to think that a child who believes in Santa beyond 6/7ish is either...

[santaslayer]

a bit naive or a bit dim?

I'm neither a troll nor 2bubs4me so no hunting.

I dont remember ever believing in Santa, and I remember quite a lot from my pre-school years. I knew the size of the Earth, the number of people and the impossibility of the logistics of 'Santa'. I also knew better than to beleive everything my parents said .

My DS is basically the same. I understand that 3yo's believe - it's cute, but I think it's a bit creepy when 8+yo's still do.

But I would never actually criticise a parent for having such deluded sheltered DCs.

there'll be a sack o cinders waiting under the tree for you OP

It's the same miseryguts isn't it, piglet?

dd4 aged 7.5 still believes in father christmas and also thinks she's a fecking warewolf!!! So Fecking What

my dd is almost 9 and i'm proud to say she still believes in father christmas and the tooth fairy. you can call her naive if you like op, she's most certainly not dim, but she's getting the best gift in the world myself & dh can give her. a childhood.

My son is naive, dim, deluded.. 6ft tall and 13 yrs old....
Yes he's 13. He absolutely hand on heart believes is Father Xmas with all his heart and soul. He tracks Santa on NORAD every year and is so full of excitement on Xmas eve that he shines with it.

He's also autistic, has learning difficulties.. so he definitely fit's your vile criteria...

But you know what? We don't care. His older brother and sisters have begged us NOT to spoil it for him, although several family members think we should ..
He's in special school, he isn't teased as most of the kids still believe, and most importantly, HIS belief gives him great happiness, and by default makes our family Xmas absolutely magical. His life is limited in so many ways by his disability but once a year he has something wonderful.. because he still believes.

So I have great pleasure in awarding the OP my very first (and and sod off..)

""Oh but I am a bit autistic", so it is OK to shit all over Christmas-wow, new lows OP"

I don't think that is how the OP meant it at all.

I think the autism thing is possibly a red herring, but I responded when someone brought it up because I thought it was interesting that the OP was asked it and I've been asked it too.

Like zanz1bar I just can't understand the barefaced lying and gargantuan efforts to head off perfectly reasonable doubts (in the name of "innocence" and "magic" - ) - which then leads to your child being upset when they find out! And very likely teased at school. (If they really haven't had a clue) It just seems so cruel.

My dd aged 7 is very certain that fc exists. She wonders how he does it, of course.

But each year, the presents mysteriously get there and, being the mini-scientist she is, she can't deny the overwhelming evidence for his existence. Nothing and noone she encounters gives her cause to doubt that fc puts them there.

I reckon one day soon she's going to work out exactly how he does it. Either she'll get a nobel prize for her time machine, or this magical part of childhood will be over.

It's not naive or dim, it's accepting something for which there is overwhelming evidential support.

Medusa - I hope you and your family have a lovely Christmassy Christmas. On Christmas morning we will all raise our 1/2 full sherry glasses from the grate and drink to the OP - silly cow sausage.

Fuck me , the op didn't sneak into all of your houses and spill the beans to your precious darlings did she???

My dd is nearly 10 and she still believes, she is quite dim however so maybe you're onto something.

She says she knows he's real as she once saw a real life elf peeking through the window at her. She swears this is true.

I do not agree that children are naive or dim to believe in Santa.

I do, however, believe that the OP is a twat.

Foster dd believes.

Even though she is 12.

She wants the magic. So would I if I were her.

She is not dim or naive. And she is nt.

oncemai.. thankyou :)...

My (now 19 yr old) who is definitely not dim (at uni studying medicine lol) believed until she was 10! On the totally logical premise that she knew we a) were broke b) had nowhere to hide pressies...

Needless to say she is adamant we don't spoil it for her brother....:)

I still sneak out at 2am and ring reindeer bells in the garden... I can't help myself..

No, scoutliam, she called a whole load of perfectly normal children creepy, among other things. Unsurprisingly that got some people's backs up.

I hope all those who dont let their dc experience the pure joy of magic and make believe, like father christmas nad the tooth fairy, also dont them watch or play with most characters from tv and film too.
I.E. bob the builders trucks cannot really talk, power rangers have no real powers, nobody could fly like spiderman, and the cat in the hat is pure nonsense!
Why does it matter so much to want their dc to grow up so fast, let them enjoy being children.
I dont think their are many adults who are angry with their parents for letting them believe

I would hope that, by definition most 8 year olds are "naive" - or else what is childhood for?

definition of the term naive

Sorry, I see my point was made some pages ago ...

as parents, we lie to our children all the time. We tell them that the injection wont hurt. We tell them their teeth will fall out if they eat too many sweets. we tell them granny has gone to heaven (even if we don't believe in the afterlife). We tell them if they don't eat their peas, they won't grow up to be big and strong. We lie to each other all the time too - those little white lies that ease social interaction ("Of course your bum doesn't look big in that dress!"

As a parent, I will lie to my children in order to make their lives richer and more fulfilled. Id rather they believed for a short while in a man who is selfless and generous, fun and magical and just a little bit intimidating than teach them too early about rampant consumerism.

(And when they don't get the laptop from Santa that I cannot afford, they get to blame the big fella in red, rather than me. )

And what is unusual about a child being naive?

have not read all 6 pages, but heres my bit...

DD has JUST found out, because she asked me and I would not lie to her, she took it absolutely fine. she did not feel liek she had been stupid or dim, or that we had lied to her

she is 10 and far from dim, having just passed the 11+ and grade 3 in 2 instruments, reading age and spelling age of 15+ - the thing is, despite all that, she is still a CHILD, and a child deserves some magic, they grow up all too soon, let them be children and enjoy the excitement and magic of christmas!

8's not old. It's still really, really young.
Should we to live without fantasy? Without fiction? Without stories, myths?
My 9 to believes in Santa, as do all of my children. It adds another dimension to the celebration of the birth of Christ (possibly another fictional character yet to be branded by Coca/cola)
I think the OP is offensive. My children are not naive, dim, or anything else.

I'm with OP

Are we judging and labelling children now as naive or dim? As if they won't have enough to worry about when they get older

Nice, really nice - well done OP.

Well then i am naive and dim too as i am 37 and i still believe in the magic of Santa!!!!!

what is more damaging to children and society? Labelling a trait in a child as them being dim or believing in a bit of magic?