When they stop believing...

[Kate&Lucas]

Would you try and make them believe again?
Lucas came home yesterday and said he doesn't believe in Father Christmas. He's 5, but shares the playground with much older kids at school and I think they've all been talking about it (he says no-one has told him, but he got really defensive and burst out crying when I asked).

I just gave him my speech that naughty kids don't believe in Father Christmas because Father Christmas doesn't visit them, but he really didn't seem to buy it. Now, I'm just wondering whether it's worth pushing it, or should I just come clean?
I've always sort of said I'd never force it on him if he stops believing, and at the moment I've had a few issues with him lying to me so I feel like a MASSIVE hypocrite, giving him lectures on telling the truth while insisting he believes in something that's not real. It just seems so sad, though. I found out when I was v young (I found the gifts) and it really took the magic away so much.
All the excitement of rushing to bed early, putting out reindeer food, finding our Elf on the Shelf. It's only really the last two years he's properly understood it, I feel like if I tell him now he'll never really have those magical memories of Christmas.

What would you do?

 

[shelx]

I would force him to believe again but that's just me as long as it's not a bad lie. He will understand when he's older than you did it to make his childhood magical

 

[leoniebabey]

I would still try and see how it goes. If by nearer xmas he's still not having it then address it then. Once xmas stuff starts taking over he may get back into it after a visit to santa or similar.

 

[o0oCharlieo0o]

I would try my best to keep up the beleif personally, they don't beleive for long and I wouldn't want it to end so soon, my youngest son went through a stage of not beleiveing last year when he was 5 because his best friend at school is a Jehovah's Witness and as they don't celebrate Christmas she told him Santa isn't real, so he believed her, I just told him Santa doesn't visit her because she doesn't beleive, and he doesn't visit anyone who doesn't beleive, closer to Xmas I got an app that does personalised Santa videos and phone calls, and he got a video and photo from Santa which made him beleive more again, and a app that made it that elves where in our house, Santa spycam I beleive its called, he decided he did beleive and hung our his stocking although I know he still doubted it, well that year my OH dressed as Santa and in the middle of the night he took the stockings full up into their room and made sure he made enough noise to wake them up but lights still off so they didn't know it was him, my OH had to speedily rip the outfit off in our bedroom after (pj's underneath) kick the clothes under the bed and jump in bed pretending to be asleep because out ran 3 amazed and excited boys who had just seen Santa, my little boy was so excited to know Santa was 'real' he's not ever doubted it since

 

[marmaduke]

5 is too young to stop believing! I think I'd just not really mention anymore about it to him & see nearer the time how is is.
Did he say he knows it's you?

 

[Beanbabe]

My DS was six when he first said he didn't believe and i very gently pushed him towards believing again that Christmas. He got a very detailed and special letter from Santa that year but hasn't had one since. I tell them that Santa can't write to all the children every year. His Logic for no Santa was that The North Pole was to cold for anyone to live in.

Any time there's a query in our house I always just reply "believing makes the magic" and leave it at that. I normally get a response from the kids like and if there's no magic then there's no Christmas. This is actually true so I'm not lying to them! My kids write their letters to Santa and we always visit Santa every year. I tell them that the Santa we visit are really elves who are helping Santa out. This covers the fact that they are all different. My son is 10 now and I know he got another few years of actual believing after that. This yr I'm very unsure of his belief but we'll see what happens.

Hope the run up to Christmas will restore his belief. I actually wrote a similar thread here when it happened to me

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/santas-grotto/819178-dont-think-santa-real.html

It's got some good ideas in it 😀

 

[motherofboys]

Age would be a big factor. If it were my 5 year old then I would probably try to keep the believe alive. Last year my eldest (who turned 9 just after Christmas) became one of santas helpers.
It started with an argument with his dad that he "knows it is you! He isnt real you buy the presents " in front for the little ones, so I called him away and explained the truth and how he had now been 'promoted' and had a very special job of helping keep the magic alive for the others.
This year Ds2 will be 8 (in just over a week actually) if he asked, depending on how he asked I would consider telling him. If he said "so and so doesn't believe " I would ask "and what do you think?" if he asked "is it you " I would say yes
And then give the speach about how santa is real but he just isn't 1 man who lives in the north pole, he lives in the heart of every boy and girl who believe in the spirit of Christmas and in that excited feeling you get when giving a gift.

 

[emilyjade]

5 is far to young not to believe anymore, so sad that you have to make him rebelieve

 

[pandacub]

I would probably try and get him to believe again.. I have no memories of truly believing in Father Christmas, I was forever asking adults 'but HOW do his reindeer fly?' And getting cross when they replied 'magic'

 

[mum140381]

i make my 16 year old say he believes or he doesn't get his presents lol

 

[Kate&Lucas]

Thanks ladies this is all really helpful I'll keep it going then.
He's a pretty cynical kid anyway. He's the type that rolls his eyes at character mascots and things and says "you know it's not real, don't you?"
I've told him there's no chance I could get him that many presents. Thing is, I hid a gift somewhere in the house and it's possible he's seen it and put two and two together. I did tell him that I've bought a Christmas gift (from me, to him) and hid it, so he's not to go snooping.
Either way I mentioned FC earlier and he didn't say anything so fingers crossed he's conviced (or just scared to bring it up again )