Daughter's School told her the "truth" about Santa

[HappyDi]

Hi there long time lurker, first time poster so be patient.
We live in a little village in Angus Scotland, the kind of place where life goes just that little bit slower. Which suits us fine. The local school is ok, not that good, not that bad.
However tonight my daughter came home with her new reading book and I was appalled. In it on page 8, the reader is told that parents buy all the Christmas presents, and not santa. It is also full of really dreadful english, the kind of words that if the pupils use in a test, they are marked down for and there are whole words spelled out in block capitals. It is written in the vernacular, which is entertaining to read out, but in all my years as a professional writer I have never looked at a book that provided such an all round appalling example to children. These little children (my daughter has just turned 10) aren't yet secure enough in the rules of grammer to be able to discount what they read in textbook. There are loads of great, modren children's writers who provide excellent examples for writing (even the cadence in the sentences is not appropriate for UK voices). I bet the book itself is a laugh, but it isn't appropriate for school, yet she is stuck with it.
AIBU to expect a reading book from school that actually sets a good example to children?

Could you put a note in your daughter's reading book and say she's not enjoying the book and can it be changed? I used to hate the pirate books my DD came home with in Yr 2. It was all in pirate speak and not proper language, and was very difficult for her. So I just wrote a snotty note and asked for no more pirate books. On the Santa thing, my 9yr old has been told several times by other children that parents buy all the presents not Santa, but she still seems quite happy to believe.

I can't comment on the grammar in the book without more information, but I'd be worried about a 10 year old who hadn't worked out the whole Santa business by now!

I think that by 10, she is likely to have gone through a few hundred books at school, and some are bound to be crap. I think your general complaints about the quality of the book are probably a bit OTT. You can always make a note to the teacher that the book is shit, though.

what book is it?

What does it say, exactly about the Santa thing?

I grew up in a little village in Scotland and I absolutely knew about Santa by the time I was 10yrs. You are deluding yourself if you think she doesn't.

YABU.

By 10, they should be reading a wide range of books and dealing with all types of language. And by 10 I think they have probably worked out the Santa thing as well. So sorry - I do think you might be being a bit unreasonable. What was the book?

RR, ds2 is 11 and he and a lot of his friends have only had the penny drop about Santa this year. I remember a girl I went to school with who still believed aged 13. We are in Ireland though, so maybe the "rules" in Ireland and Scotland are different from other places?

Message withdrawn

I told my DD (11), Years ago that parents buy the presents then send them to Santa who brings them back if she has been a good enough girl all year

Not sure if she still believes expect I will find out this year, she was more suspicious of the tooth fairy than santa.

I think DS would love that book! He's discovered the Santa Myth this year and is quite enjoying it. He feels most grown up, especially now I've explained he has to keep quiet around the smaller kids.

And I think playing with language in different ways sounds a hoot.

Don't think it matters where you live. We are in London but my sweet DDs are obviously not proper urban sophisticates. Or maybe they just figure out by "believing" they get more tooth fairy money and more Christmas presents

I am doubting your OP a bit TBH - does someone who has spent many "years as a professional writer" really mis-spell 'grammar'?

Tell us the title and author, please.

Does your dd enjoy the book?

And who decides what 'setting a good example' means when it comes to books?

Is the book in Scots, like "katies coo"?

Are you worried more about the grammar in the book or revealing the Santa myth?!!
Not really up to the school to out Santa! And not really up to anyone else to say when your DD should know about Santa. That's up to you, especially if you live in nice rural innocent society. If you feel it's inappropriate for whatever reason, then you should tell the school.

"lots of great modren"
"grammer"

Odd mistakes for a post bemoaning the poor level of the written word.

What is the book?

Duh, people, Santa still delivers to the Highlands!

But yes, we need to know the title of the book!

I am shocked that Santa has been outed as a myth in a school book.

plenty of 10 year olds still believe in Santa!

My DD is 9.5 and still believes in Santa, YANBU! Curious to know what the book is. We're in Scotland too and keep getting awful Dick King Smith books - DD and I loathe them!

"Hi there long time lurker, first time poster so be patient"

So you don't really expect us to be gentle do you?

Welcome to posting btw, much better than lurking.

And a first post in AIBU! You're a brave woman!

Dick King-Smith pees me off too. All those overly-complex sentence structures.

YANBU - I'd be livid if anyone other than myself, or another child (which is inevitable otherwise) took it upon themselves to burst the santa bubble!!! Let alone put it being part of their friggin curriculum!

And I don't think you'd be deluded to think she still believes. I did until I was nine, it's lovely to keep them young as poss, god know it's harder and harder to protect their innocence these days. Christmas is crap in comparison after you "know".

Can you just clarify; is this something you've noticed, but she as yet, hasn't?

Pointy - yes! Noah and his brother Yessah was the worst. DD keeps writing damning book reviews (that one she described as 'terribly awful!') hoping teacher will take the hint!

OP - please tell us the book! oh and welcome to mumsnet!

'written in vernacular' - it's not Trainspotting I hope?