DS is doubting FC - how have you dealt with this?

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

Ds2 is 6 and the world is very black and white to him.

He's announced this evening that there can't be a FC - it's ridiculous, there's no way that one person could deliver all around the world!

His DB is 9, and has never shown any sign of doubting until tonight.

We've got a book that explains all about time zones and that's how it's done, but neither of them seem convinced.

Ds1 I could just about cope with not believing - but I have no idea what to say to him.

DS2 seems too young to not believe - I'd expected to get another couple of years from him at least!

I know this is probably more my problem than theirs, but how have you / would you deal with this?

FC is magic so defies all logic!

Try PNP(Portable North Pole) you can get a free video message personalised for your child from Santa and his elves, you can also pay for extras but mine had the basic and they were transfixed at 8 and 10!! I even sent one to my mum who cried and she's 73 lol.

My DS asked last year when he was nearly 8 I was gutted and I assumed someone had said something at school (he is in a mixed year class). We just talked through the 'if you want to believe in Father Christmas' etc

This year he is still saying he believes, though probably thinks he wont get any presents but the magic seems to of gone. I have spoken to a couple of parents in his class to see what they think and they all seem to think the DC's are borderline for believing and are questioning but in a 'I dont think its possible but I want it to be true'

One friend has 7 DC's and she fended it off by saying "Do you think Mummy could manage to arrange all that for all of you"

Keeping it vague is how I've played it, I'm a terrible role-player anyway and struggle with this sort of thing, I could never do the Elf on the Shelf for example. So, we play along, but any direct questions are answered truthfully. The first time we did PNP they were amazed, but last year they weren't so bothered, not sure if I'll do it again.

I packed things away after ds2 had finished his letter, then ds1 sidled up wanting to do his

how sweet....less is more obv.

If you don't believe you don't get presents, said to my DDs 24 and 21 :D

I think it's so incredibly sad that people think the magic of Christmas is gone if they don't believe in Father Christmas.

I just keep forgetting they don't know, twice this year (so far) when out shopping I've asked one of them if they think the other would like an item for their stocking, they've both just said "yes" without batting an eyelid.

DD is quite factual and worked out that the tooth fairy wasn't real about this time last year (she was 8 nearly 9). She asked me straight out and I said I didn't know, and couldn't tell her, but she got a bit tearful and it was clear she really was trying to work it out and needed my honesty so I told her... We had a big hug and both had a few tears! The next day she worked out that FC must be in the same category :(

I am very lucky in that she has 2 younger sibs (DS 6 and DD2 1) and understands she needs to help keep up the pretence for them, which kind of adds to the magic for us really.

Although DS is also quite logical and started saying something about how FC must be a "fake" yesterday. I managed to brush over it and change the subject as I am hoping he will still believe for this year at least. He will be 7 next year and I accept as a second child it may be his last year this year :(

Wondering if DD2 will ever believe ...

Aw, it seems to be a bit mean to tell them if they don't believe they don't get presents - and surely they will get presents anyway? I think once they start questioning it, you have to explain.

I loved doing all the Santa stuff as a kid - left sherry and mince pies out and had a stocking right up to leaving home, but don't think I ever truly believed (although I did leave my stocking out on my birthday one night, just on the off-chance. My birthday is in May).

My mum told my oldest when he was 8, my middle child was always the one most keen on what to leave out for FC and leaving him a map of the house so he knew where to leave the presents and he carried that on until he was about 14 so I didn't really know when he stopped believing and I told my daughter when she was 11 and about to go to high school at which point she burst into tears and said I knew 2 years ago but I don't want to stop all the things we do on Christmas eve

My two know that the Father Christmasses you meet aren't real, but just people dressing up to help him especially when it's recognisably a teacher. When they ask questions I tend to just say, that's a good question, what do you think? I've learned from the answers that FC has teams of elves that do the deliveries to help him out as he can't be everywhere at once. Also the tooth fairy doesn't actually have wings, she has a jet pack and she switches it off when she comes into your bedroom so she doesn't wake you up.

I really clearly remember the moment I found out about FC: our next door neighbour admired my new gloves and my mum said she'd got them in John Lewis.

That's exactly the sort of thing I keep doing, as well as asking what to put in each other's stocking I have more than once referred to something they got from FC the year before and said it came from Boots or wherever. [crap mum emoticon]

I also have a doubting 6yo. I'm not ready to have that conversation yet!

Unfortunately one of her friends has an older brother who has been shouting his mouth off about it in their earshot, so I fear it will be game over soon.

What hollie said. Why would you deliberately keep up the pretence?

"I also have a doubting 6yo. I'm not ready to have that conversation yet!"
This sums it up. It's not about the children at all.

I kept it going when my doubted, there's always some story you can come up with and now as grown ups when we discuss past Christmases they are glad we kept it going, ds2 wishes we had kept it going longer when he told us there was no such thing, he was 9.
Ds1 was summer before going to high school and dd is 10 we have told her as she works with older dc and didn't want to leave her open to bullying.
It's up to you OP, some carry it on others spoil the fun
Whatever you do their xmas will still be good, but all the little bits of fun and tradition go.
Obviously no leaving stuff for FC and Rudolph, no point in stocking etc.

I never believed in Father Christmas. Christmas was still magical.
Father Christmas is with fairies and elves, imaginary and fun. Like dress up and make beleive games. You know it's not real, but it's fun to pretend.

It never bothered me at all, but I think you need to teach sensitivity to other children who may believe, I upset my cousin by telling her he wasn't real.

Oh I've done that where I've said yes i bought that in tesco , only for my DC to say no mummy Santa got it. Doh!!! I just say oh there's so much going on I forget who got what and that santa sends his elves out to all the shops if her can't make the toy in his workshop. Big fat white lies!!

It might well be a bit for me, but I'm loving all the little traditions that we've built up over the last few years.

I've now realised that even if they know that he's not real, those things don't have to stop - a bit like hippo's daughter.

my DD just said to me tonight " mummy a little boy in my class said FC isnt real and its just your parents"

I said " oh, children always say that, FC isnt real, god isnt real, the stars arnt real and mummy and daddy could never afford the amount of presents you get!"

she seemed to like that and said " well i get loads u could never afford that....!"

thanks MN thats a line i got earlier today and it hopefully worked.! But she did say ..." there is a chance god may not be real too" I sounded as causual AS i could and hope its forgotton.

My 6 and 8 year old regularly discuss this. I said I just think Santa's magic but if they don't believe that's fine but they need to not tell their little brother.

Usually the conversation ends with them arguing about who is doing the mince pies etc. The last time DS2 tooth had fallen out and he was adamant about Santa but then ensured that the tooth fairy would be coming.