To tell 10 year old daughter the truth?

[TheGhostsOfMeAndYou]

My daughter's 10, she's due to start secondary school next year.

We haven't told her Father Christmas isn't real yet.

I think she knows really but she hasn't addressed it aloud to us.

I want to tell her as I don't want her going to secondary school and being picked on, or finding out from another child.

But how do I do it?

I feel so sad that another part of her childhood is over and I also worry that Christmas will loose that magical feeling.

I don't know why you would need to say anything. Just keep the magic going.

I wouldn't have told her before Xmas

I would have let her had the fun and excitement of 25 but told her before going back to school in jan

I remember in y6 a boy in my class didn’t know. He still truly believed

we all sat and were talking about how Santa isn’t real… and he cried so much. I felt so sorry for him.

so if I were you, you should have the convo just in case. But I’m basing that on a past experience of my own.

Petty sure we were never told. As a young teenager my single mum caught me sneaking downstairs with the "Santa presents" my brother and I had bought her as a surprise because she was always left out... Leaving drinks and biscuits out for Santa was part of the Xmas tradition.

I probably shouldn't say this- but in my opinion, it's absolute INSANE to carry on this stuff beyond about 6 or 7 at the very latest. It's not as if Christmas isn't still joyous and fun and magical once you stop believing. I don't understand why some people seem to take a pride in their kids still believing beyond infant school.

6/7 they are little and should be able to believe and enjoy the magic

Agree not at 11

But that 5yrs diff

Maybe just me, but I refused to let Santa have all the credit for my hard work! Mommy and relatives bought you all the gifts thank you very much

That's why Santa brings a small pressie £20 ish and stocking

And rest from mummy and daddy

Both my children knew about 8 years old that it was not real.

Ah, good idea

I would tell her now. Break it gently to her, just the two of you and when you have told her say everyone is a Santa or elf and that now she can be someone’s Santa or elf in the family and will have to find out what they want for Christmas without them finding out she is Santa.

My son is 16 , he’s autistic , I kept the Santa thing going until this year - I didn’t see the harm as he’s a few years younger mentally and he loved the magic ( putting food out , visiting etc ) but this year he started asking questions and he’s just started college so I told him . I thought it would be a sad thing but he was so happy I told him , he felt very “ grown up “ he loved being in on the secret and helping to make the elf do things , and making crumbs on the plate so his little brother believed still x

I’m a kid who didn’t know until around the same age as your daughter, and like you my mom thought I was playing along for more presents which wasn’t the case. There was a conversation one day at school where everyone was talking about how Santa wasn’t real, and luckily I kept my mouth shut because I can only imagine how mortified I would have been if I had said I still believed. I told my mom when I got home that day thinking we’d have a good laugh about how the other kids didn’t believe in Santa and instead I was told that he wasn’t real and that I should have stopped believing years ago. I felt so completely betrayed because while yes it was a fun Christmas tradition no one else my age believed and I felt incredibly foolish as a result. If all the parents around you have kids who don’t believe, then you need to tell her gently.

It doesn’t need to be the big deal that some people make it. I’ve never had ‘the conversation’ with mine and as young adults they still play along with the whole idea of Santa. And they’re not carrying any deep psychological scars about being lied to 😉

My son didn’t know till year 9 when he got into an argument with his PE teacher over it. I thought he knew but just never said. He was gutted and embarrassed because he was he argued in front of the other kids. Luckily they just thought he was being the class clown and pushing the teachers buttons

A little bit of me still believes in Santa… 😊

I'm sure he also believes in you, VK456. :)

LBFseBrom
😍