My 6 year old asked today if it was the parents that put the presents under the tree because two people in his class had said so. I was trying to tread carefully, and thought he was asking if Father Christmas wasnt real.
I actually said the words 'not real' and he looked shocked and blank and told me he didnt understand what I was saying.
Turns out, he still believed in F.C, just that it was the parents that put the presents down because surely F.C doesnt have a sack big enough.
I know he is going to find out this or next year that the whole thing is a big fat lie and I dont like it. Its seemed worth it at the start but seeing his big wide worried eyes when I dared suggest that FC wasnt real made me feel pretty bad for him.
Im considering not going along with all the santa lies with my 2 year old, because he can just enjoy Christmas for what it is and have no nasty surprises on the way.
Is anyone here just honest with their kids from the start?
AIBU?
To be honest with my 2 year old from the beginning that Father Christmas/Santa isnt real
OHforDUCKSchristmascake · 08/12/2013 20:25
Look, if I didn't say it someone would have exposed the truth...
It's ok though...the tooth fairy's still real 
IME Kids can deal with finding out the truth eventually and I don't think anyone is ever traumatised by the revelation.
Not commented on thread yet, but I was absolutely GUTTED when I asked my mum outright if Santa was real because some girl cowbag from school had told me he wasn't real.
So I naturally went home and asked my parents. To be told "no he's not real."
Could have cried? Make that DID Cry and run off in floods of tears to my bedroom. 
Now I'm an adult and CANNOT do that to mine, they'll learn in their own time and come to their own conclusion! 
'It's ok though...the tooth fairy's still real'
Thank God for that! 
I have never subscribed to FC. I grew up knowing it was mythology and not real - my mum just didn't get it as she wasn't raised with it either so it just didn't occur to her to peddle the myth. As a result I have never really understood why people peddle the myth - but each to their own! I am sure a lot of you would accuse me of peddling a myth due to my Christian beliefs and the fact that we give presents to each other to honour Jesus's birthday ! and that is your right. But I won't destroy a child's belief in FC either.
I think it's a nice thing for children to believe and certainly wasn't traumatised by rumbling it wasn't true. I think all but the least understanding of children will understand why adults do it once they find out it's not real.
Fair play to my mum and dad though who had to come up with some stuff on the hop a few times. I remember being about 5 or 6 and asking why all my presents from Father Christmas ha tags written in my mums handwriting. Quick as a flash she said "he's a busy man, Dizzy, he hasn't got time to write all the tags. He sends them to me ahead of time and I write them for him"
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