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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kid yelling Santa isn’t real at a Christmas party

129 replies

blipblopblip · 19/12/2025 19:55

So I took my 5 year old old to a Christmas party for age 3-8 , parents were to stay to watch their children. Santa came towards the end which we were not expecting, my daughter still believes. A slightly older child kept shouting Santa wasn’t real for a prolonged time 5 mins ish . Parents did nothing, staff were uncomfortable and tried to shush him. Honestly I feel so angry that the parents thought it was acceptable for him to try to ruin the magic for younger children. My daughter is very upset and keeps questioning me now. I know if it was my child I’d definitely have taken them out of the room and told them that if they were going to ruin the magic for others they don’t deserve a gift. I’m not a perfect parent but I find more and more occasions where it seems like there is no parenting going on. I have 3 children and she is my middle so I don’t think I am being precious but this evening I’m feeling so cross. Am I being unfair, is this normal parenting?

OP posts:
GrooveArmada · 19/12/2025 19:58

Another product of upbringing without telling them 'no'.

modgepodge · 19/12/2025 19:59

I think this is easily rescued - just say the boy was shouting that THAT Santa isn’t real, and actually he is right, that man is one of his helpers cos the real Santa is busy in the North Pole getting ready for Xmas.

i do agree though and if it has been my child I definitely would have removed him and had a word. I think as soon as a child discovers the truth about something like that they also need to be told to keep it on the down low around younger kids. I was a teacher of y5/6 and if any of them revealed they knew I always used to ask them to keep schtum around the younger ones in a ‘matey’ kind of way so they felt like they were in on the secret.

takealettermsjones · 19/12/2025 19:59

I'd have marched him out myself I think! Awful parenting.

LynetteScavo · 19/12/2025 20:30

Well the Santa that visited the party wasn’t the real one, was he. He was just a “helper”. The real Santa only delivers on Christmas morning, and the child that ran around shouting silly things might not get a visit, which is a shame for them.

Bluejaysforthewin · 19/12/2025 20:30

Well of course THAT Santa is real. Same as the mall Santa's. He's much to busy for personal appearances at this time of the year. That's why he sends out helpers.

Didimum · 19/12/2025 20:42

I would have taken my child out yes, because sounds disruptive, regardless of what he was shouting, and I know other parents would be cross at me.

But no I personally can’t really get too fussed about the whole ‘kids telling other kids Santa’s not real’ thing. I’ve never really liked the whole Santa story – I prefer Christmas magic to be centred on real things that don’t only last for a snippet of childhood.

Far too many parents losing their heads over it every year. Why brother? Christmas is lovely enough as it is.

Christmaseree · 19/12/2025 20:45

Any shouting isn’t acceptable but they’re going to find out Santa isn’t real at some point.

Barnbrack · 19/12/2025 20:45

Well yeah, Xmas party Santa aren't real. They are santas helpers.

arcticpandas · 19/12/2025 20:46

OK for saying it once but having a kid screaming is not OK no matter he's saying. Maybe there was some nd going on and the parents were embarrassés to intervene in case he'd have a meltdown? Nah, probably just lazy parenting..

RobertaFirmino · 19/12/2025 20:46

I'd just say that the boy was being Very Silly and would soon change his mind when he woke up on Christmas morning and saw all the presents under the tree.

Yodelay · 19/12/2025 20:49

Didimum · 19/12/2025 20:42

I would have taken my child out yes, because sounds disruptive, regardless of what he was shouting, and I know other parents would be cross at me.

But no I personally can’t really get too fussed about the whole ‘kids telling other kids Santa’s not real’ thing. I’ve never really liked the whole Santa story – I prefer Christmas magic to be centred on real things that don’t only last for a snippet of childhood.

Far too many parents losing their heads over it every year. Why brother? Christmas is lovely enough as it is.

And what you want is most important.

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 19/12/2025 20:54

Yodelay · 19/12/2025 20:49

And what you want is most important.

Show quote history

Of course, so many on mn love to be condescending and sneery about people who do do Santa…
his parents possibly likely to be the indulgent “Gosh isn’t my Jimothy so wonderful and advanced with his sharing of the truth!”

Thepossibility · 19/12/2025 21:05

Those Santas are the real Santa's helpers, as he is very busy in the North Pole at this time of year, obviously.

Londonrach1 · 19/12/2025 21:09

My 9 year old informed me the santas you see before are helpers as the real Santa is too busy now getting ready for Christmas eve. I'm sure your 5 year old knows that. Poor Santa it's his busiest time now he had to ask the helpers to stand in for him.

Clefable · 19/12/2025 21:10

What on earth were his parents doing?

DD1 is 6 and doesn’t believe but no way would she even say that quietly to one of her friends much less shout about it at a Santa event. She would be hauled out immediately if she tried, not that she would as she knows other people believe and it’s important to them. Sounds like some shitty non-parenting going on and a kid that is doomed to failure as a result.

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/12/2025 21:13

I’ve always said that Santa’s we see are his helpers as fc can’t be everywhere

apart from Xmas Eve when time stands still

but yes child should have been removed

littlebilliie · 19/12/2025 21:21

We had a boy arrive in reception whose mother had told him that Santa wasn’t real. He proceeded to explain that it was the parents and if you believed you were stupid. The mother was very smug

utterlytraumatised · 19/12/2025 21:24

When my DD was younger she was in a reception class with a boy who had always been taught the truth about Father Christmas.

The mother didn’t care that he told the whole class, and was pretty smug and selfish about the whole thing.

Parents like that piss me off, it’s always about them and the way they parent. Horrible people.

utterlytraumatised · 19/12/2025 21:24

@littlebilliieomg were our children in the same class?

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 19/12/2025 21:26

We’ve got one in our class…. “My mum says I need to be kind to children who believe in Santa, as it’s very sad they have parents who lie to them”… smug and attention seeking, parent and child!

Christmaseree · 19/12/2025 21:28

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 19/12/2025 21:26

We’ve got one in our class…. “My mum says I need to be kind to children who believe in Santa, as it’s very sad they have parents who lie to them”… smug and attention seeking, parent and child!

It is a lie though isn’t it, I remember when I found out (my older cousin told me) feeling really angry that my mum and dad lied to me?

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 19/12/2025 21:34

Christmaseree · 19/12/2025 21:28

It is a lie though isn’t it, I remember when I found out (my older cousin told me) feeling really angry that my mum and dad lied to me?

Show quote history

Do you have dc @Christmaseree ?
do you say, wow! What a fabulous drawing! Gosh that biscuit is amazing! Or do you say ‘your cat is completely out of proportion, there are no purple cats at all, that drawing is dreadful!!’

QuickPeachPoet · 19/12/2025 21:41

Ouch, there's always one isn't there.
8 is way too old for an event like that. Yes, some 8 year olds still believe, but there is a higher probability of having kids in that age bracket that don't and who can spoil it for younger children.

CautiousLurker2 · 19/12/2025 22:04

I’d have laughed and told DD that that little blighter has just learned he’s on Santa’s naughty list.

Endofthetunnel25 · 19/12/2025 22:11

There are lots of really good kids films where Santa wins back the hearts of the “non believers”. (Christmas Chronicles is great).

I have an 8 year old who is told nearly every day in school that he isn’t real. It’s tough trying to keep it going but she LOVES believing and I’m not ready to tell her the truth just yet!

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