Teacher telling 7yo that Father Christmas not real

[Peaceandquietandacuppa]

Is it reasonable for a RE teacher to tell 7 year olds that Father Christmas isn’t real?

My 7 year old DS has just told me that his RE teacher told the class Father Christmas “isn’t real” today. He isn’t one to over-exaggerate. I asked if any of the kids prompted it by asking and he said no, she just said it.

If you think it’s unreasonable, would you say anything to the school?

YABU - teachers are fine to say FC is not real at the age of 7

YANBU - let the kids / parents decide if FC is real. Just don’t say anything!

That’s awful, I would definitely complain

I would suggest that as an RE teacher she was more likely to be explaining that people have different beliefs, just like some people believe in FC and others believe he is not real.

That is awful. I would be furious if anyone else, let alone a teacher, told my 7 year old that Father Christmas isn't real. Definitely complain.

Do 7yo children still believe in Father Christmas? I

I really wouldn’t take a 7 year old’s word as gospel.

Thats so mean, but i would tell your DS that father christmas must never have visited her.

i would complain though because i would suspect the RE teacher must be a very conservative religious type who is anti FC, and she shouldn’t be forcing her views on others.

The absolute irony!!

The thing is that he has a very good memory and with a lot of things we talk about, he will remember the exact wording. Teachers and childminders have always been really surprised when I repeat back exactly what he’s told me. I’ll check with him again but I don’t think it was worded like that unfortunately.

Complain that a teacher didn't lie? Good luck.

She sounds fun..!

Aren’t RE teachers notoriously batshit though?

He was starting to question things this year because kids talk… we asked him what he believes and he seemed happy to still believe. But it’s a bit different now a figure of authority has been so absolute. He has a little sibling so we were hoping for one more year!

Of course they do

I wouldn’t be annoyed if she said some people believe / some people don’t believe. But the wording he said she used was “FC is not real” and I think that’s wrong for 7 year olds! But it’s good to get some other perspectives.

Of course 7 year olds still believe unless a smart arse kid at school told them otherwise. I doubt the RE teacher actually said that by the way tho I guess it's possible. Obvious response for me is that God is equally unreal.

As RE teachers are quite happy to declare that an old man in the sky is real, I'd be annoyed that the same teacher is saying that an old man delivering lots of presents isn't real.

Personally I would have brought up kids to know it's a thing but not to believe it, just go along with it to be polite.

🤣🤣🤣

YABU. FC isn't real and teachers don't have to pretend otherwise. I'm presuming there's no backstory like a child saying "Father Christmas will bring me x" and the teacher suddenly swooping down on the child and leaning over them to bellow: "FC isn't real!"

This

I would say no. They sort of semi hope that he's real but in their heart of hearts know he can't be. Most will have been told the truth by a classmate or older sibling.

There are some interesting misconceptions about RE teachers in here (and in your average state primary school the RE teacher will just be a class teacher, not a specialist who only teaches RE).

I think they know by 5 or 6 that Father Christmas is a story. Some might have been told the vague origins.

Just ask him to keep the story magic for his sibling for one more year.

Mine very much believed until about ten.

That’s awful! It’s a commonly held belief amongst that age group in this country so why on earth anyone would tell them that it categorically isn't true, i really can’t understand. Even worse form an RE teacher, whose job is to share information about commonly held beliefs and teach tolerance and understanding of how different people can believe in different things. Telling any child what they believe in is untrue at that age is just so unnecessary - some of them believe in tooth fairies, general fairies, unicorns, Spider-Man, whatever! You can just teach them facts about the world without destroying the little bit of magic they experience related to these things, using neutral wording such as “well what do you believe?” If asked, until that child is ready to question for themselves.

Well, the teacher was obviously so naughty when she was little that FC never came, so no wonder she doesn’t believe in him.

At any rate, that’s what I told 5 yo Dd1 after a wretched neighbour told her that FC wasn’t real - it worked like a charm. Mind you the neighbour had form for effing and blinding in public - as dd had witnessed - so there was some basis to go on!