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

[Reallytired]

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.

[jINGLESbells]

ds1, 8, I'm pretty sure knows, because he keeps giving me winks (!) when fc is mentioned. I think he's too scared to say it out right just in case....ds2 6 totally believes and last night presented me with a xmas list, to put in the fire for fc, before he leaves today. Unfortunately it's a completely different list to the one I've been shopping for! Spiderman?..er nope! Optimus Prime...er nope! I told him the order hotline was closed, but he said FC would sort it out for him!!!!! Was very tempted to tell them, but dh wouldn't let me.

[edam]

Jammy, you must have missed a few discussions about being careful with thread titles because sometimes children are reading... and because some people are arachnophobes (sp? can't be bothered to check). General consensus was to use the word 'loofah' instead. And ooh, loads of others I forget. The 'please don't out FC in thread titles' plea goes up every year!

[nowbringussomeJammypudding]

I knew about loofahs, and I can imagine the FC issue is an annual concern

[VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV]

Shouldnt this be in philosophy/religion?

[mysonsmummy]

i was gutted when coupe of kids told ds 6 that it wasnt real. i want him to believe it as long as possible. i just told him they wont get any pressies as they are silly!lol

[nooka]

Hello! Father Christmas does not exist. I know that some people think that it's a nice story, but I can't believe that this is taken so far that apparently the need to protect their children from the fact they are lieing to them is taken to such extremes. Simple solution - don't tell them fibs to start with! Surely children old enough to read have picked up that not everyone belives in Father Christmas (like most people!) and have therefore decided to go along with their parent's insistence on fat bloke coming down their non-existant chimney? I don't care what other people wish to tell their children, but really don't see that this thread's title needs reporting like it is some bad thing to even suggest that someone's son out there is no longer a believer!

[edam]

ds is four and can read some words... I don't think a 4yo who believes should have their magic spoilt by a thoughtless adult who has never even met them.

Myths and legend are a crucial part of human culture. It's not lying, it's just a little magic. I think it's really lovely that parents go to all these lengths to make Christmas extra-special, denying ourselves all the credit!

One could argue that people who bitch about children believing in Christmas are joyless puritans...

[glaskham]

and what about the titles that have p*sed off? st t*t....it isn't always blanked out either!! so you let your child who can read some words get close enouth to read the tiny writing and are complaining about a title that in effect says nothing.....just that the OP's son no longer believes. doesn't say santa isn't real....too much fuss over nothing!!

seriously, xmas eve and your dc have nothing better to do than to sit and read MN borads with you?

[twentypence]

Ds is nearly 5 and I'm pretty sure that he has worked it out. Think about it - in yon olden days (1973) you only saw Santa if you queued up at Lewis's. It was reasonable to assume there was only one of him. Today we saw 5 Santas and we only went out for a little over an hour. Two different veggie shops had a Santa. Ds knows people can't be in two places at once, or get there quicker than we did. All the toys shops advertising stuff that YOU can buy, not even bothering to maintain the illusion. Kids know their parents have the final say or they would nag Santa - not us!

[oxocube]

Madamez.

And btw dd has just come into the computer room and read your post!! Personally, I tell my kids Mumsnet is for parents and is MY thing, not theirs. What's the bet this thread will be deleted!!!!

[madamez]

I'm not sure that (for instance) some of the very sad stories on the MC & bereavement threads are ideal reading for children, let alone the more lively anatomical ones about sexual behaviour. This is not Mum&Toddlernet, it is intended as a resource for adults and it's up to you to keep your DCs eyes averted from the computer - or only to go on MN when they are in bed.

[VVVExcitedAboutChristmasQV]

Madamez, that was uncalled for.

[TEUCHywithallthetrimmings]

Bit worried that this is straying onto dangerous ground wrt how much MN should be censored...

[Santaquated]

thank you mnhq

[Reallytired]

"ds is four and can read some words... I don't think a 4yo who believes should have their magic spoilt by a thoughtless adult who has never even met them."

Edam, you are the thoughtless adult, not me. You are surfing the web instead of interacting with your child. If your child reads this thread then I am afraid its your parenting at fault.

My son is playing with a friend at the moment, otherwise I would not be on the computer.

My son knows that his best friend believes in reincarnation and Ganish the Elephant god. His own parents don't share those beliefs.

He knows his parents believe that Jesus is God's son. He also knows that in our opinon Mohammed is not God's prophet even if one of his other school friends thinks he is.

I hope that my son will grow up into a sensible and caring adult who forms his own beliefs. If he does not believe in FC at the age of 5 then I respect this.

[karen999]

I can't see the words Father Christmas in the title....

[Magrat]

my kids understand that father christmas and tooth fairies and their ilk exist as long as you believe in them

as soon as you are cynical enough not to believe then 'ppfffff' they no longer exist

so it's up to you

believe and they exist
don't believe and they don't

[FranSanDisco]

I'm with Magrat and have said same to mine. They want to believe in it all.

[beeper]

HURRAH!!

[prettypurpledaisy]

My ds(10) no longer believes which is s good thing as a supply teacher at school told his class that he does not exist. Some parents and children were very distressed.

[UniversallyChallenged]

Santa what did you thank them for?

[oxocube]

A 5 year old in my class told the rest of his classmates (ALL believers) that there was no FC and mums and dads gave everything. I told him that FC only comes to those kids who believe so to cover kids' disappointment, mums and dads have to stump up the gifts for the non-believers. He looked a bit confused but the rest of my class were happy

[edam]

Reallytired, that is an incredibly rude post. "You are surfing the web instead of interacting with your child. If your child reads this thread then I am afraid its your parenting at fault."

HOW DARE YOU!

You don't actually have the first clue what my ds was doing when I posted, do you?

And it is downright barking for you to post on a parenting site objecting to parents posting on a parenting site. Have you been at the cooking sherry, or something?

I do hope your boy grows up to be a sensible and caring adult. Not a smug, insulting, ignorant one incapable of basic logic.