Aibu - secondary and Santa

[obviouslymarvellous]

So yesterday my ds (year 7) told me that his RE teacher had told them that Santa was made up and nonsense. Now I'm not being a snowflake or anything and we had already told him that Santa only comes to younger children and he himself would be being Santa this year for his younger sisters, so I'm a little bit peeved that a teacher has spoiled it all. Ds said a few girls were crying in the class. I just don't think it's a teachers responsibility to tell children about Santa it's a parental job but maybe AIBU?

I doubt the teacher thought it would be a revelation to Year 7's, he'll have got a shock if people started crying!

Maybe it's not the RE teacher's place to tell them about santa but really the parents should have done it themselves before reaching Secondary school age.

I doubt it even crossed the teacher's mind that some pupils would cry over this. It was probably a throw away comment, after all they're all at least 11 years old.

I was thinking the same as Leekmuncher did you actually mean to write aged 7 and not year 7. Cause if it’s year 7 you really can’t be serious l

Parents should be ashamed of letting kids still believe at that age. What a way to attract bullies.

Most DCs work it out around the age of 7. My 2 did.

11 and 12 year old girls were crying? Did they genuinely believe?

Wow

Girls were crying?

12 is too old to still be believing in Santa Claus. At that age they are able to enjoy the magic of Santa without as a fun and magical game, not as something real.

Well, tbf the OP does say secondary in the thread title so she’s clearly not talking about aged 7.

• sorry I meant to enjoy the magic of Santa without believing, but as a fun and magical game

I am more concerned that an RE teacher said Santa is nonsense when he/she should know the story of St. Nikolaus and how Santa evolved.

But I agree, I would assume as a teacher that the children know that the parents are playing Santa. We told DD in Y6 and she definitely had doubt in Y5 already,

I doubt the teacher thought it would be a revelation to Year 7's

I agree. They'll be the youngest he teaches too. He probably was using it as an example of something, rather than just being spiteful!

Fair point puppymonkey in that case OP YABU . Maybe break the news of the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny too while your at it 😂

YABVU. I’m all for the magic of Christmas but no child should go to Secondary still believing in Santa. Ridiculous.

if any year 7 child still believes in Santa I would think their parents were slightly odd tbh. I don’t understand how people think it’s ok to send kids to secondary school believing in santa and carrying smiggle backpacks . It doesn’t do them any favours. And if they burst into tears at this news it shows how ill prepared they are for senior school. In the same way as we need to prepare our kids for reception - put their own coats on, use a knife and fork, go to the toilet, kids need to be prepared for a more mature environment once again. Or we’d be failing them.

No problem with that. Santa doesn't exist.

Crying? Kids should know about the FC myth at that age. The parents should have told them months ago (if they genuinely still believed).

Parents should be ashamed of letting kids still believe at that age. What a way to attract bullies

No bullies bully other children because they are horrid people. Please don’t blame decent parents for the actions of horrid people.

I had to explain to a Y10 once that the tooth fairy wasn’t real. They knew about Santa but hadn’t really thought beyond that.

As a secondary teacher I’d definitely assume the kids had been told by now. By friends if not parents!

OP must mean age 7 surely?

11/12 year olds crying when told there is no Santa? Is this a joke?

I teach secondary and just cannot believe that there were multiple children in a class of year 7s who still believed in Father Christmas. I know kids of that age who knowingly suspend their disbelief to join in the fun with younger siblings or to keep the magic alive for their parents but not ones who genuinely still believe. It wouldn’t enter my head that a class of year 7s would find Santa not being real surprising.

is he pulling your leg OP? Do you do all presents from Santa and he is worried he will miss out ? Cause I’m sorry but no no no way does a year 7 believe .

This is pre-teen hyperbole, surely?

More likely the RE teacher used it as a throwaway comment, either to illustrate a point or shut down backchat or whatever. Don’t imagine for one moment it crossed their mind to ‘keep the magic alive’ for 11 year olds!

It does happen , my son is in year 8 he said some kids still believed last year ,he kept asking from about year 3 and we kept with the what do.you think?I stopped believing completely by yr 5 ,I do think.it's unfair that kids go.to high school believing .

He stopped *

I also think that with so many different religions and non believers who don’t celebrate Christmas in our schools I’d be a bit shocked if this hasn’t arisen before now.