Dd just told me she doesn't believe in father christmas. I feel really sad.

[jmh740]

Randomly chatting watching x factor and 10year old dd said she doesn't believe in father christmas any more. I feel quite sad it's like the magic has gone, I've told her not to tell her 8 year old brother. Half of me thinks I should have tried to convince her he does I was just a bit shocked it came from nowhere.

Of course children up to the age of 10 still believe, it's by no means unusual despite the "my two year old worked it out" brigade.

My two are 18 & 16 and we love Christmas! We still do stockings and have wonderful times on Christmas Eve when they emerge from their bath/shower and FC has left a present of new pjs on their beds from September they do the whole thing if "I need/want this I'll put it on santas list" we have lots of fun with it all.

Christmas doesn't have to lose anything if you don't want it to.

Those who are saying children who believe must be of low intelligence.... You are disgusting.

My eldest (12) has just been told about Santa, ahead of starting secondary school. She is above average intelligence.
My youngest (9) still believes though is asking questions. I'd say she's on the higher end of average intelligence.

Why is it being accepted that posters are making insults of children? Go give yourselves a shake.

she is ten. get a grip. seriously. my younger one had worked it out at 3

At 3? At 3?? Yeah, of course they did

OP my children and I (and my sister!) pretend. We all refute any claims that he's not real...with gusto.

It amuses us and we like the sillyness of it all.

People trying to out-cunt each other about santa and 10 year olds!

Perfectly put, MadMags.

My 10 year old's IQ is also fine, thanking you muchly. What a nasty thing to say. People all have their own ways of doing things, and I think it's horrible for anyone to be so judgemental about a child's belief. And a 10 year old is still a child, despite the weird ideas floating about this site at times which indicate any child over the age of 8 should be suited, booted and off to conquer the world as fledgling adults already

My DD (10.4 years) still loves make-believe, playing with her dolls, dressing up, inventing games, talking away to herself in whatever fantasyland she's imagined up, and yes, she still gets excited about Father Christmas! There is nothing wrong with that. She's a child and I'm perfectly happy for her to remain a child as long as she wants. I let my DD lead herself and outgrow things naturally. I don't understand this forced need to cut childhood short at whatever age an adult deems it necessary, because, 'Oh, they're getting a bit old for it now, surely?' Why? Just let them be. They've got all the time in the world to play adult and figure out life can be super crappy.

If you do the Santa thing, great. If you don't, great. To each their own. If your kid figures out Santa isn't real at 4, fine. If they figure it out at 12, fine. Whatever the case, we're all different. But can we stop using those differences to bloody point score? As if you call into question a child's IQ/abilities/whatever because of a belief in Santa. Jesus wept. This site puggles me at times!

I say to mine if they say they don't believe then FC doesn't have to bring presents. So we all pretend together that we believe, and it's just as magical.

I know I pretended hard from about age 8yo-11yo, don't think I ever had the conversation with dm. She probably would have thought I believed at 10yo, I didn't really, but would have liked it to be true so continued making out it was.

I think there's a good chance that people who say their children believe at that age, the children don't really but never have discussed it.

I've never done any of the Father Christmas nonsense and still have a wonderful time with my dc's learning to be grateful for and appreciate every gift they receive.
Recent times have shown us that we have more than enough selfish, dim, delusional fantasists intent on destroying this country without adding my children to that rabble.

Start as you mean to go on!

Well there's an epidemic of your type too, unfortunately. We're none of us perfect.

There seems to be some posters here who feel that their child not believing in FC is evidence of their good parenting and that this early awareness means their children are advantaged somehow what with being so savvy and clued up and that they're somehow superior to their peers who DO still believe. What obnoxious little know it alls those non believing children must be...

It's ok that say that isn't it? Other side of the coin and all that

Of course it's nothing to do with IQ it's all about parents making up elaborate rituals which involve Santa.

Nothing wrong with that but we never bothered much so our kids never belived in Santa. He wasn't part of our ritual and that's fine too. We had a late evening walk to feed the wild animals in the woods so they had a good meal at Christmas. Bread and jam sandwiches. so foxes abs badgers.

It was just as magical.

Kids belive what parents tell them. And enjoy the myth long after they work it out for themselves.

obnoxious little no it alls

Lovely yes see you have the proper Christmas spirit

I see you didn't get the point I was trying to make.

DD has been exposed to santa by others because it's "the norm". We haven't attempted to keep her away from that it would be near impossible because even fucking strangers are obsessed with it. For us it's about us not pushing something made up as real. Ditto religion. Doesn't mean she can't choose to believe if she wants to, just means that the people she trusts most in the world don't want to push it on her.

I don't worry about her telling others that santa isn't real, because that's something we've never actually said.

Is it me or do most of the 'we don't do the FC nonsense' brigade seem very bitter and disgruntled? Almost as if they are jealous of the children that still believe, so much so that they have to insult them and question their intellect. Hmm Interesting.

I think they seem as though they feel superior to be honest.

Wow. What hideous responses.

Questioning a child's IQ because they still believe in santa. Plain nasty.

I believed until I was 12. Even then I only found out accidentally.

I have a degree and a good job. Anyone who wants to question my intellect can FOTTFSOF.

Aw, don't worry Christmas will STILL be magical! Just in a different way. Xmas was always wonderful for me as a kid without mr clause lol, the gift giving and baking and decorating and carols and plus she can continue the tradition with her younger brother.

No, I think they're just very, very smug. That they're winning at some self-imposed parenting competition.

Their children are soooooo logical and switched on. With such high intellects, of course.

Always high intellects Mags

MadMags
No, I think they're just very, very smug. That they're winning at some self-imposed parenting competition.

...but the same can be said about the posters who think it's so 'magical' that their DC still believe in Father Christmas when they are older.
It mystifies me that people are rude and unpleasant to either group. Personally I don't care either way and I certainly don't care enough to insult the other group.

I agree, although I'm referring to the cunty posters on here, and not people in general!

I'm worried my 13 year old still believes as I have said FC doesn't stop in countries that don't celebrate Christmas and why would NASA lie to everyone when they track FC online.

TheBigPickle'

Agree nasty posts on 'both sides'

Funny as those of us who don't push any agenda but just enjoy the time off with our kids and families probably enjoy Christmas far more.

And I threatened my dcs into never telling any child Santa wasn't real! They wouldn't dream of doing that anyway as we brought them up to be nice.

Now that is the Christmas message.

Personally Now the weather has changed I can't wait.

I haven't believed for 25 years. Christmas is still THE most magical time.