If some misery tells your child there is no Santa/FC...

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Just occurred to me, since a so called friend did tell dd aged only 5 that there was no Santa, 'it's just a fairytale'.

Thank heaven I thought to tell her at once that so called friend had probably been so naughty when she was little that Santa never came, so it was no wonder she didn't no believe in him. Should add that I was helped by the fact that friend had form for rowing, effing and blinding, inc. in front of dd at least once.
This worked like a dream, so thought I'd share in case anyone else's dc encounters a misery wanting to spoil the magic.

I keep waiting for the year mine stop wanting to hang up their stockings, leave a mince pie out and watch Santatracker. They will be 16 and 21 this Christmas.........

Bert we all have stockings here even my mum and the cat!

Why do you need to prove FC is real? That's like insisting Cinderella is real

*Bertrand

I still make my children do that

Any dissent is met with 'dont belive, dont receive' said in tenser and tenser tones as the festive period progresses

When decorating the trees last year dd said ' is doing this terrifying in other houses'

(Disclaimer...im joking (sort of))

My Dd is 8 and last Xmas said that a girl in her school had said there was no Santa. I carefully replied with "Who do you think brings the presents instead?" and she said "the elves!!" haha bless her x

I watch Santatracker and I'm 40.

'is doing this terrifying in other houses'

I just laughed out loud at that

That's the real spirit of a family Christmas, right there. You can't manufacture moments like that.

Why not tell your child about St Nicholas and the story behind the tradition of Father Christmas. Then it is real. I'm not religious but that's what I told my DC and then it is based on something that happened & is positive. I said that the story lives on in the hearts of all the people who still give secret presents to children and dress up in red & white clothes at Christmas time. No lies there.

"Johnny says that there's no Father Christmas but that's because he was so naughty when he was little that he doesn't get any presents"

^^ Except the dc probably does get presents but labeled from family.

OP another good one is to say when women have a baby they tick how they do xmas, so germans ./europe do xmas eve etc. In UK most people do xmas day.

@edithwatson,

thatsa great one too - re parents stepping in.

What, Santa is not real?

Margo-did you tell them about the children being cut up and in a pot?

Don't know that one Bertrand. The story I found was fairly benign about a rich Bishop who used to help out the poor people and children of his parish / neighbourhood, not sure what it is called, with secret gifts down their chimneys, or whatever equivalent they had back then. I think there are a number of different stories, I just went with the one that seemed age appropriate for very young children and wasn't just about spending money on really expensive presents.

That's the best part.

Can't wait until DD is old enough to watch the Rare Exports Christmas film with the evil santa getting out of his mountain prison.

As a non-British, half hearted Jew living in Britain I have to say I don't understand the adult insistence that kids believe in santa. Why is it so important? No one gets as up in arms about the tooth fairy. Why is santa such a stress point?

The whole behaviour/ reward/ threat aspect of santa is unsettling from a 'non participants' viewpoint. When my son was little I told him that santa was a myth, and that different people believe in different things. No one was harmed, although I wouldn't have been impressed at some narrow mind parents saying santa didn't come to my son's house because he's naughty!

I think it's time this friendly chap came back at Christmas time

Well, whenever DD really doesn't believe (we think she doesn't but we'll make sure for going into secondary school) - I am planning on not dropping her stocking but adding in stockings for DH and I instead!

And my DSiblings who still go "home" for Christmas all still put out their socks (actual pair of socks that they wear) for their fruit, sweets and book from Santa every Christmas. The youngest of those is now 33! There might be much merriment at different times about the ridiculousness of it, but on Christmas Eve, they religiously do it and go to bed before DPs, or they know that DF would get quite upset at losing what is, for him, a special part of Christmas.

Then aqain, we've always had presents under the tree from DPs and other relatives, so its different to some houses where everything has come from Santa.

We always hung up our stockings (actually red elf hats, which we then had to wear all Christmas day) even though my parents were very straightforward about no Father Christmas - mum filled our stockings (and dad filled hers - that's not a euphemism) and we were still very excited.

I always think this clinging to the FC myth is far more for the parents than the dc. This thread belongs with the Huns.

Another misery checking in.

Actually, we have lovely, and magical, Christmasses. But I don't lie to my children. What I've said since they were tiny, is that it's fun to pretend that Santa exists. And that it's essential to do so with other children, because some of them don't know yet that all the adults are only pretending.

PMSL at Natsku clarifying that her Dad filling her Mum's stocking is not a euphemism!!!!!

That's pretty mean thing to do OP.

I would have said "doesn't believe in FC?! Then who on earth does he think travels ALL over the world in just ONE night delivering all those presents?!!" to which DD at 5 would have replied "I know!" eyeroll, tut then mad laughter at such a ridiculous suggestion.

Telling kids Santa doesn't come because they are naughty is just shitty. You do realise not all families celebrate Christmas?

A 5yo telling other kids "Santa does bring you presents because you're too naughty" is way worse than telling the truth.

Why make other kids feel made bad, just to preserve a lie for your child?

I would react terribly if a grown adult told my child father Xmas doesn't exist. I would be beyond livid. Even if a child said it I wouldn't be best pleased! I would look at it as ruining Xmas for my child.
I grew up (until about age 10) believing in father Xmas, and in the younger years it was the most magical exciting experience of my childhood. I understand people not doing it for religious reasons, but other than that I don't understand people not doing Father Christmas for their children and before people say"well I do t lie to my children and we have great magical Xmas with family etc" well children can't miss what they haven't had. But I don't think children should be deprived of that magic. Maybe some people didn't have it themselves as kids so don't get it.

I would look at it as ruining Xmas for my child

It's sad if that's the only thing that's good about your Xmas.