There’s a lot of Judgeyness going on here.
It used to be the case that everyone accepted that other people live differently.
Now everyone who doesn’t do things the way we do it are lesser beings.
I do wonder whether social media is a factor.
Mine had the elf but it was just a bit of fun, not a Santa Spy Camera.
Small children love a bit of magic. It makes their lives fun and enhances their creativity.
There didn’t come a point in my DD’s lives where I had to sit them down and have a serious conversation about “X not being real”.
They grew up and worked out for themselves that Father Christmas, tooth fairy etc is just a bit of fun.
It wasn’t traumatic for them and they love playing along with younger relatives.
My experience with two DD’s is that if a child feels secure and loved (whatever the living arrangements) they grow naturally.
The only trauma I think I inflicted on mine was to ban black current juice as a miracle cure for bed wetting (it worked).
I guess they’ll let me know when they’re adults whether I did anything else that scarred them for life (I suspect dancing at parties might be a factor...)
Point is, let kids be kids. They’re not that age for long.
And as for the renting thing... I don’t think renting/buying is any longer an indicator of income, class or social status. I know people from relatively humble backgrounds who have bought because Granny left them a small inheritance that was enough for a deposit and others with well paid or academic jobs from posher backgrounds who are still renting because of factors such as not getting on with wealthy parents, high post-grad debt or costly commutes and are still saving for a deposit. Age is also a thing. If you had a modest income but no deposit between about 1998-2008 you were fine with a 100% mortgage, remember.
Peace and love to all at this time of year.
And remember, folks who are still getting riled about the Muslim family in the Tesco ads celebrating Christmas, Jesus was a prophet of Islam too and the nativity features in the Koran!