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Original poster

Not to worry that my son no longer believes...

96 replies

Reallytired · 23/12/2007 23:13

My son no longer believes in Father Christmas. His logic is.

His best friend who is a Hindu does not get presents from Father Christmas. According to my son his friend is extremely well behaved at school.

When Father Christmas visited the school he suspiciously looked like the caretaker. When Father Christmas visited Church he looked like the Church Warden.

The other day he said to me "I think Father Christmas is the mummies pretending." I told him to keeep the mummies secret. My sister in law thinks that I should have told him that father christmas is real as my son is five years old.

OP posts:
PeachyHasAFiggyPudInTheOven · 23/12/2007 23:16

DS1 (8) has cottoned on and I can't be arsed to argue with him- he's seen all the rpesents wrapped anyhow LOL. DS2 (almost 7) is working it out but they'renot abbaies ()

DS3 has had it drilled into him to reply fachr to the wustion 'who brings your presents?', but its ahrd to know how much he understands. He's 4.5 but ASD (ds1 is HFA), we were saying earlier that if he does understand then he will beleive for ever as he is so concrete.

But no, YANBU. What's wrong with Mummy loving you so much she makes the effort? FC is nice, but only for a time.

Ledodgy · 23/12/2007 23:17

It's up to you really. I want mine to believe as long as possible mind you it's bloody complicated all this fibbing. We were shopping the otherday and dd asked why she gets presents from Father Christmas and other family members but 'you and daddy aren't getting me anything'. Cue me thinking F*ck this and explaining that father Christmas gave her the presents in her stocking but that we give him the money for her main present. A lady next to us in the shop was grinning.

macdoodle · 23/12/2007 23:21

Mine doesn't she's 6 and very bright - am not willing to bare faced lie to her direct questions...she sussed the tooth fairy as well

pinkteddy · 23/12/2007 23:48

Don't think my dd will for much longer. Last year she said 'oh father xmas uses same wrapping paper as us!' She was 3!

nametaken · 23/12/2007 23:59

Ledodgy I've always told mine that although Santa brings the presents, the parents have to pay the bill which is one of the reasons why some children get more than others.

I don't think there's anything wrong in children knowing that xmas presents have to be paid for!!!

anniebear · 24/12/2007 07:09

mine is a bit unsure about it this year, she is 6

cant do much about it when they start asking load sof questions

foofi · 24/12/2007 07:12

My 8yo definitely believes, the 11yo might also too - she's never said!

Squirtle · 24/12/2007 07:20

My ds1 worked it out at 5. He logic was: Granny says the tooth fairy isn't real. If fairies are not real elves aren't. So if FC's helpers are not real then FC can't be real. The next year he said "oh, so that is why we always get such practical presents from FC in our stocking". He is 9 now and still under strict instruction not to tell his brothers.
My 7 year old thinks it is possible FC is not real but that some other bunch of random people bring your presents.
My 1 year old has no idea about anything.

oxocube · 24/12/2007 07:23

dc3 (6) does still believe but thinks FC can make him a PSP for Christmas (no chance). dd (10) obviously doesn't but isn't letting on which is rather cute. ds1 (12) helps to wrap and put out the presents now which I find a great help.

Santaquated · 24/12/2007 07:24

not the best thread title for christmas eve

nowbringussomeJammypudding · 24/12/2007 07:27

Well they have to work it out at some point. DD at 6 months is a long way off all of that, but when my niece and nephew said they knew FC wasn't real we said no, but that it's lovely for young children to believe in him, and that on Christmas Eve almost everybody believed in him. They asked my Mum if she did, and she said at Christmas she did, she didn't dare not to, just in case! They accepted this and thought it was lovely that even Granny believed in FC at Christmas.

BrieVinDeAlkaSeltzer · 24/12/2007 07:33

Well they have to work it out at some point.

Yes they do, but not with the help of brain donors on MN.

Have reported this thread.

bran · 24/12/2007 07:43

Perhaps we should refer to Santa Claus as HWMNBN (he who must not be named) in thread titles.

TBH I think it's really the adults who get a kick out of it and not the kids. We told ds last year (when he was 2.6) that it was just a fairy tale and he was fine with that. He still enjoys Christmas and opening his stocking as much as any other child. It's not an issue this year as we are with the in-laws in Malaysia and they don't have Santa Claus except in the shopping malls.

nowbringussomeJammypudding · 24/12/2007 07:45

Oh, I'm sorry, is MN a popular place for children to hang out? I'm sorry I thought it was for adults (or at least those old enough to know what's what)

Santaquated · 24/12/2007 07:47

good readers are very good 'back-seat-readers' from a distance of 25m!

hopefully MN will change the title soon, 2 of us have contactde them

nowbringussomeJammypudding · 24/12/2007 07:49

{{{Grrrrrrrrrrrr}}}

BrieVinDeAlkaSeltzer · 24/12/2007 07:53

New are you Jammy ??

Just wait until your 6 month old is 6 and you want them to keep believing.

Give me strength.

Santaquated · 24/12/2007 07:53

jammy -why are you growling?????

yogimum · 24/12/2007 07:56

I think I found out from my older brothers or someone from school. Not sure how old I was. I can fully understand those who want their children to believe as long as possible.

bran · 24/12/2007 07:56

Will you all slap me if I say that IMHO if a child is old enough to read a thread title then he/she is old enough to have worked out that Santa Claus doesn't exist. If your childen tell you they still believe then it's either to humour you or because they think they get more presents that way.

I know this is true because I knew Santa Claus wasn't real at 3 yrs but was sworn to silence by my Mum because my db still believed. Until he was 22!

snowfunwhenyoureknackered · 24/12/2007 07:58

ds1 wants us to tell him the truth
(9)

should I??

nowbringussomeJammypudding · 24/12/2007 08:01

I just have a problem that on a site that is for parents messages like this are objected to like this. Yes good readers might read over the shoulder, but if you object then you could always turn off and let those who are interested in discussing this get on with it? I realise I'm probably hitting my head against a brick wall here and am not going to get into an argument, just wanted to say that.

(Am I new? Well, I've been using MN for a year now give or take.)

yogimum · 24/12/2007 08:04

Maybe there should be a list of taboo subjects.

Santaquated · 24/12/2007 08:06

the topic isn't our problem...the thread title is what we have trouble with!

yogimum · 24/12/2007 08:15

Hopefully the title can be changed then.