10yr mindee told 6yr mindee ... (warning - christmas related!)

[mogs0]

So this morning, 10yr old mindee told 6yr old mindee that FC isn't real .

6yr old didn't really believe him so I called 10yr old into another room and asked him not to say things like that to the younger ones because it might upset them.

I'm not sure that I handled it as well as I could have. My ds is almost 10 and, to a certain degree, still believes. I don't make a massive deal of the whole FC story but I don't discourage the magic.

What would other cms have done?

I totally agree with you and the way you handled it, there is something about the whole FC belief. You maybe able to get this Christmas believing still, but I think next year you maybe pushing it. So why not have that magical experience as parents we enjoy that feeling when your child believes that someone has left them their wish list!!

A teacher friend told me that if a child tries to speak about FC being untrue in her class she says "Well you might not believe Jonny, but myself and the other children LIKE believing..."

I would be having a word with both sets of parents as well.

We take the view that FC only comes if you believe in him. Obviously if you're telling the little ones that he's not real then you don't believe so he won't come. When it comes to DC's that aren't ours I basically re-iterate the same thing but with mine..in a well I think she/he's silly to not believe (much as the teacher does above).
My DS1 is nearly 13 and he's at the age where he knows really but there's no way he's going to ruin it for himself or the younger ones. He even went toe to toe with much bigger DSS at Easter, when DSS told the little ones that FC definately wasn't real as his Mum had told him..when asked she said it was about time he knew the truth. Nice

It's all about the magic of Christmas in our house..complete with Elves delivering the advent chocolates to the big tree of pockets. :o