How do you tell your child that Santa isn't real?
camberwellgreen
Posts: 15
My 11-year-old starts secondary school in a couple of weeks; we are at the tail end of the summer holidays here.
About a month ago he mentioned a Playstation game that is due out around Christmas time that he will DEFINITELY want. He said he will ask Santa for it. I bit my lip.
I work at a secondary school and know that talking about Father Christmas will result in mickey-taking as a lot of the children have older siblings and dropped the idea of Santa in Year 5.
Just to compound matters, we went on a family trip to see the 'real' Santa in Finland when he was younger and he still, to this day, believes he was the real thing.
What do I do???
About a month ago he mentioned a Playstation game that is due out around Christmas time that he will DEFINITELY want. He said he will ask Santa for it. I bit my lip.
I work at a secondary school and know that talking about Father Christmas will result in mickey-taking as a lot of the children have older siblings and dropped the idea of Santa in Year 5.
Just to compound matters, we went on a family trip to see the 'real' Santa in Finland when he was younger and he still, to this day, believes he was the real thing.
What do I do???
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Replies
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What do you mean Santa isn't real? That's crazy talk.0
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WAIT!!! What the heck are you talking about?!?!?!?!
SANTA ISN'T REAL!?!?!? :sad: :sad: :sad:0 -
What do you mean Santa isn't real? That's crazy talk.
^^^^^ That0 -
what??? Santa isn't real? I mean after 31 years my Momma never told me?0
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He's 11. He knows.
I was a public school teacher for a couple years.
The trip you all had was special. Don't ruin that for him.0 -
It took me three Christmases to figure out that even though my daughter said she was going to ask Santa for something, she knew damn well he didn't exist.
Probably because mom always says, "NO!"
:laugh:0 -
You're just mean.0
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Okay, no parenting experience at all here, but you could ease into it by telling him that most people don't believe in Santa and work from there.0
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no way.......get outta here0
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Have a made a mistake here???:embarassed:0
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You just have to tell him the truth as kids will take the micky - i am a secondary school teacher - its harsh but needs to be said i would be suprised if he had no idea already to be honest x0
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I will never deny the existence of Santa to my daughter. :laugh:
I'm gonna stay up late and stick presents under the tree until she is in college! :drinker:0 -
my cousins told me when i was little, that the real santa fell off the roof & died. & all the grown ups didnt want the kids to know & be sad, so thats why grown ups are santa. to keep the magic alive.
i liked that.0 -
My brothers told me when I was 4. I can remember when they said it to me too >>
TBH, agree with a comment above, he's 11, he already knows.
If not then be truthful. I don't know, not something I've ever had to do :-/0 -
I let my parents think I believed in Santa long after I knew the truth. You got more presents that way.
I would say he probably knows or at least has a good idea he isn't real and just needs you to confirm it. 0 -
Don't do anything!!! Once the magic of Christmas is gone the holiday just won't be the same. Let him believe as long as he can, the world is jaded enough without taking that away.0
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He's 11. He knows.
I'm now 31, I've know that santa wasn't real for over 20 years now and my sisters and I still ask for stuff from "Santa" and insist on stockings being hung and filled. Don't worry about it.0 -
Tell him the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy got drunk one night, stole a car and killed Santa in a hit and run. They got caught, put in Jail, so they'll be no chocolate or money under the pillow this year either...0
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i STILL ask my mom and dad if "santa can bring me this, this year" and im 29. lol...i figured it out that he wasnt real when i was like 9...chances are your kid knows too but just says it like that = )0
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You don't need to tell him. He has either figured it out or he will soon.
My daughter used to leave a Ham Sandwich and a double bourbon on the rocks out on Christmas Eve for Santa. She's 17 and she still does.0 -
He's 11. He knows.
^ THIS.
He already knows Santa isn't real. Seriously, he's playing you or going along with it because he probably thinks you still want him to believe it.0 -
He knows.
as soon as one kid at school knows everyone knows.
Just leave it along until he feels like saying something.0 -
We didn't get everything we asked Santa for. We gave our parents a list, they passed it a long to Santa and edited it as they saw fit. You don't get everything you ask for, no matter who it is you ask. Let the thought go on, it doesn't hurt.
And, as others said, he probably knows...0 -
God that is the cutest thing ever! But you are absolutely right, he will be bullied for life if he ever mentions that at secondary school!
Maybe you could say you wanted to have a chat as he is now old enough to know the truth, tell him about the story of how Santa came to be (Fable not the Coke version) and how it is a way of making Christmas extra special for small kids, but when they get to a certain age the truth is always revealed and now he is that age. Might make him feel more grown up and that everyone his age has the secret revealed.
He might also be winding you up of course!0 -
and one year my older cousins told me santa wasnt real and i snitched them out to my grandma and they didnt get their santa xmas presents lol...i was like 6 or so and they were 12.i STILL ask my mom and dad if "santa can bring me this, this year" and im 29. lol...i figured it out that he wasnt real when i was like 9...chances are your kid knows too but just says it like that = )0 -
Don't do anything!!! Once the magic of Christmas is gone the holiday just won't be the same. Let him believe as long as he can, the world is jaded enough without taking that away.
^^ This!0 -
Tell him the story of the REAL St. Nicholas and why we celebrate... make it fun.
btw, of course he's real!!! I suppose you don't believe in fairies, either?!0 -
we got busted. it was bad and after we explained to her everything she said "do i even need to ask about the easter bunny?" we just told her that we need to believe in the spirit of christmas and santa is for little kids. The real meaning of Christmas is way cooler. She agreed and we keep it on the DL for little bro who is 5. We have now kicked the easter bunny to the curb. it just bugged me too much. My kids still get to do the egg hunt stuff.
BTW my daughter is 11 she said she has known for a while and didnt want to hurt our feelings so she just kept on going along with the shennanigans!0 -
I will never deny the existence of Santa to my daughter. :laugh:
I'm gonna stay up late and stick presents under the tree until she is in college! :drinker:my cousins told me when i was little, that the real santa fell off the roof & died. & all the grown ups didnt want the kids to know & be sad, so thats why grown ups are santa. to keep the magic alive.
i liked that.
This ^^ and omg Harley, that's adorable!!!! I'm going to have to remember that one, lol
Pft, I'm 30 and still believe there is nothing wrong with a little magic in the world, lol.0 -
He's 11. He knows.
^ THIS.
He already knows Santa isn't real. Seriously, he's playing you or going along with it because he probably thinks you still want him to believe it.
Yep.0
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