To sell Santa as a story

[Iwontdosanta]

That is to say, make it clear it isn't 'real' but to still have fun with it.

YABU why can't Santa be real for the few years that kids believe?

Because he isn't, is he? Seems a bit daft to tell them an out and out untruth.

Makes the most sense to me.

You all still get to play the game and have fun.

Have you forgotten how exciting and magical Christmas was when you were a child and still believed? Why would you deprive your children of that? I don't think anyone has ever been annoyed at being lied to about Santa.

Perfectly reasonable. Did tis with my children who hated the idea of a strange man coming down the chimney. We did the "not real but embodies the spirit of Christmas" from the start and no-one is traumatised in the slightest.

I don't think anyone will ever be annoyed at knowing the truth either though, will they?

You get these threads every year - vast majority of children believe for a few years, have great fun, it’s magical, no one is scarred. Sell it as story if you wish - it seems a real shame for your child but obviously it’s up to you. Just ensure you tell your child not to tell others.

They only believe such a short time. I don’t really understand why some people want to kill it as a lie/story etc.
If you feel that’s right, you go for it. It’ll cause some trickiness at school though when they tell their friends.
I suspect this will be the last year Ds will believe. Him believing has created some really adorable moments. I don’t really understand why you’d want to miss that tbh.

It's not a shame for the child. It's fine for the child.

I don't remember ever thinking Father Christmas was real real. I don't feel sad that I "missed out" on believing.

The presents were the exciting bit Blaaa

Selling it as a story is the best way. Saves disappointment when they don't get that pony. I don't remember ever really believing it. It was just a fun game to me.

It's a LOT more reasonable than insisting he's real OP! We tell our child it is a story, and ask what she thinks. She's 5, and of course, she still loves it. I don't think she's missing anything at all. So many (real) things in life are 'magical'.
When I was a kid and realised santa wasn't real, I found it unnerving that my mum kept up the pretence

trills I would be. I remember vividly the excitement of Christmas as a child - my parents went to great lengths to keep us believing and I'm thankful for those memories.

And anyway ....how else are you supposed to get your toddler to behave in December without the threat of father Christmas putting them on the naughty list??? 😉😉

What if your kids tell other kids and ruin it for them?

The anticipation was exciting too iwont

i doubt other kids would believe the random word of a little kid in the playground over parents and grandparents and other kids alexa fear not

for you blaaa

we are all different

I am not comfortable with telling them something that is not true.

I don’t think Santa as a story makes any sense really. How would it work?

What exactly would be ruined if one child tells another that Santa doesn't exist? We should encourage kids to think about situations for themselves and make their own minds up....

I don’t think Santa as a story makes any sense really. How would it work?

You basically don’t tell your kid that it’s real or do anything that is meant to imply it’s real.

Quite simple really. We’re 8 xmases in and counting and no sign of psychological harm in DD yet.

Oh vividly remember the utterly pure magic I felt inside when he and my sister used to creep halt way down the stairs in the morning to peer through the bannister and found presents there that hadn't been there before. Just how had they got there. Father Christmas must have been! The sheer joy of it.

Of course a few year later I didn't believe. I don't remember the exact year. However it left me with totally magical memories. The feeling that magic is real kind of stayed with me.

YANBU to tell your dcs anything you want, but I'd never deprive those few years for my kids. And they're teens now.

The belief is all for the parents, not the kids.

That's what we do. We were never comfortable with lying to our children. We play the Santa game and tell them not to spoil it for others.

I never believed, and neither did DH.

Oh vividly remember the utterly pure magic I felt inside when he and my sister used to creep halt way down the stairs in the morning to peer through the bannister and found presents there that hadn't been there before.

That happens in our house.

Just how had they got there.

DD has come up with all sorts of imaginative reasoning for them and even designed scientific experiments to see if she can work it out.

Father Christmas must have been!

DD is free to come to that conclusion if she wants to, but it’s not the explanation she would be fed by us.

The sheer joy of it.

It’s no less joyful without all the goading, believe me.

It just seems unnecessarily mean. Just make sure they know not to ruin it for other kids. That would be unfair.