WIBU to not take my 10 year old to see Father Christmas?

[CambridgeBlue]

It came up in conversation tonight and I tactfully said I thought she was a bit old - I have no problem at all with her still believing (if she does) but I am worried about her getting teased if her friends found out she went to see FC. Am I being a bit harsh and ruining the Christmas magic or does she need to accept that she can believe what she wants at home/with family but it's best to be a bit more discrete now she's getting older?

[tooearlytobeup]

I made my 12 year old come with me last Christmas, he was mortified standing in the queue Can you borrow a younger child to take along so she has an excuse for going in if anyone comments? Seems a shame to stop her if she wants to go

[vodkaanddietirnbru]

I didnt get round to taking my 2 last year (age 5 and 8 at the time) - it didnt seem to be emotionally scarring for them

[Taffraid]

I told almost 9 yo DS I was thinking of taking his 6 yo DD whilst he was playing football and he was [hshock]

So we've rescheduled and he's coming too.

I say if she's happy to go, let her.

[anja1cam]

Ahem, I've never taken mine , except the default FC who comes to school, nursery etc. But that stops by about yr1 or 2 and always required long discussions WHY he was actually coming TWICE.... ("to see you / see if you've been good" => "But he knows all that anyway...." etc etc)
After we had the gas fire take out and the (naff) chimney breast closed up we then needed convoluted explanations of him landing on the extension roof and getting in through the skylights with "special keys" - at least I'm well trained in these tales for DD2 now!
So no need to muddy the waters further with yet another visit to yet another man with a fake white beard.

[anja1cam]

PS sorry did not reply to your Q at all! YANBU but I think if poss I would go by what she wants - she obviously sees it as a nice tradition, I suspect she's stopped really believing but still 'wants to' believe. Do you always go the same place, is there a cost / a (crap cheap or maybe worthwhile) present involved? Are those aimed as a younger age group?

[VoldemortsNipple]

My ten year old hasn't been for a few years now. If anything, the gifts are aimed at younger children anyway.

Can you suggest something else nice to do with her instead. Ice skating or a trip round the Christmas market with some nice food for lunch. Going to see the Christmas lights turned on in town would be nice too, especially if you live near a big city, they usually have somebody famous to turn the lights on.

[Floralnomad]

Is there something else you could do instead , we have a reindeer farm near us that does a big Christmas season ,or perhaps take her to one of the many outdoor ice rinks that spring up around Christmas . I agree that 10 is bit old for Father Christmas .

[LilQueenie]

why kill the christmas spirit before she is ready?Take her along.

[HocusPocusPigInACaldron]

I have just has this conversation with my dd who is 10.

She has just realised that FC is not real She has been telling school friends that she doesn't believe for the last year or two even though she did because she didn't want to be teased.

She has agreed that she will come to see him with dd2 (6) and i have made it clear that if she tells dd2 he is not real she will be in trouble!

If she wants to come let her.

[busymummy3]

Another mum who has never taken kids to Father Christmas other than visits at toddler groups / nursery/school up to Y1 just do not see the point as previous posters have said having to conjure up other explanations of why Santa is in the Shopping centre when he is meant to be in the North Pole checking The Good Book and reading letters - and supervising all the elves etc

[ProPerformer]

My parents used to admit to me that the store Santa's were fake!

"Santa can't be everywhere at once so he sends his most trusted elves out to the shops for the children, but every now and then the real Santa will be there but nobody knows when!"

On a funny note - I used to go to the Santa's grotto at our local church fete until I was about 16.... Just to guess who was 'playing' him! One year (when I was about 7 or 8) it was my grandad and I took great pleasure in telling the younger kids that 'my grandad is Santa claus' with my best mate to back me up that it was true! Lol

[ProPerformer]

In answer to OP's question - aww it's Christmas - if she wants to go let her! Lol (some teenagers from the high school I work at go to the local shopping centre one - apparently when you reach 15 it starts being 'cool' again! )