Teacher telling 7yo that Father Christmas not real

Nope.

I am horrified by this! Especially as santa is actually originally St Nick! Our church talks about how Santa's story started and the meaning of giving to others, being kind etc, he just doesn't mention flying reindeer lol. Children need a bit of magic! I would be absolutely livid!

Harmonypus

So you purposely set out to prove Santa wasn’t teal to upset and believer? A young child at that! Just wow.

And you think that’s clever and socially acceptable?

Personally, I don't see the problem.

I never lied to my children, so even from about the age of 3 they knew there was no such thing as santa, easter bunny, tooth fairy, etc.

At almost 7, my eldest was argued with by another child at school about santa, then came home and said that so-and-so had argued that he did exist, so that weekend i took them into the city centre and visited 3 separate 'santas' in different department stores, pointing out the long queues we'd stood in and all the people still waiting as we left to go to another store, so he couldn't just leave the store to go to another one just because we were going there, because he had to stay to see everyone else in the queue, and ooh look, this one has a longer/shorter beard and blue eyes when the last one had green eyes, etc.

My child went back to school on the Monday and told the child who'd argued the point that they were wrong, explained our weekend visits and said 'my mum doesn't tell me lies, but yours tells you lies'.

Our class teacher overheard the conversation between the children and praised me for not lying to my child and proving the truth, saying that she hated having to perpetuate the lies the majority of parents insisted on telling their kids!

Afaik it's an RE teacher. So the question about JC is therefore relevant.

Not sure that is proof. Everyone knows that FC has help from parents on the night, since he has to visit billions of homes. It does prove your house had thinnish walls, though.😀

Don't then. Santa leaves our stuff in the living room. Beside the chimney he comes down. Which makes sense.

Yes, many do. 7 is very young!

Actually, it doesn't. The burden of proof lies with whoever is making the assertion. It is, btw, very hard to prove a negative.

If you assert to me that FC doesn't exist I will want you to show me the basis of your belief he doesn't exist.
Belief that FC does not exist is not proof of non-existence. You cannot know that FC doesn't exist any more than you can know that he does exist.
And belief is not subject to proof. That's why it is different from knowledge. Nice try.

You are definitely not unreasonable, OP.

That's harsh AF. My 11 (12 in a few days) year old eldest daughter asked me frankly this year so I told her we are all Santa, and in that way he's real. She's now part of the special, very grown up group that keeps this magic going. She's happy to be involved in the grown up part now for her little siblings.

I think I knew it was bollocks from around 9,but I Wanted to be left to believe until I was too old, maybe 10,then you just figure it out and on we go.

To take that magic from a 7 year old is fucked and she should be slapped on the wrist for it.
She didn't break their heart or mind, but she did overstep the mark. You are absolutely right to be upset. Let someone at the school know. It's not acceptable.

My youngest is severe SEN, if someone told her at 7 that Santa wasn't real then she'd never get to experience the magic and fun as she's going to be 6 next year and still can't comprehend it all fully. She has a full time 1-1 TA and EHCP but that doesn't change the age bracket.

Stick to your guns and get her called to account. It won't help your little sweetie but you're doing a good thing by making sure other 6 and 7 year old aren't disillusioned too soon.

Personally I'd go as far to go over her head and tell the head or whoever that you refuse to back her Scrooging up and have told the child(ren) that she isn't right and maybe was too naughty to get a visit from Father Christmas so that's why she doesn't believe. If you don't believe you lose the magic and therefore the Santa visot/presents? Fuck her, it's a few short years and it's not hers to take, the old snatch. Sorry but this kind of thing makes me furious. I worked in education for years and if you'll do that to kiddies you're a cunt. End of.

Just my opinion.

There seems to be a misunderstanding that all RE teachers are Christians or believe in a God. RE teachers may have a religious belief of their own but they teach the facts of all religions and shouldn’t be sharing personal opinions on what isn’t real. Old days catholic RE teachers would be the exception but even now in a catholic school they teach the range of religions.

Nope
I'm dead serious

I would add that it’s a bit rich for an RE teacher to tell children that a character they believe in isn’t real, as essentially telling children to believe in stories is literally their job!

