I am amazed at the school’s reaction. It is up to the school to handle this problem not the child’s mother. What do they do when children who don’t believe in Christmas due to their faith ask questions? I can remember some of my children’s friends didn’t believe in Christmas at all and their parents were very strict that their children shouldn’t receive gifts from the other children at school. Our school headmaster handled the problem and not more was said and it worked well every year after that, too.

That’s so sad, particularly for the child. I remember when i found out and it wasn’t until around year 6! That the next Christmas just wasn’t the same, knowing Santa wasn’t real and my parents were the ones buying and wrapping the presents. The excitement wasn’t the same. I believe that if you have the capacity to tell your child then they have responsibility to keep that a secret and not to ruin the other children’s belief in Santa.

I think they are too young to tell them something like that because of course they will tell other kids and ruin the magic for other kids. You could have maybe told him that you can leave a note for santa asking him to please leave the presents outside or can he magic them into the house without coming in? There would have been ways around it im sure

She has brought up some very good points and she has every right to bring up her kids the way she wants to. It’s so hard to tell kids anything because the first thing they do is tell their friends, their teachers, the person at the shops whatever they have been told. The Kinder needs to just accept it and turn it into a learning experience.

It’s okay to tell your children that Santa isn’t real but you need to make sure they know it’s a secret so that they don’t spoil it for all of the other children. Maybe you could have said that Santa won’t be coming into your house because he knows that your boy would be scared. He’s going to leave them in a safe place so he doesn’t scare any one.

We all have the freedom to tell our children the truth about Santa. Some choose to believe in it others don’t. Why should it make it bad for the other children at a kindy? They need to respect your beliefs and leave it there. Sounds like it’s more other parents than the children. Sorry to hear you have to put up with this. Is there another kindy that you could send your son too?

I’m of two minds with this one. My family have never been excessive in promoting Santa. It’s been a thing where we let the kids decide more or less and they always seemed to realise that the gifts were from us. Just for fun I used to mark some of the gifts as being from Santa and some from mum and dad.
BUT that’s our family, other families are really big into everything with Santa and that’s fine too. I think it is important that this mum reminds her children that it is fine for them to not believe in Santa, but they shouldn’t be telling other kids that it’s not real. It’s not their place to do so.
That being said, I don’t think a big hooha needs to be made by the school either. I don’t think either the mum or her son should be in trouble. It all comes down to respecting each other’s beliefs and it’s the same with religions too.

Families may have different beliefs and values and it is always important to respect them and to be sensitive to others. It can be useful to have a conversation with children and even adults about respecting the beliefs of others while still enjoying your own beliefs and traditions in a family.

We handled the situation and initial upset of other children telling our children about Santa with sensitivity. We sat down and had a chat about what the children believe. They went with believing in the magic and fun of Santa and presents be given on Christmas Day. This time disappears so very quickly; it is special to keep some joy and magic in young lives.

This is such a tricky question. Do what’s best for your kids, but try not to impinge on other family’s beliefs, I guess.

My daughter guessed that Santa was not real when she was five. All I could think to say was that St Nikolas was real and that the Santas she sees now are his helpers. It’s a tricky scenario trying to keep the magic of Christmas alive without lying to children.

You do you Mum. What’s right for your kids is your business. You do need to speak to your child and let him know not everyone knows, so keep it a secret. We told our child she is now apart of the biggest secret in the world and has to keep the secret for the magic.

And what are you going to do when they ask about religion .How will you prove what you tell the child.
Let children be children and grow up having happy times

You are not wrong for telling him the truth BUT you also need to instill in him that its a grown up secret and he is not allowed to spoil the magic for other children. You have made the choice to tell your kids early and thats fine but dont spoil the magic for other families.

I can totally understand the motives of why this mum felt she should share “the truth” with her children. Personally i think that the message she received from school received a message from the school saying that her child is “ruining” Christmas for his peers is a bit too heavy and a false accusation. Reality, imagination and magic thinking very much blends together at that age.
For example my child is scared for monsters under the bed. We reassure they are not real, however as soon there is a movement / shadow / noise in the room what the child can’t verify it will think the monster is still there.

It’s not really fair to ruin it for other kids what’s ok for one family isn’t ok for the next so he should have been told not to ruin the Christmas magic for kids that do believe in Santa. Kids won’t be protected forever from the truth of Santa but at kindy age it’s sad to have it ruined for them already

It doesn’t sound like they got in trouble – they were only asked to stop telling other children. Which seems pretty fair to me. No problem with her telling her kids, but why not tell them not to tell others?

I really feel she should have put a lot of emphasis on not telling other children, because it is a bit of magic and innocence that is sweet for a young kid to believe in.

I think most parents are kind and thoughtful enough to warn their children that they shouldn’t ruin it for everyone. You may not believe in it but many cherish it. It’s very sad. You could have simply told him that he has to get permission if you want him to come so he wasn’t scared. Many other options but your choice.