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AIBU?

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Original poster

Nearly 10yr old DS still believes in Santa

253 replies

Happyhappyveggie · 22/10/2017 17:28

DS is 10 in Jan and still totally believes in Father Christmas. I assume it might be the last one and he's still really sweet & innocent about it all.
But another parent said to me that it was ridiculous that he believes still and that her son had worked it out at age 7.
Aibu to be worried about it or just. E glad that he's still innocent and sweet!

OP posts:
yawning801 · 22/10/2017 17:30

It is quite sweet, but I think it might be time to tell him after this Christmas, just in case he says something at school and becomes a laughing stock. This happened to me aged about eight and it was embarrassing!

arethereanyleftatall · 22/10/2017 17:31

Be glad.
I would like my kids to stay as kids for as long as poss before society forces them out of it.
I'm finding dds (y4) class is now beginning to split in to those who still play and believe in magic and fairies etc, and those go don't want to do that any more. I'm glad dd is in the first group.

theliverpoolone · 22/10/2017 17:31

My 10 year old dd does too; I've been wondering if I should tell her, or let her have one more Christmas of believing.

Original poster
Happyhappyveggie · 22/10/2017 17:32

I can't imagine having that conversation with him though! I worked it out around the same age- he is quite naive though!

OP posts:
boredofmyoldname · 22/10/2017 17:34

My DS was 10.5 last Christmas and still believed, he's twigged this year though!

I told him the truth when he asked me but didn't bring it up with him first just incase.

Butterymuffin · 22/10/2017 17:34

Give them one more run at it. There's plenty of life left for them to be knowing and cynical.

Splandy · 22/10/2017 17:35

My son is 10 in December and only found out a month ago. He asked and I could tell he wanted me to confirm he was real but I didn’t want to lie to him so I told him and he was fine. If he’s not getting picked on I wouldn’t worry about it. Some people are horrible on threads like this, implying that these kids must be thick. My sister and I both still believed until year 5/6 and we weren’t the only ones! We were just very innocent children. (Plus it’s not that much of a stretch if you tell your children that god is real for them to believe in magical things. Nobody suggests that children in religious families are thick because they haven’t applied some logic to their Sunday school bible stories!)

fantasmasgoria1 · 22/10/2017 17:35

I knew at five because I found my letter to Santa in a cupboard! I sort of guess and asked my mum. My mum used to tell me the truth when I asked her things and she told me Santa was not real! Most kids know by 7 or 8 and if a secondary school child believed in Santa they would be laughed at.

florapearl · 22/10/2017 17:37

I'd tell him.

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 22/10/2017 17:38

I would be very concerned about his lack of critical thinking skills.

Failure to think makes people open to being taken for a ride easily later in life.

So, for that reason I would be helping him to think it through for himself. I wouldn't tell him directly. Question gently until he engages his brain properly and has that light bulb moment.

florapearl · 22/10/2017 17:41

Why wouldn't he believe? His parents, who he trusts, have told him.

phoenix1973 · 22/10/2017 17:41

My DD is 11....and is still thinking santa will come Shock
She is still at primary but i dont know whether to keep up the pretence for one last year or tell her now.
Ive told her that he usually stops at 10.......but i thought she was going to cry. And shes quite a tough cookie...

Unjudgemental · 22/10/2017 17:43

My son is one of the youngest in his year and I played Father Christmas down when he was 10 hoping he'd work it out. He didn't so I told him just before he started secondary school. Some of his friends also believed so he never questioned it but didn't seem disappointed when I told him.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 22/10/2017 17:43

critical thinking skills Hmm. Give me strength...

tempstamos · 22/10/2017 17:43

Do your children not talk to other children? Are you sure they are not just pretending they don’t know?

newtlover · 22/10/2017 17:43

really, he would have to be blind and deaf not to have caught on by now. He is humouring you.

Original poster
Happyhappyveggie · 22/10/2017 17:45

WTF, lack of critical thinking skills? He's 9 ffs.
He genuinely believes at the moment!

OP posts:
Purplefrogshoes · 22/10/2017 17:46

My brother still believed until eventually my parents told him in the summer hols before high school. He was really shocked. His critical thinking skills must be fine as he passed 7 Nat 5s at grade A and 4 highers at grade A (in scotland) 😉

Original poster
Happyhappyveggie · 22/10/2017 17:46

And actually, I think some of his mates still believe too

OP posts:
Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 22/10/2017 17:47

He may be humouring you, it's true. I told all of mine before they started secondary, and each of them confessed they'd actually known for years...

Jeffers3 · 22/10/2017 17:48

I pretended I still believed ages after I did because I thought it would upset my mum who always went to such a big effort and I loved the idea that Christmas was alive and magical even if we were pretending.

Chances are they know.

Butterymuffin · 22/10/2017 17:48

In a world where people voted for Donald Trump, I think there are bigger issues with adults' critical thinking skills than with a 9 yo who believes (as flora says) what his parents have told him. It indicates nothing at all about his ability to approach adult life.

arethereanyleftatall · 22/10/2017 17:49

I wonder if this is a regional thing/changes from school to school.
I know from talking to my mum friends that most of our 8 & 9 year olds still believe.
Rabbit, I'm embarrassed for you at that ridiculous attempt to Slate a strangers child.

VanGoghsLeftEar · 22/10/2017 17:50

My DD is 11 and in two minds. She'said looking for hard evidence he exists.

newtlover · 22/10/2017 17:51

you don't think kids should have critical thinking skills?
a child that age who believes in FC either
has very limited experience, or
has failed to apply their brain to the experience they have had
there are SO MANY inconsistencies in the FC story, and all familes get round those in different ways, so you only have to ask your best friend what FC does at their house and the whole thing comes tumbling down.
seriously, he is humouring you
those who seemed shocked are just good actors Grin