To ask when you found out the truth about Father Christmas?

[HildaZelda]

I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was 8 and it was a couple of weeks before Christmas when a little shit in the class went around asking everyone if we believed in Father Christmas?
We were all innocent 7 and 8 years olds (late 1980s) and we all said yes, of course we do. Clear as day I can remember 'Little Shit' looking at us all and laughing and saying "Haha, you're all stupid, there's no such thing as Father Christmas. Your parents bring the presents" We all just looked at him in disbelief.

He has three children of his own now, two are of school going age and I often wonder what his reaction would be if someone did that to his kids.

"Little Shit" grew up to be a big shit by the way, just in case anyone's wondering. We all grew up in a little town and LS brother (a year younger than us) moved to London at 18 and came out in his twenties. When he came out LS refused to talk to him.

Clearly once a dickhead, always a dickhead

My brother told me when I was about 6/7 just to be mean. He made me lie to our parents so he'd still get extra presents. He is still a dick.

What do you mean, the truth??

Truth about what?

A girl in my daughter's year one class told my just turned 6 year old dd today that father Christmas isn't real .

I gradually realised the truth. At around 8 I found receipts for things I soon found in my stocking, and I started to question why the same wrapping paper was used for all presents.

It was confirmed by my grandfather when I was around 9, who thought I was old enough to be told the truth.

But the truth is that parents buy presents and FC brings presents. So he was telling the truth as F.C. clearly wouldn’t bring presents to such a little shit.

I was year 6. I had to tell my daughter before she went to high school this summer, and my son is now in year 6 and still believes ❤️ Will tell him before he goes to high school too. I love how innocent they are. Of course they have asked questions because of other kids and I don’t tell a pack of lies, it’s because they want to believe in the magic that they still do ❤️

No traumatic story, I just gradually stopped believing. Not sure when, but definitely primary school. I kept pretending for the presents though!

Can’t remember - must have been gradual

I was in year 3. A girl called Vicki who made everyone call her Vixie asked me what What Father Christmas had bought me.

When I told her a cabbage patch doll she practically pissed herself with excitement as she squealed ‘he’s not real it’s off your mum and dad’

Cow.

I do have a few year 7s who believe though. Even a couple of year 9s although they have SEN.

I was 8 and strongly suspected but it was actually confirmed by a stupid comment by a teacher to the entire class She'd for some reason asked if people's parents had ever been really cross or something along those lines (bit odd in itself), a boy had said he'd told his brother that FC did not exist, teacher's on the spot reaction was along the lines of 'aww, who's been mean enough to give that away to their younger brother or sister?' or something equally confirmatory. Most of the class were staring intently at her to judge reaction (I was anyway) and some burst into tears

I suspect I may have unwittingly burst that bubble for my (just) 8yo DD last night. I forgot that when we watch The Hogfather together, our Xmas tv tradition, I usually fast-forward certain key scenes that talk about the ‘fairytale’ nature of Xmas belief. Oops!

I’m still hopeful it went over her head (as it did aged 4-6). Otherwise, she still believes, and has stand up arguments with the kids in her class that try and prove different. Mind you, I peddle hard to keep up her belief. Different wrap for Santa gifts (and instantly donate any leftover wrap), glittery reindeer footprints on the porch, Santa reply letter (with the practical purpose of hosing down gift hopes that won’t be fulfilled- ie puppy!).

Frankly I was hoping that with an only child, the Santa belief would have worn off naturally by now, and I could forgo all the sneaky craft. It’s exhausting!

I never believed in father christmas. I remember being 4 and waking up on christmas morning knowing my mother had left the gift on the end of my bed.
When you are from a poverty stricken, single parent family living in a hell hole with parents who could be violent you don't kid yourself that fairies, angels or kind benefactors exist, you just try and get through the day.

I'm not entirely convinced I ever believed entirely or was brought up to 'believe'. More that it is a nice story about a kindly old man who beings presents.

Also living in a 1970s new build house with no chimney is always going to make believing somewhat challenging.

My Mum had to tell me when I was 3, on Christmas Eve, because I was screaming hysterically and absolutely terrified of Father Christmas.

DS is very little, and DH and I are still ‘debating’ whether to tell him the truth from the off.

I was 7, I worked it out myself.

My D.C. were 5 yo and asked if Santa was real and were told the truth.

So will your kids not get stockings if they don’t believe anymore?? Surely they’ll still get a stocking! I am just going to say that Father Christmas brings presents for the kids who believe, and parents bring presents for those who don’t believe, so that those kids don’t feel left out.
In our house FC only brings stocking and 1 gift from the letter to Santa. So presents from family are unaffected by belief anyway.

By ‘your’ I just mean generally, people who are seeming relieved that they don’t have to go along with it anymore.

My taxi driver dad drinks a lot of coffee. So 6 year old me found a cup of cold black ‘keeps dad awake all night juice’ and drank it. Yum (Still like it black to this day). First ever coffee. So I stayed wrapped up pretending I was asleep until... dad came in to our room (me and sis shared), but the carrot, drank the milk and ate the mince pies. I knew then but kept quiet until my sister was 8. Then I told her during a row.

The milk makes sense as an adult since everyone was told Santa liked sherry. Dads teetotal. ‘Needed a break from sherry’ was the excuse given