Father Christmas

[MiaWallace]

Can I appeal to all those who tell their childen FC is just a story or isn't real at all?

Of course that is your choice to make but please ask your children not to share this information with their friends. It?s so disappointing for the children who believe in FC to be told differently by their friends (I know it happened to me ).

I understand that at some point a child will realise that it?s all a myth, but it?s much kinder if it?s a slow realisation as they grow older.

Please keep the fantasy alive for those who want to believe.

And for all you non-believers , I recommend you watch Miracle on 34th street

Nicely explained Colditz. My family also quite like Baboushka.

pmsl at 'or Debenhams for that matter'.

What about children who are of other faiths, PA?

What will they say to them?

Actually he's a combined eprsona representing both St Nicholas and one of the ancient Gods (did put this on another thread but was fresh from Uni lecture that day, and now my brain has had the chance to empty- sorry). Coca cola just repsonsible essentially for the coat colour- which is not important

But essentially Colditz is right.

My almost 8 year old knows there's no Santa, he knows I know there's no Santa, we ahve a tacit unspoken agreement that we both would rpefer to believe (and that his brother does- not sure how much ds3 understands) therefore its Not Up For Discussion

(there's loads of evidence jesus existed btw- not that he was a trinity or supernatural being obv)

well said colditz. I think that children today grow up too quickly anyway. Speeding this up seems unfair to me. If we cant believe in a bit of magic when we are children, when can we. I bet preggarsagain does not believe in the tooth fairy either.

I checked with DD (in Yr 4). I asked her if many of the others in her class still believed in Father Christmas. Oh yes, she says. So you just let them get on with it do you? I asked. Thats right she says with a grin.

She's more than happy to play along - she certainly doesn't have to lie (if asked directly she'd probably say something fairly tactful like, well some people believe that).

But then she added, Mind you, none of them believes the 'real' santa comes to the school fayre, Christopher rather let it out that it was his grandpa.

Which I think is pretty much the right balance.

Whats obnoxious is know-it-all kids deliberately bursting the bubble especially for younger ones.

Your dd sounds very sweet and sensitive EmsMum.

And I'm happy for you to believe that too. No, she's got quite good about that sort of thing, after the first occasion aged about 5 when a friend innocently made a remark about God making all the animals and DD roundly telling her not to be so silly it was evolution!

EM, I'd be more inclined to praise her for that

But telling small children that FC doesn't exist is just wrong, imo.

Who's the green leafy chap...in the pagan winter tradition...my brain is wool..someone help me!

I am not lying to my child. I am telling her a story, and she choses to believe in it. In the same way she believes in fairies, and Mickey Mouse.

Why spoil someeone's fun?

I'd be annoyed if someone else spoilt the magic for her. Father Christmas is all such innocent fun, why shouldn't she believe ina little bit og magic. She's 5 for goodness sake. If you can't have make believe and magic then when can you?!

Even as a child when I stopped believing I would never have dreamt of bursting some one else's magic. I have a sister, 10 years younger than me. Me and my brother did our upmpst to keep the magic alive for her, and you know what - it was fun to do so too!

Preggersagain, I hope I'm not spoiling Christmas for you, but you do know that Jesus was VERY unlikely to have been born on Christmas Day, don't you?

Did he believe in Father Christmas, that's the question though!

NoBiggy - the Green Man?

Hmm, that's not really what I was thinking of... I have some vague recollection that I heard somewhere (and believed it, obviously!) that there was some leafy gent who has something to do with the Father Christmas tradition, which is why he was portrayed in green clothes. Until he switched to red. Black would have been more slimming, but there you go.

My ds was told by his friend FC wasn't real years ago - he ignored it and continued to believe anyway. (Until he discovered me wrapping presents up last year that is!) What if your child goes to school with a child who doesn't celebrate Christmas? Do you expect them to 'pretend' FC exists?