AIBU to be a little sad at the idea of dd not believing in Father Christmas anymore?

[Readyforslippers]

Dd is in Year 3 at school (all aged 7/8), she absolutely believes in Father Christmas at the moment. How many more years am I likely to have? I feel perhaps someone at school may spill the beans soon?

I understand some parents don't agree with it, but for me her belief is something quite magical and I feel a little sad at the idea of that ending. AIBU to feel this way and to try to make this year a little extra special just in case? I suppose the problem is that I could end up saying that for several years.

She's growing up too quickly, it's like I've blinked since she was tiny and she's now in key stage 2!

My daughter will be 9 just before Christmas and she still believes. I embrace it as the being a child and living in their own protected little bubble is so short. Her friends have said they don’t believe but she just doesn’t believe them! Bless her.

I still think Christmas, with the twinkling lights in the darkness, having cards up and presents accumulating near the decorated (not under or dogs would investigate!), is utterly magical and I'm nearly 63. I feel as if I believe in FC as it seems totally possible at that time.

Still don’t class that as a scam letting your child believe in something magical, I never forget that feeling Christmas Eve waiting for Father Christmas to come then waking up opening the living room door and seeing he did, nothing ever beat that feeling as a kid was the most amazing feeling knowing he came. I think it’s really sad how parenrs on hear think kids shouldn’t be believing after a “certain age” if there happy and enjoy it what’s the harm? There not little for long so why not treasure every little moment and especially one that brings so much joy, luckily my daughter goes to a school we’re other parents have the same views and I do so all the kids share the same joy for Christmas.

They are young for so little and sad so many think they are lying or having us on

I know my daughter and if she thought he wasn’t real she would have asked. She was the one who said what she wanted this year from him

her best friend also 8 still believes

maybe they won’t at 9.5 next Xmas but they do for the moment and that’s all that matters

This thread is a bit disturbing to me. I don't see how a child growing up, becoming their own person and knowing more about the world is sad. As a child I hated the feeling of not knowing anything, or that the grown-ups were keeping things from me, and I found it really patronising when I was told something wasn't for children (and then I made it a mission to find out all about it by myself). When I was a teenager, my parents wanting to "keep me innocent" just turned into extremely controlling behaviour on their part.

I never believed in Santa, but surely the day your child works out for themselves that it's a myth is a day to celebrate? Why is innocence fetishised over knowledge and intelligence?

Mine believes at 10 - she’s a very imaginative child. She’s in year 5. I will have to tell her after this Christmas I think so she isn’t laughed at in year 6. She isn’t ND and isn’t playing along to placate me- she genuinely believes - I think as she is so imaginative. I’m going to make the most of this last Christmas of believing! Her elder brother was suspicious from about the age of 5!

My youngest is 9 and says she still believes. She totally knows but just enjoys playing along which is sweet and I won't spoil it by saying anything obviously, but my eldest is nearly 18 (we have 3 children) and so we've been doing "Father Christmas/Santa" for so long now that I'm looking forward to being able to stop!

Admittedly I am a scrooge and not a huge Christmas person (I know, I know), I just think it will be nice not to have to be so secretive about hiding wrapping paper etc. That actually sounds really petty when I type it out, I'm sure there are other reasons I'm looking forward to Santa not being a thing too.... (dreaming of a Christmas with the Kranks style cruise one day...) 😂

This is what we did.
We told our kids that they're Santa's friends and they went to Santa school so they could bring Xmas joy to children around the world because how could the real FC be in all these places at one time?

My youngest is 7, the other is 11.
11 told me a year or two ago that Santa wasn't real. I said don't be daft, of course he is. Don't tell your sister that you think he isn't.

7 hasn't said anything about him not being real yet.

My kids were so upset when they realised Santa wasn't real they definitely didn't celebrate. Why can't kids believe in santa it's all so magical for them. I think it's a natural part of childhood and sooner or later they grow up and stop believing anyway.

Not to rain on anyone’s parade but I am staggered that a child beyond about 7 at the latest would believe in Father Christmas. It’s a lovely story but DD wasn’t very old when she started to look askance at some of it. Many houses don’t have chimneys, just for starters.
A questioning child will start picking holes in the fable quite young.

He gets in using a magic key that we leave outside the house of course.

which only works Xmas eve and for fc

We've two chimneys so he comes down one of them!

double gifts!

Ha, if he was real that would be marvellous!

absolutely!

DD6 definitely still believes. I've never had a conversation with DD10 about it, but if she knows the truth she's bloody good at lying. She's a very young 10 so it wouldn't surprise me if she did believe.

We've never gone out of our way to 'preserve' the magic, just the usual letters to Santa and stockings. It's not exactly a hardship. I tend to handwave any questions away with "It's magic".

I was determined to do the Santa thing because my parents never bothered and Christmas in our house was always joyless. I remember friends at school talking about writing their lists and staying up late to try to spot Santa's sleigh and feeling confused and left out. Vividly remember my Uncle asking what Santa had brought me around age 5 and feeling uncomfortable because I didn't know how to respond.

My kids are 13 and 17 and obviously know Father Christmas isn’t real but they still get a stocking (we all do) and the joy of finding a full stocking by their bed still makes their faces light up and we still all sit together in our bed opening them - they both say it’s their favourite part of the day - it still feels quite magical

Oh that’s so sad you didn’t have the magic of Xmas

We were the opposite, had no interest in any of my my parents' attempts at "magic". Mum says she had multiple Christmas mornings where she was pacing loudly outside our rooms impatient for us to wake up abd be excited about the filled stockings but my brother and I were always more interested in sleeping! I don't remember ever being particularly into presents and by about 10 I couldn't be arsed with any of the decorating and stuff.

DH does all the stocking and present stuff and decorating so I don't have much to do. If he didn't I hope I would up my Christmas game for DC but I've never had to find out

Your mum should have been grateful no 2/3am excited Xmas am wakings 😂

You need to take the opportunity and make it something positive… “Father Christmas is a feeling, that’s alive in all of us. We believe in goodness, sharing and magic. We all carry that belief and it keeps the magic alive. But you have to keep believing in those things. And it’s our responsibility to keep the magic alive for the young ones, and keep passing it down” … something like that anyway ..

My kids are 19 and 16 and I still
insist Santa is real😂 (and check the NORAD app on Xmas eve for his whereabouts!)
They had a couple of years where they rolled their eyes at me, but then fully embraced it again and are back to putting milk, mince pies and carrots out.
The excitement can be kept going, even if a bit tongue in cheek😊

Love this! My kids love Christmas so much and grown up like yours. We also celebrate from a Christian prospective too. However I made it magical when they were kids and it still is!

This is so lovely and reassuring. I have a nearly 5 year old and 2 year old, and I feel all the messaging I hear is about how sad it is when they're getting bigger, so it's lovely to think about all the positives of older kids too!

I too love having older kids so much. My youngest is 16 and we do everything together. Girls holiday, theatre, lunches days out ect. I am enjoying it so much with her. Yes I loved the little stage too but tbh this stage with her is amazing. My son is older and he is great company too.