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 amazed at the number of people who genuinely believe that RE teachers teach tenets of religious faiths as categorical facts, rather than as different things that different people believe.

Have they just not thought it through for a minute? How on earth are they going to state that 100% conflicting beliefs are all fact?

"Yes, Hinduism teaches us the fact that we can reincarnate into an animal after we die; and Judaism teaches us the fact that there's no such thing as reincarnation. Islam teaches us the fact that God has no son; whilst Christianity teaches us the fact that Jesus is the Son of God."

Baffling!

I would feel like doing that if an adult told my 7 year old Santa wasn’t real.. and what?!
go back to snoopy good grief my arse, if an adult takes it upon themselfs to “educate” others children that Santa is not real then they do in fact deserve a punch in the face… doesn’t mean I would actually do it, but I certainly would not keep quiet. Who had the right to do that as adult to someone else’s child?!

Why are you on mums net then? It’s in the name 🤦‍♀️ it’s for mums…

What are you talking about the vast majority of 7 year olds believe in Santa 🤦‍♀️ most still kind of believe but don’t at the same time up to 10 years olds.. how many kids have you actually been around?

There's lots of non-mums on MN.

Not this one again.........

Give over. Lots of people on here, that don’t have children, and it’s a good thing. Why not.

There's even a board for Mumsnetters without children so obviously they are welcome on here.

Do you police the threads where men come on as well, mostly to tell us women how we are doing things wrong, e.g. not instantly forgiving affairs, abuse etc.

YANBU - Telling a classroom of 7 year olds Santa isn't real is bang out of order, and I would certainly make a complaint to the Head.

I still feel guilty about confirming my daughter's suspicion about Santa not being real, she burst into tears and cried all night - now this was in the summer time and she was 10! She later said most of her classmates still believed until year 6, the last year before going to high school. The R.E teacher had no right to shatter their illusions like that, I know not all children are brought up to believe in Santa but it's not up to school teachers (who should know better) to burst the bubbles of the ones who do, and in turn spoil the whole Christmas experience for their parents. You need to inform Head so this can't occur again with either this teacher or any other one. Hope your son was o.k about it and has a lovely Christmas regardless.

My DS is 9 and still believes even though he seemed to question it a bit last year. Also as a teacher (albeit high school) I would never say FC is not real! We still have some children with ASN who come up believing and it would be so unfair to them. I usually make myself seem the daft teacher and make out that I know he’s real and I have a direct line to him etc and the kids take it as they want - that way no one is upset about it.

It’s not only for mums.

Plenty of people on the Infertility boards hoping to become mums. And plenty of random contributors whose perspectives are all valid without being or wanting to be a mum.

@Peaceandquietandacuppa did you actually speak to the class teacher to confirm what was said?

It’s a bit sad? Do you not think? To be with out children yet on mums net it’s a bit weird personally was never near parenting forms pre having kids just why?

It’s a parenting form it’s weird tbh

It weird to not have children or not be trying to have children and be on a platform for mums/parents especially someone trying to tell others how it is thinking while thinking a 7 year old is too old to play with toys.. maybe read who I commented to the whole thing…

Update: the teacher also told them in the lesson ‘Santa was made up by Coca Cola”!! Bonkers

I know that the image we have today is definitely shaped by the Coca Cola ads but it’s a tradition going back to the 1800s!

I spoke to the deputy head and she was horrified and said they’d review the training given to this teacher 😅

The Santa Claus in red and white is definitely Coca Cola - and refers obliquely to what Coco Cola used to contain (cocaine) as the colours are of those of a psychedelic mushroom. The reindeer sled is a modern invention too.
The English Father Christmas as shown in e.g. Dickens' A Christmas Carol, is totally unlike the modern image. He is a man in middle age with long hair and a beard, robed in green and wearing a holly wreath - a form of the Green Man, in effect. He represents the spirit of misrule and topsy-turvyness that marks the Christmas season, roughly Christmas Eve down to Epiphany (6th Jan).
The teacher who revealed some of this to 7-year-olds was a male vicar - people not notable for their ability to communicate with children and generally cloth-eared as to belief.
Saint Nicholas, who is mostly found in continental Europe, is based on the legend of St Nicolas and the giving of dowries to three poor virgins - his costume is different from that of either Father Christmas or Coca Cola's Santa Claus (though Santa Claus is literally St Nicolas).

Ok I’m opposed to the Santa lie but this is ridiculous.

Father Christmas has a very strong cultural tradition in folklore, and there’s even a similar figure in Russian folklore: Grandfather Frost, an old man in a fur coat who gives presents to well-behaved children.

It’s clearly a very widespread and authentic European tradition.

It also ties in with the actual Saint Nicholas and his gift giving.

Father Christmas has been influenced by capitalism but to say he was invented by Coca Cola is ahistorical.

Most people seem to first discover Mumsnet when they search online for info about a topic or an answer to a question, and MN is consistently on the top page of search results for tens of thousands of topics.

Whilst it is indeed a fantastic place for a plethora of parenting-related subjects, it's grown massively over the years - look at the vast list of forum boards and ask yourself how many of them are only relevant to mums. It's in single figures percentage-wise, imho.

Well said.

The teacher may have said that the popular red costumed Santa figure was influenced by Coco Cola, or similar wording. We weren't there after all.

I too don't go along with the Santa myth and explained it as you have. We still had a great Christmas.

It's all gone too far, encouraged by parents.

To me it’s quite strange to go on to a platform for mums/parents/careers and tell parents what is age appropriate when they are way off. Tell me a 7 year old who doesn’t play with toys unless the poor sole hasn’t got any.. in these situations yeah learn for when you start a family but don’t come on telling parents what is right and what is wrong when no actual parenting experience. Especially when the time line of childrens development is so wrong.. to say that a 7 year old is too old for toys and Santa would lead me to believe the person in question who I was replying to.. has zero experience with children. Then learn read what is typical for that age but don’t be so cock sure that you are at the point of lecturing actual parents… ask questions yes read yes, but if you don’t really know do not tell people who have experience.. a lot of non parents who really don’t have a clue come on her and lecture parents about age appropriate things like playing with toys or typical behaviour of toddlers.. fair enough not knowing but don’t presume to know. I do think if you are not planning for children/having fertility issues/are a parent/career or grandparent then why be on here? Plenty of places for none of the above to go to.. it is strange to me to come on here none of the above and lecture about things they clearly don’t know, it’s arrogant tbh.