In a secular school that's not what an RE teacher does. They are supposed to be teaching about all religions, most secular schools will have children of different faith and no faith backgrounds. RE teachers aren't there to tell kids what to believe.

If your kids go to a religious school, there is likely to be more emphasis on that religion for sure. But not usually in a secular state school.

That's what we thought, I must admit

Do you not think that it turns from a 'magical traditional story' into a bare-faced lie once they're naturally questioning it, and asking you to tell them the truth, and you insist to them that it IS true?

We were never a Santa household, as it happens; but I'd have felt very uncomfortable indeed trying to persist and disabuse them of their developing sense of reasoning, once they're clearly at the point of naturally figuring things out and looking to you to come clean and confirm it to them.

Oh I did this when I was 8. I told my Mum that my teacher said that FC wasn't real and asked her if it was true. She told me the truth but was furious at the teacher. Starting kicking off to everyone the next day. I decided to confess when I heard her talking to my dad that she was complaining to the post office lady who agreed with her. I was just too scared to ask my Mum if FC was real myself... She was then furious with me!

I think maybe you need to confirm the facts that the RE teacher did it first. I was such a good kid she never thought I'd make up that kind of story either.

I'm assuming you're joking @umar123?

Well, yes😂
A bit too old at that stage

Yes. you get your arrogant and self righteous atheists, for sure. But in the same way you get your self righteous religious people, who believe in their “truth” who look at atheists as stupid and “disrespectful” just because they dare to question said religion - as it should be, given the very large claims, made by self appointed holy men. No one knows this “truth” of anything. It’s all subjective. Religion, and the self appointed representatives of said religion, pontificating on on what is right or wrong, demanding unconditional respect and reverence - this, this is positively medieval and backward and actually has no place in a seemingly progressive and democratic society. And I say this as someone who’s back ground, and heritage, and therefore culture has been shaped, to a lesser or greater extent, and informed by religious clerical influence.

Oh dear, there is some, no……lots of strange people out there that derive pleasure from destroying a child's belief, which if left a lone the child will get there themselves in knowing what is real or not. I think some people derive delight from destroying peoples and children’s belief’s, this is so very sad. I am CRB checked have taught Karate for many, many years and now attend the beavers meeting before Christmas dressed as Santa and hand presents out to 6 & 7 year olds. The delight on those children's faces is heart warming and they are so polite. There is a history about Santa that goes back hundreds of years, like most stories it gets exaggerated, but the goodwill in such still lives on.

I had a special needs sister that was eventually in a home due to her debilitating health, I would visit her throughout the year, but on every Christmas Eve I went as Santa (she did not know it was me) and she and the other people that were resident's there loved seeing Santa, until you see the look in their faces and how they too lit up, it was a truly wonderful sight, would this teacher go and tell these people Santa was not real as well!

For me if I can help bring a little happiness into anyone’s life, then is that so wrong, should I stop because some people get delight from raining onto a child’s belief!

I ask this one question for this teacher, which is best bringing pleasure or not? But if its so bad, then how come the parents of the child whom this teacher said Santa was not real, surly it was the child's parents choice to bring Santa into their child’s life, it is not for a teacher to take such away.

For me I will continue with Santa as long as I am asked to do such, my suit is professionally made, I use a theatrical beard that is glued on just like on the movies, trust me the kids do tug it to see if its a real beared, to me every time this is done, the look on that child's face, makes the people who destroy a child’s belief seem very sad indeed, to this teacher, I wish them a happy and peaceful Christmas, as a religious teacher, I say may God go with them……..

I think a lot of kids twig but most parents will talk them around. My eldest did at 5 and has said it again now he is 6. I have talked him around again 😂 my 5 year old believes without question. I don’t think I would tell them for certain for a few more years, but that is more for my pleasure I guess.

seriously 😂 I suppose they shouldn’t be playing with toys either 😂

I take it you don’t have kids 😂 I would say most 7 year olds do still believe in Santa although might be beginning to suss something isn’t right.

How mean - what a miserable ratbag!