My 10 year old and Father Christmas

I was 5 years old when our teacher told us there was no such person , how cruel .This was in the early 1950's . I don't remember that bothered me much perhaps I didn't believe her. Our Christmases were always magical thanks to our parents

My husband is the most wonderful grandad, and every year he writes a personal letter to 3 of our grandchildren (having first elicited some facts from their mum) and the letters are truly magical. This has meant that the eldest GC kept believing even when her friends tried to put her straight. She's now 14, but the letters kept going until she was 13; she's a strong-minded girl who preferred to keep the status quo and not rock any boats for the younger ones. "Santa" now writes to the other two, saying that their sister is now too old for his letters. Our GD was entranced to learn that it was Grandad who wrote the letters - he became an even bigger hero to her. She confessed she hadn't wanted to spoil the magic. It'll be interesting to find out how soon the other two guess the truth!

Trembling lip here. You mean ,you mean ...
.. I get a stocking every year. Even when we are away. So he does exist. Yah boo you rotters.

RAF.
Let kids be kids and if they want to believe in Santa and his elves, and fairies let them. enjoy this.
My religion is Christian C of E. But unlike many who claim to be Christians but only go to church on xmas day to celebrate what they have had installed in them as the day of Jesus's birth will not be amongst them.Where in the bible does it say Jesus was born on 25th December??
There are many indications if one reads the chapters that Jesus birth could not have been when the church claims.
Was it not the early Christian church rather that fight what was a pagan festival decided it was the only way to get folk into Christianity by telling them this story?.
Make merry get together over this festive period nothing wrong in that but not in the name of what has yet to be proved.

My eight year old GD doesn't believe in Santa, she owned up to that last year. However, the six year old GD does and I have asked her older sister not to spoil it for her.

Let her believe for another year - she'll work it out for herself, like most of the rest of us did.

On another topic altogether, but related, as it shows how children think. In my early twenties a colleague told me, he had at the age of about 12, when told the details of sex by bigger boys at school, hotly denied that his mum and dad had ever done ANYTHING THAT DIRTY! It didn't bother him at all when all the others laughed at him, either. Later he worked out for himself that he wouldn't have been there if his parents hadn't done what the other boys said all grown-ups do.

We still have Father Christmas stockings for anyone staying on Xmas eve - my oldest was 22 when she helped Father Christmas stuff stockings the first time.
Even when children and grandchildren tell me otherwise I tell them FC comes to our house. And Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy.

I think I asked mine what they thought and we talked around what people did and didn’t believe in. After all, some people believe in fairies, angels, guiding spirits, ghosts, Father Christmas, witches on broomsticks, aliens..... Some people don’t. And that’s without getting into different religions. It’s best just to keep your beliefs to yourself and just reply “Well, you may not think there’s a Santa, but you could be wrong” and give a knowing look.

My daughter thought she wouldn't get a stocking if she admitted she knew. I put her right at 16, when I put a box of Tampax inside the stocking!

Pretty sure my 8 yr old dgs has his doubts about Santa but doesn’t want to risk him not coming!! I agree with other posts that they do work it out for themselves and in our family we all believe in Father Christmas anyway ??

I recently told my 10 year old granddaughter that I had booked us to see Santa at our local gardening centre, breakfast included. I said isn't that exciting, are you looking forward to it? She said it would be a lovely treat, but when I mentioned Santa would be saying hello to her she said mmmmm. Don't think she really believes he's for real, but I do!

Well I agree with others who say he is real in he sense of the Christmas spirit. I never liked to lie outright when asked 'Is he true?' - I would say "What do you think?' Or 'Well, who do you think fills your stocking then?' And let them work it our for themselves. In any case my children and now all the GC get small stocking fillers only from FC - All other presents are under the tree for later (so thy can thank the people who gave them.)
None of my children was traumatised to find out. Nor was I as a child - I woke aged around 9 and saw my Dad filling my stocking and thought sleepily "So that's how it's done" and went back to sleep. I never hung up stockings after th age of about 13, but my children still had them in their early 20s. I dont do them now but mostly their spouses do it for them! I do think it's a bit daft for adults to have stockings to be honest and a huge extra expense.

We never told our children about Father Christmas. We told them about Jesus' birth. I couldn't bring myself to lie to them . Of course they heard about FC from friends but always knew it was us who filled their sacks. I don't feel they have missed out at all.

You said it yourself ' this one is made of sterner stuff ' . Rejoice in the fact that she stands up for what she believes in. It's a rare condition for a child .
The Father Christmas conandrum will sort itself out as it always does.

I had to tell my son that Father Christmas didn't bring all of the presents when at 6 years old he came home from his friends house in tears asking if he had been really bad all year because his friends living room was full of presents from Father Christmas including a tv and video player. I did ask him not to tell his younger sister though so as not to spoil it for her.

And @Musicelf I love that!

My 7yr old GD asked DS last year if there really was a FC. He told her that it was up to her what she believed BUT would she rather think there wasn't one or would she like to think that it was a really magical, special time of year when anything might come true? She chose to believe in FC.

My 7yr old GD asked DS last year if there really was a FC. He told her that it was up to her what she believed BUT would she rather think there wasn't one or would she like to think that it was a really magical, special time of year when anything might come true? She chose to believe in FC.

Since she evidently still wants to believe, I would go along with it - she'll un-believe soon enough!

At 8 my dd1 told me she knew perfectly well that Father Christmas was me and daddy, so I might as well admit it. OK, I said, but not a word to little sister.

Many years later - she was over 20 - she told me she'd been absolutely dying for me to deny it, so she could go on believing a bit longer! So if I had my time over again...

kwest, your post made me LOL, I will relate it to my daughter!

Granny23, your DGD is wise beyond her years. That distinction between "believe" and "pretend" could help soften the blow for any children who are afraid to stop believing in case it makes Chrrsimas stop happening. "We can still pretend!" is the attitude my parents and I took when the belief was shattered, and everyone was reassured that the fun and the magic would continue.

It’s sad when their world of make-believe clashes with reality. But knspol talks about the magic of Christmas and that’s what we hang onto in our house. When challenged directly by GS1 a few years ago about the existence of FC I asked him what he believed.

When he fessed up that he didn’t think FC really existed, I told him what I thought, how this time of year was a break in the darkness of winter and how it is truly magical as all our family comes together and enjoys the magic.

I imagine it’s not magical to everyone on this site, as families split up, partners die, others are cut out of lives. But if the child can feel that instead when FC is outed then that’s what matters IMO.

Watch polar express wonderful film for those who are not sure they believe any more ?

Sweet and innocent? Or trusting FC to provide the goods more than those unreliable adults she's saddled with?

My DS found out at about 4 from harder headed friends at an inter city nursery that Santa didn't exist. What could we do?

I thought Father Christmas existed until I was 6 and stood in the school dinner queue one November day when the subject came up. I still remember the shock at being put right by my friends, and a feeling of being betrayed by the adults in the family.

I personally wouldnt make so much of the fantasy of Santa. I hope we have learnt to be more straightforward with our DC and DGC.

I wouldn't say anything to disillusion her. My daughter was approaching eleven and still a 'believer'. My son (2 years older) said I should tell her as he thought it embarrassing that his sister still thought Santa was for real. However, I think she actually pretended to believe for longer than she really did because it was such a lovely myth! We are not children for very long so why try to rain on some of the 'magic'?