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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Been waiting for a chance to ask this!

43 replies

saltire · 02/10/2006 14:33

DS1 is 8.6 years and DS2 is 6.10 years.
At what age would be the best to tell them the truth about you-know-who? I cannot remember how old I was when i found out. I feel this may be the last year that DS1 believes, but am a bit confused as to how to deal with it, and how/when to tell him
DH says to leave it as they will find out at school, and i'm also worried that DS1 will tell DS2.
Any parents of older children who have "Been there", i would greatly appreciate some advice, especially about what is the best age to tell them

OP posts:

SnowBoo · 03/10/2006 22:16

My hubby still puts out the mince pies and brandy then eats them when i'm in bed.
He pretends for my sake FC ate them. It's my fave time of the year......
I REFUSE TO BELIEVE HE DOESN'T EXIST!!!!

pointydog · 04/10/2006 09:14

Backcombed beasties in the bog?! Never heard of 'em. What sicko made that up?

ellceeell · 04/10/2006 09:28

Ds was 6 when he came home from school and said "N.. says FC doesn't exist. I know you always tell me the truth mummy so is FC real? So I told him the truth and we both cried ...... and I wanted to strangle N..!

MadameMorticiaMills · 04/10/2006 09:33

Oh ellceeell that's so sad . That must have been horrible for you!

Bloody N.

Enid · 04/10/2006 09:34

dd1 asked me as one of her friends said 'he' doesn't exist

I said it was because her friend was naughty so FC didn't visit her house

ellceeell · 04/10/2006 09:53

MMM - It was the bit about the truth that got to me - I had told him the odd fib but he had obviously not realised! He was very good about not telling his little sister.

WriggleJiggle · 04/10/2006 10:06

Can't remember what age I was when I questioned his existence, but I still remember being told that only those who believe get presents.
And do you know what ..... I still believe !!!

Am I the only one here who still gets a stocking OMG! You poor things.

Bugsy2 · 04/10/2006 10:41

I don't lie to my kids but they still believe in Father Christmas. I tell them that Father Christmas is all about a very special man who was called Saint Nicholas, who gave gifts to small children. Then I say that the memory of this kind man lives on in the heart of everyone who gives presents to children at Christmas.
They both know that anyone dressed up in a Santa suit is not "real" but just a grown up pretending, but they kind of get that pretending is believing too - if that makes sense!

Original poster

saltire · 04/10/2006 14:03

Thanks for all the comments. Neither Ds has started to really question it yet, but as i said in my OP, i was a bit unsure whether to tell him or let him find out for himself.

OP posts:

shhhh · 04/10/2006 14:24

let him find out for himself. I can't remember my age but I remember when I found out he didn't exist..I didn't want to tell mum for fear of upsetting her and also for the fact that I was sad that he didn't exist..

Christmas has always been a big thing in my family and I have continued this with dh & dd (long way to go yet, she's 16 months). We all get stockings full of pressies off santa...

In fact when I was expecting dd and was around 20 weeks pregnant dh & I even put out a mince pie, a carrott and dh bought some brandy for sc especially ..!!! Know what...it had gone by the morning....maybe I was wrong all those years ago when I thought I had discovered the truth...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

pointydog · 04/10/2006 18:31

Bugsy, I wouldn't lie about it if asked a direct question either.

Dd1 asked me outright if the tooth fairy was real when she was about 6. I couldn't lie and reckoned she probably knew it was aload of baloney so I told her the fairy was only a story.

Pause before dd1 said 'but can you believe in the tooth fairy if you want to?'

UniSarah · 04/10/2006 21:18

Back combed beasties in teh bog are no more evil than SC, just something you wouldn't want in your bathroom so you put the lid down on the loo to stop them. SC- do you really want a strange man coming in your bedroom in the middle of the night, how does he get in...
I recon they are in teh same catorgary of myth.

pointydog · 04/10/2006 22:12

Where do you live unisarah?

UniSarah · 05/10/2006 19:07

Good question pointydog.
I live in Devon, but came across the BCBITB in Leeds. I've also lived in Leicester, Bristol, Lancaster, Scarborough and Reading, but I'm FROM London. Any the wiser?? Why do you ask?

I remeber a nice book from my childhood that had teh tale of SC realiseing he couldn't get to ALL the children in the time avalible, so he summond all the parents to teh north pole in tehir sleep and told them to do their own kids pressies and he would take care of the kids with out parents.

pointydog · 05/10/2006 20:18

Because I still have no idea what you are talking about re the back combed beasties in the bog . I was hoping you'd say you were from Australia or something.

Glassofslime · 09/10/2006 19:04

DD1 was 6 last christmas and kept saying that her friend had said he didn't exist and that your parents buy the presents. I just replied how said it was that her friend thought that dd not entirely convinced. Then we bought the Polar Express on dvd and she was totally convinced that he definately does exists. It was one of those days that dh and I knew we'd always remember - log fire, all threee children and both of us on the sofa, lights down, popcorn, glass of wine for us and children totally transfixed - magical. I recommended it.

pebblemum · 09/10/2006 19:41

Im starting to wonder if ds1 still believes or if he is just pretending to and laughing at me behind my back. I can just imagine me trying to keep up the pretence this year, sneaking into his room to fill his stocking up etc and all along he knows the truth, what a prat i would look. My niece who is 13 only admitted to knowing the truth last year because before that she had been worried that if her parents found out she knew, that she wouldnt get as many presents. She wont admit how old she was when she found out though.

Im 28 so obviously ive known the truth for a few years (although i cant remember when i first found out)but i still find the magic of Santa and Christmas exciting. I would love to go and see the big guy in Lapland. Just for that day he would be real again for me. I would go back to beng the excited little girl trying to stay awake on christmas eve. Without Santa, christmas loses a bit of its magic. I wish my children could go on believing forever, i know i would have if id had the chance

hulababy · 09/10/2006 19:43

I was never told but found out myself around the age of 10. I had a little sister, who is 9 years younger. Neither my brother (year younger) or myself ever told her. In some ways I guess it was so we could keep the magic going too

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