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!

I'm surprised how many parents here are saying that they'd be storming into school furious, that the teacher "needs a slap" etc.

OP has the word of a 7 year old, who, while obviously having a good memory and no malice, may well not have understood or conveyed the full context of what happened. This is where you need to go into school and talk to someone to establish the facts. If the teacher really said that with no other context, that's bad, and it should be dealt with, but in front of a class of 7/8 year olds who are hyper at the moment because it's nearly Christmas, I'd be giving them the benefit of the doubt and asking more questions first.

I'm not even suggesting you lie - just say something non-committal like 'we all have different beliefs'

@Nolegusta I guess, if you have never done the whole 'Father Christmas is real' then you might not appreciate how much this means to some children. You are comparing them to your own children who have managed to have perfectly magical Christmases without the 'real FC'.

I can appreciate that you might not fully understand the strength of feeling here......

So you approve of telling Christians and others who believe in God that their beliefs a lie?

And if yes, why would they owe your children anything?

So you approve of telling Christians and others who believe in God that their beliefs a lie?
And if yes, why would they owe your children anything?

No. That's not something I would do or think is appropriate. I think we should be respectful of peoples beliefs.

Of course, nobody owes my child anything. But if you went out of your way to tell them FC isn't real just days before Christmas I reserve the right to think that makes you a horrible. mean spirited person.

(but I'm sure you wouldn't as most people wouldn't be that mean!!)

Nobody actually seriously believes there's a fat dude in a red suit living at the north pole with ten elves and reindeer. But that doesn't make Santa a lie.

Well, yes it does.

Ok, your post of 11.08 didn’t answer that.

But I agree, respect is a two way street.

Your insults are uncalled for you, even caveated with ‘if’.

Did anyone see the story on BBC news about the vicar, who apparently left a class of 10 and 11 year olds 'sobbing' because he said Santa wasn't real. Really? a year 6 class still believed?

How is it not a lie?

If the only opposite of true/truth is a lie, then it is a lie. However, in most cases, lying is wrong, deceitful and at times even illegal if you do it in court.

I prefer to think of the Father Christmas myth as fiction as opposed to fact and only for a short time will small children experience the joy of believing that magical things can really happen.

And I'd like to block those with no imagination or joy in their souls who think life is just facts and lies

Bread and roses, people. We all need a little something extra. Of course children don't need Santa. But they don't need presents either, it selection boxes, or parties or nice clothes or a billion other things we like to give them or do for them because it's just nice.

Imagine thinking someone has no joy because they don't liecabour santa. 🤣

You call it whatever you like, honestly, just allow others to do the same. Happy Christmas.

Youve missed the point. It's having no joy because you can't shut up about Santa being a LIE and not understanding any of it. And justifying adults spoiling kids fun.

What now?
Do you tell everyone to 'shut up' when they state factual information?
Again, laughable.

I'm not sure how saying that 'we choose to tell our children Father Christmas is real' is being translated as 'you must all believe in Father Christmas'
🤷🏼‍♀️

I don't think it is the place of a teacher to be discussing with their whole class (of any age)if FC is real or not, independently if the teacher did not say the exact words "FC is not real". It is not part of the curriculum, focus on what it is.
I normally have the teachers' back. They do an amazing, difficult job.
But on this occasion, I would be furious and would complaint.

Honestly. You sound like some sort of zealot. Would you also feel the need to tell a little girl how awful the process of childbirth is, just because it's true? Like it's the most painful thing you'll probably ever do and you could end up with nerve damage or some sort of disability or even die? Or would you say something like "it's all worth it darling because we got you" which is also true but not the WHOLE truth, and obviously much kinder. A bit like "some people believe that Santa exists, and others don't" again true, and not the WHOLE truth but much kinder.

I wouldn't lie about childbirth being painful, but clearly I'd use age appropriate language. It is worth it, while also being painful.

Bloody teachers. Teaching our kids the truth and not going along with it

Do you go around finger wagging and exposing lies at all holidays etc or just Xmas? Shreiking the bunny's not real at all the toddlers at the egg hunt, and staking out dentists handing out cards detailing the massive tooth fairy conspiracy?

Someone pissed on your chips a long time ago,but let people have some magic, even if you can't join in!

Nobody is actually justifying the deliberate spoiling of kids' fun here. And people who don't do the Santa myth with their kids aren't all joyless fun sponges, that's a pretty awful generalisation to make. It's also discriminatory, because there are some people who don't participate in it for faith based reasons.

It depends on whether you see a child finding out that Santa isn't real as a consequence of someone spoiling their fun, or as a consequence of the decision to tell kids a lie, however benign, in the first place. Clearly you and some other people think the former, and other people think the latter.

Have you actually read any of my previous replies?

RE teachers teach about what different world religions believe. They don’t teach that God is real, that’s Sunday school teachers.

Of course. Presumably they should anticipate the fact that a child could ask them outright whether god is a lie and have a stock answer prepared for that though. You'd have thought it pretty simple to adapt it to Santa.