not trying to convince any children Father Christmas is real. But yeah, just tell em Mum and Dad buy some and Santa brings the rest.

[chelle7272]

I don't think it's a stupid thing to complain about at all. It was my family's first comments when we saw the ad. If my son was still young enough to beleive in santa I'd be very peeved about it as well.

I would have thought the times of the advert could at least have been restricted.

[ummmm]

Most children young enough to believe in father Christmas wouldn't really take the information in. If they are old enough to understand, they are too old to believe in FC.

[mccfluff]

its about time kids stopped thinking a fantasy man brings you presents, it puts too much pressure on parents

xmas should be banned bah humbug

[chelle7272]

lol there is that too, i would have loved to explain to my little one that I simply couldn't afford it all...

[EvianBaby]

Yeah, after all it's the poor parents who spend months fretting about how they're going to pay for it all, working to earn the money, trying to do the shopping without the kids knowing, having to hide it all for weeks then on Christmas day they get woken up at some ungodly hour, dragged downstairs, have to sit and watch their kids tear into the nicely wrapped gifts which get discarded after 10 seconds in place of the next one and the rest of the day is spent mostly cooking and cleaning up the mess the kids left as well as building toys that require some sort of degree to understand. Lol.

Besides, do any of you remember when you found out there was no Santa? I don't. I can't be too damaged from it.

[ummmm]

I think my uncle told me when I was about 2. That was a sign of things to come :-)

[sherrardk]

Just caught this - I was one of the saddos who contacted the ASA. In our house, Father Christmas brings all the presents. My 11 year doesn't believe anymore but plays along, but my 7 (nearly 8) year old is teetering on the brink and he will spill the beans to his 6 year old sister. Thanks for the link.

[mccfluff]

let me set the scene
i was about 6 or 7, it was our first xmas back in the uk and i'd not known snow before, so i was really hyper excited that father xmas and the reindeer were coming etc etc, eft out the mince pies and cabbage n carrots and i made myself stay awake to see father xmas

my dad walked in stark bollock naked and chucked my stocking on the bed and walked out

Father xmas has never been the same for me since

[albaqwerty]

brain bleach please :)

My brothers were/are 12 and 16 years olders than me. they must have been either really nice to me or mum and dad were threatening them with sometihing. I was 7.

[Ann]

It spoils the magic of Christmas .......... I love to see excitement and wonder in the eyes of little children at the thought of Father Christmas bringing them presents .......... along with the true meaning of Christmas, the Nativity and the Christian side to the season, its such a happy time for most children. Before I get sarcastic replies No I don't believe as a Christian that its lying to children to tell them about Father Christmas ........... its all part of a magical childhood.

[mccfluff]

i'm all for that ann, magical childhoods are great. what i'm against is the ever increasing pressure on parents to provide the presents on the letter to santa becuase the child doesn't understand that the presents have to be bought

[albaqwerty]

When I was a nice person I used to tell my sons that Santa could only bring them what he could afford as the Elves had to be looked after.

[ummmm]

I'm a realist...

And it is lying. Good children get their wishes...naughty children don't. So when the parents can't afford to buy the presents wished for you risk that child thinking it wasn't good enough.

[albaqwerty]

Parents only put the pressure on themselves.
If a child is of school age (ie 5 plus) then the parents try to outdo each other by what they can afford to buy for their children. (Well, it seemed like that where I used to live, bunch of upthemselves)

[Prudie]

talking of upthemselves my first peeve when I saw this ad was the boy saying 'muvva'. My mum, mummy or mother would have had just the same effect. Not cute at all imo.

[chelle7272]

alba i have to disagree, I certainly didn't put any pressure on mysel for try to outdo anyone, i couldn't have afforded to! Although I accept it does happen a lot.
But kids see what others have and what is advertised (even when they are that young) and if you can't afford to get them it as ummmm says, they then think they have been undeserving.

[albaqwerty]

chelle I didn't say ALL parents put pressure on themselves. Some do, some don't.
Good for you for not putting yourself under any pressure.

[ummmm]

So it's better to tell them the truth. Kids are very understanding little things.

My kids get rewarded as and when they deserve being rewarded, money permitting.