To be furious at relative telling my child about Santa I

[sunnyblossom1]

Relative was taking to my son when I wasn’t there. He is 11 but still has that little belief that Santa is real and discussed with me the other day how magic Christmas and Santa is. He is a very young 11. This relative had a conversation with him when I wasn’t there and basically told him point blank that Santa is not real. She has two kids of her own that don’t believe. I am so angry right now. Why can people just not let kids be kids and let them have that little glimmer of hope.

Oops, that should be 346, obviously!

@Babdoc, transferring this child’s belief from one imaginary being to another is really not going to help him.

I wouldn't tell someone else's DC

But I do think 11 is incredibly late to have still not cottoned on.

Do remember that an awful lot of those older 'believers' will be DC stringing along their parents in the hope of better loot (or fear of less if the Words Are Ever Spoken)

Quite unbelievably, I was told Father Christmas wasn’t real by a substitute teacher at school when I was 7. My parents were furious and I was devastated but the lovely headmaster at my primary school fixed it for me and a lot of my friends from the same class at the time by taking the time to come and explain to us that some people don’t believe in god but some do and it’s the same with Father Christmas, some People believe and some don’t.
I agree with you OP, children should be allowed to enjoy the naivety of childhood for as long as possible.

It doesn't matter what age he is or what school he goes to. It's not someone else's job to tell a child this.

There's just no need to do so. No need whatsoever.

And I know on Mn there's always the competitive 'my child is so bright s/he worked it out aged 6 months and it's not made a difference' crowd but so what if a different child wants to believe in a bit of magic. Is it really hurting you?!

That is really awful and she shouldn’t have done it. My friend was 13 when she found out and would have happily beloved older as well. Now an excited mum of 3!

It is stupid thing to say to any child just before Christmas. We had a similar issue on our family and the lady in question still hasn’t been forgive ( the child in question was five).

Yes he probably doesn’t really believe, snug wants a little bit of the magic so plays along.

Some very hard comments on here. Let kids be kids. I don’t believe in god yet I would never tell my Christian friends children that he doesn’t exist.

s “so you’ve been lying to me my entire life about Santa....what else is a lie mum?”

Had anyone REALLY had this though?!

Do we truly know any adult, brought up in a normal living home, who has trust issues over their parents allowing them to believe in FC?

I can honestly say I have never met anyone in RL who has been upset by the whole FC thing ever. Infact almost everyone I know has gone on to have FC visit their own children, all done with love.

😂😂😂 totally agree. I doubt anyone has ever required years of counselling to get over the cruel betrayal of Santa or the tooth fairy.

I would say most kids believe at 5, half believe at 7 a few at 8-9, I think nearly all kids have figured out that Santa is not real by the age of 10

I would understand the disappointment that someone had told a child under 7, at 7-9 I would think that's par for the course kids talk to each other they would be doubts already in their minds after 10 I would be really surprised they had not worked it out

I don't think at any age it is something to get furious about a bit annoyed perhaps but fury is OTT

OMG yanbu I would loose my shit at this person.

Nonetheless the glimmer of magic can continue.

My youngest is 13 and this is the first year that we have openly talked about stockings etc, because for a few years after they learned the truth each of them asked us to continue the magic.

I'm 70, what does she mean Father Christmas isn't real? We all need that little bit of magic in our lives, and in our family I remember my children coming into our room with their stockings to show me what they'd got, right up to the time when they left home. In fact, my eldest daughter told me that she was like your son, she was 14, and couldn't quite believe there was no Father Christmas because she knew we were hard up, yet they got lots of presents. (Sales all through the year was the answer!)
I'd be extremely angry with that relative. I was asked by children several times (relatives) I always said Father Christmas only comes to those who believe in him.

@Aragog similar from my son- "He was shocked it wasn't real. In his very analytical mind, the magic of Santa was more believable than 'all the adults in the world conspiring to lie to children'."

It was the summer before secondary school. It did him no harm, but he was very taken aback! And we'd always handled it carefully- 'well what do you think?' Certainly Not told him 'of course he's real'.

I also think it's mean to say Santa only comes to those who believe. That's a lot of pressure for a youngster.

Having spoken to him today about it. He said he has known for a couple of years that we were Santa but that he really enjoys the whole magic of it and really wants to continue it for his younger siblings. He said that it’s all about the magic. Apparently he has never said he doesn’t believe because he knew how happy it makes us all. Kids are great aren’t they. Merry Christmas to you all.

Feigninghorror, Jesus is not imaginary. And despite your rather rudely expressed lack of belief in God, I’m sure God believes in you. And loved you enough to die for you. Happy Christmas!

Bravo Babdoc 🤸‍♂️💕

I really don’t think it’s possible to be rude towards an imaginary figure.

Well Barbados, I'm sure Santa believes in you too.

Autocorrect failure: sorry. Babadoc, Santa believes you too. And Barbados. I'm sure he believes in Barbados.

I hadn't seen your post but posted the same. She is a cunt. My relative has ruined Christmas for my kid.

Was it just FC this relative talked to your ds about, or did she have the same cynical rain-on-everyone's-parade approach to Jesus and the Nativity as well?