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PG - 7 Weeks 4 Days - Bad Walmart XMas Ads

OK - I have no issues with Walmart. I do love saving money on my holiday shopping and I'm so glad Walmart is reminding me I can save lots of money shopping at their store, but can you please stop running the ads that are going to make my 8-year-old daughter stop believing in Santa Claus????!!!!

The ad I'm talking about, although some may have guessed already, is the one where the kids are opening their presents under the tree thanking their parents for the gifts and the parents are sitting on the couch. The dad has a line something like, "How much did all this cost me?" and the wife smiles and whispers in his ear and indicates, "I saved a lot of money shopping at Walmart." Well, my daughter is starting to question us this year if parents buy the presents or if Santa really brings them. I ask her what she thinks and she says it makes more sense that Santa brings them, so we go with that answer. Granted, I think this is her last year of beleiving in the big red guy, so Walmart, can you please preserve her innocence for just the rest of this holiday season? She saw this commercial once and I'm sure her little brain was starting to form a thoughts about rethinking if parents really are doing the purchases. The other thing that bothers me is that these commercials are being shown during the prime time family Christmas movies. Last night all three of us were on the couch at 8PM after putting the lights on the tree and we were starting to watch the family Xmas movie of the night and a commercial like this, if not the exact one, came on. Leo changed the channel really fast, acting like he was checking the scores on a basketball game.

Has anyone else seen these ads and thought the same thing?

All is well in baby-growing land. I don't think I'll be able to button all my pants next week, so I'm starting to do early pregnancy dressing tips without really being big enough for maternity clothes yet, but I'm starting to look at my options.

Comments

Michelle Smiles said…
That hadn't occurred to me because we always had gifts under the tree from parents and from Santa. I hadn't thought about families who received all their gifts from Santa. That would create a pickle.
It would be nice if they gave us a warning about the Lame-O commercials. Good luck w/clothes shopping.
Alex said…
I'm with Michelle Smiles...we have presents under the tree from people(us,family etc) and then Santa ads his on Christmas Eve/Christmas Morn as well as the stockings get filled. Does that mean all your toys under the tree are only from Santa? Doesn't your daughter get you gifts? get them from you?

I was a kid that never beleived in Santa growing up(mom wouldn't "lie" to us)and Norwegian tradition opens presents on Christmas Eve anyway, but my friends did and I didnt ruin their fun. When I got married my husband made it VERY clear that we WOULD be allowing Santa in our home and I love it. Our oldest is 6.5 and when her friend said on a field trip I was on, that Santa wasn't real, she looked at me and asked me if he was. i just said "oh ya of course he is"(matter of fact tone) and then said "although I'm pretty sure that the guys you see at the mall are just Santa's helpers(we'd already discussed that...she pointed it out...she's could tell)but I guess you never know. I've never met the big guy" then started talking to another mom and that was that.

It IS a shame when kids stop believing and I like that I can relive the Santa childhood that I missed. I don't see it as lying to the child, I see it as playing imagination with them. But as for commercials...I agree, they ruin it for the kids.
On My Mind 24/7 said…
Well I'm not sure exactly how old I was when I stopped believing in Santa, but I do know it was quite a bit older than other kids. Why? Because I knew the financial stresses of my family at a young age, and frankly, couldn't find any other explaination of how those beautiful gifts got under the tree. I knew my parents couldn't afford it-but I guess they found a way!
Liz Harrell said…
Yeah, I saw those. I always think that... "What do kids think when they watch these?" So sad that it might ruin it for someone.
nancy said…
Nope, I've never paid attention. But I bet that's something I'm going to start to have to do, eh?
Rumour Miller said…
I haven't seen those ads.... I would be peeved too!
BigP's Heather said…
In our family, Santa brought most of the gifts but my mom and dad always bought us something too...

You could explain that some families do things different. My friend always received pajamas from her parents on Christmas Eve and her gifts from Santa Christmas morning.

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