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’ve worked with children for 30 plus years. I’d say, from my experience, most still believe at 7. My DCs cohorts mostly let go of it around 9/10. One of my DC was suspicious from around age 5 and would set experiments and traps. I never lied if he asked me directly. I just asked him what he thought and helped him set up the experiments.

The point remains that at some point they get told or work it out and this is FINE, it's a natural rite of passage of growing up whether it happens at 9 or 7 or 5. Getting upset that your child no longer believes in Santa strikes me as being like getting upset when they start puberty.

I'd ask other parents first and see if their kids said anything. However if it's true I'd be so angry and upset. My daughters 11 and knows because kids in her class last year were told by their parents. I managed to kinda sway her last year but she definitely knows this year. It's sad and she's my only child so it's a bummer to be honest. It annoyed me because she's under strict instructions to not tell anyone at school or anyone younger than her. X

This. Its hilarious that someone who has their own imaginary friend is telling children that another imaginary friend doesn't exist . Perhaps you should point this out to her Op

Yes I mean it’s the truth so just comfort them and get on with things. They won’t be scarred for life if they find out. I’ve seen posts on here from people whose secondary school children still believe in Santa and that really is taking it too far.
Also the fact that they keep asking whether he’s real and setting traps etc suggests that they know/suspect he is not.

It's hilarious that you and others are assuming that someone teaching RE must also believe in a god figure. 😆

Mine still believe!

Our RE teachers at school were agnostics. They taught us a range of religious views from Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism. They weren’t Christians.

If anything they’re probably less likely to because it involves a critical analysis of the religions. Not just “there is only one god and that’s the Christian god”

Exactly.

Yes they do ! 7 is a perfectly reasonable age to still believe. I'd be annoyed about this it really is not the teachers place to do that its just not unnecessary and a bit mean!?

Noooo..... I'm married to one. He isn't even religious, he just fell into it. He'd never tell kids FC wasn't real, even a 14 year old. He would say it's up to everyone what their beliefs are.

Maybe one of the children brought Santa into it not the teacher.

The point remains that at some point they get told or work it out and this is FINE, it's a natural rite of passage of growing up whether it happens at 9 or 7 or 5. Getting upset that your child no longer believes in Santa strikes me as being like getting upset when they start puberty.

I think it's okay to be a little annoyed that an adult has decided to tell a 7 year old that Father Christmas doesn't exist.
I think we can all appreciate that children find out eventually but hearing it from an adult feels a little mean spirited imo.

My 10 year old still firmly believes. We don't make a big deal about it and know that this is probably the last Christmas he will believe.
I wouldn't be upset if he'd figured it out himself or even if another child told him. I'd be annoyed if an adult did though.

I got that but it was probably for financial reasons they didn't get presents or maybe another religion- equally bad to say they were badly behaved.

Brilliant

Indeed. Neither are real. RE teacher probably thinks that too because it's a myth that all RE teachers are religious. 🫣

I’m not sure you can complain about a teacher giving students factual information tbh!

Tbh I think the whole ‘Santa’ thing is getting increasingly outdated. It normalises lying to DC and causes huge issues in terms of socioeconomic inequality.

Parents and DC can play along with it if they want but I think it’s time we stopped this whole societal belief in a fantasy.

I agree.
I think we also better take cover though.

Erm... of course most of them still do

I would expect 9 year olds to be told but not 7 year olds.

That's a lovely way of describing FC

Except it's based on lies because Jesus is a lie.

Well Jesus did exist as he appears in various religious texts of the time, not just the bible. However I don’t think he was born to a virgin and pretty sure he didn’t rise from the dead.

It should be individual choice.

Some of my fondest Christmas memories as a child are related to believing in Father Christmas. As an adult I appreciate the efforts my parents went to and the magic they created.

I've done my best to recreate this for my child.

At no point did I ever resent my parents for lying. I never saw it as a lie .... even as child when I worked it out.