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!

Why is this a big deal?

I used to get round this by telling my DD that lots of adults stop believing in magic

And yes I’d complain..

That's not what religious education is. In most schools here (Scotland) RE is part of a class called Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies. It teaches about the world religions but doesn't subscribe to any. But also focusses on moral and philosophical issues and sometimes how all three merge. It's a really important subject - it teaches children how to think not what to think.

PureBoggin, that sounds really good. I'd have so enjoyed that at school. I did like RE but it never went far enough for me. I've made up for it since by doing my own research. It is such a fascinating subject (if you like that sort of thing, my late husband wasn't especially interested, son is up to a point).

I thought that the 'Scottish way' was how the subject was taught generally now, at least in the UK, maybe with exceptions for some schools. I know in America it varies according to the state.

We didn't have it like that back when I was at school either but it's brilliant. It has lead to some brilliant family discussions around the dinner table. My oldest child has definitely become more engaged with world news, politics and moral issues since taking it. It is compulsory for two years in my child's school then optional and he decided to take it. He has been able to apply it to so many of his other subjects - even computing and science. And we are all atheist/agnostic.

As a mum I loved the Father Christmas rituals
carrots for reindeer and mince pies etc
even making foot prints etc
how ever ,whilst also teaching stranger danger to a sweet little girl I didn’t think through the ramifications of an old bearded man with big black boots who we’ve never met who can get into the house in the night whilst we’re asleep!!
as my daughter got a little older she was able to say it frightened her !
so he used to leave a stocking in the shed,
so much to unpick there

But it really is a really weird thing if you think about it. Children being told that a random stranger man, is watching from a far, throughout the year, to see if they are behaving themselves, and keeping all these lists for this purpose, about them . And then turning up in their room, in the night but only if they are asleep, to fill their stocking. When you break it down like that, it doesn’t seem very magical at all. There could be so many better lies we could tell our children, regarding getting gifts.

You can't be mad at a teacher for telling the truth. If you want to keep lying to your child then that's your choice but you can't force other people to go along with your lies. It's the risk you take when you chose to lie.

🙄
Or an adult could choose to be kind to a child rather than a sanctimonious dick 🤷🏼‍♀️

Pretty similar to monotheistic religious beliefs though. A random strange magical man who keeps watch all the time, keeping lists and only the ones who have chase the correct religion gets the rewards. Don't think we let god into our homes but "into it oir hearts"

For sure.

Yep, there's lots of 'dishonesty at any cost'.

Ad adult might think that not lying is being kind.

@nolegusta exactly thank you. I've reported him or her for the abusive reply. I won't put up with abusive trolls.

Ad adult might think that not lying is being kind.

If it involves telling a child Father Christmas doesn't exist then, in my opinion, that makes you a pretty horrible person.

That's me being honest.

I wasn't abusing you. It wasn't a personal attack.

I was referring to people who think ruining child's Christmas is acceptable.
It's a horrible thing to do.

So absolutely all of Christmas- the run up, the duration and the after math, will be completely ruined, wiped out, if a child is told that Santa doesn’t exist, and then and there their childhood has been stolen, because someone commented that this lie is not true? Yes, ideally maybe the teacher shouldn’t have said it, but she did and it’s going to be ok, Armageddon will not happen, and the child who found out the truth will be ok also.

So absolutely all of Christmas- the run up, the duration and the after math, will be completely ruined, wiped out, if a child is told that Santa doesn’t exist, and then and there their childhood has been stolen, because someone commented that this lie is not true? Yes, ideally maybe the teacher shouldn’t have said it, but she did and it’s going to be ok, Armageddon will not happen, and the child who found out the truth will be ok also.

Are you always so dramatic?

There are children who have never been told about Santa and still manage to have a wonderful Christmas.

To quote you;

”I was referring to people who think ruining child's Christmas is acceptable.
It's a horrible thing to do.”

Now, isn’t that a tad dramatic, saying that a child’s Christmas is ruined because they were told a fictional character is not real?. Hardly

An adult knows exactly what telling a child just before Christmas would do and the child certainly wouldn’t consider it to be kind.

A child that is excited about Santa coming? Of course it would ruin it for them.

@SleepyHippy3
It absolutely would taint that Christmas. It would cause upset.
It wouldn't be a happy memory would it?

However, I didn't say it would 'steal their childhood' or create Armageddon. That's a tad over dramatic.

Yeah, but it’s not going to ruin Christmas is it? Seriously