LizK Report post Posted November 23, 2006 Adam is just five and I think this will probably be the first Christmas he will understand more of what's going on. We've had two requests for presents already although one is actually for a 12mth old!!! Pester power has begun ! His peers at school and friends of same age all understand and enjoy the idea of Father Christmas but I just don't know whether this concept is really going to work with my fairly concrete little boy. Last year he was terrified of the big man in the red outfit and don't think he will be any more enamoured this year! Because of his limited understanding of Christmas don't think we'll be introducing Santa this year but it got me wondering about years to come. I'm not ideologically opposed to the notion of Father Christmas, it was magical part of growing up for me which I'd love the boys to experience but is it actually something that autistic children find hard to understand? How do you deal with the whole finding out that Santa isn't real scenario ? Interested in others views and experiences Lx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loupin Report post Posted November 23, 2006 I'm still trying to decide how to tackle this one. My son is 6 and last year was terrified of this big bearded man coming into our house so we did say he wont its just pretend. This year we are doubley blessed because jesus is coming to visit for christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not much help i'm afraid!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cat Report post Posted November 23, 2006 I told my youngest when he was only 4 that Santa did not really exist The idea of a strange man with a big white beard and red coat coming into our house while we were all sleeping was just too much for him to cope with. I could have held on and waited to see if things improved the next year, but as I am not much of a Santa fan either (I know bah hum bug) I told him there and then. I have never quite understod why we spend so much time telling young children that they don't talk to strangers, let alone take sweets and even toys from them - and then find it acceptable to fill em full of rubbish about a man in a red coat? You can all boo and hiss now if you wish. I am not anti Christmas we do do Christmas but very much on terms that are right for us. My eldest two only really believed until they were about six and at the first question of 'does he really exist Mummy?' I said no dreaful I know. My youngest has been very good and not told anyone who does believe, the real version of events However he is now becoming very perplexed that his 11 year old friend still believes. Now how do you get out of that one without the child thinking that you have been lying to em for years Cat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butterfingersbimbo Report post Posted November 23, 2006 i dont think you are awful Cat! i wish i had done the same thing with el tbh......now she is ten and still a believer, and even tho others have told her he isnt real she wont have it .......have told her now that she is ten she only gets one pressie of FC and the rest are off other people, she went mad she is really going to freak when she figures out he isnt real! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dooday24 Report post Posted November 23, 2006 REECE SILL BELIEVES IN FATHER CHRISTMAS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted November 23, 2006 T is 7 and always believed in Santa. he was told by a friends child recently that Santa isn't real. This broke T's heart and he blamed me for 'lying to him'. I'm glad he had the time he did have in believing in Santa though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tilly Report post Posted November 23, 2006 My dd who is now 10 came home from her SEN school with her home diary. It explained that she wouldn't join in with the Xmas display as she didn't believe in Santa and it was only mam and dad Her teacher asked how did mam and dad get down the chimney and dd laughed at this I did tell dd that he didn't exist, much to the disgust of my family but I thought now that she is 10 she was too old to believe I also told her about the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny. Tilly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullet Report post Posted November 23, 2006 I believed until I was 10 and it never bothered me that my parents hadn't been exactly strict with the truth when I found out either . Tom does not understand anything about Christmas yet, we have some presents wrapped in the living room and he's not bothered with them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Siadwell Report post Posted November 23, 2006 Our DS is 12 and still believes in Santa, even though he hears all the time that he is not real. Hegets very angry when peole tell him this or if God is not real. Every night he says 5 times, "goodnight, God and Santas watching me" and that seems to calm him down prior to sleep. He keeps saying that he wants to work for Santa when he gets older I just don't know what to say to make him aware and not to blow his mind completely. Sorry this isn't much help... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlp Report post Posted November 23, 2006 We 'do' Santa although he's having a cut back this year (ds hasn't been informed as then he'd think he was really hard done by when if we don't say anything he won't notice) due to excess excitement last year! I'm beginning to wish we'd never started with the Santa thing though (even though I'm mostly to blame as I get over excited with the Norad site every year) as I remember all too well the Christmas' after I knew Santa wasn't real, I was seriously depressed and all the magic had gone. I was a particularly miserable child though so hopefully ds won't have as extreme a reaction! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullet Report post Posted November 23, 2006 Our DS is 12 and still believes in Santa, even though he hears all the time that he is not real. Hegets very angry when peole tell him this or if God is not real. Every night he says 5 times, "goodnight, God and Santas watching me" and that seems to calm him down prior to sleep. He keeps saying that he wants to work for Santa when he gets older I just don't know what to say to make him aware and not to blow his mind completely. Sorry this isn't much help... My honest opinion? Let him believe for as long as he wants. He'll find out in his own time and what a wonderful imagination he has . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss Report post Posted November 23, 2006 We "do" Santa too. Our eldest dd is 9 and still believes. When she asks me if Santa is real or not, I'd tell her the truth, but she hasn't asked yet. She believes in the tooth fairy too, and the Easter Bunny. I was always terrified of the fella when I was a little un, and have photographic evidence of me howling sat upon his knee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lancelot Report post Posted November 24, 2006 I've fretted unnecessarily about this one in the past! My eldest (nearly 11, AS) finally demanded last year, "Is it really you and Daddy?", but when we said, " What do you think?" he decided on balance that it was probably Father Christmas after all. Suits me, as his little sister is still very little, and we didn't have to lie about it. Apparently he'd written a list and not shown it to us, so we couldn't possibly have guessed what he wanted (hmmm, the obsessive talking about it for months beforehand/circling bits of catalogues wouldn't have dropped any clues, now would it??). What does still bug me is the clash between my view that FC just does stockings (choccy coins, satsuma, little things) and DH's view that he brings the entire heap, including things with labels on saying 'From Grandma' -- now where's the logic in that? Haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. Is it winter already? love, L the Inefficient Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oxgirl Report post Posted November 24, 2006 I'm not a great fan of the bearded fatso myself and I know if we're not straight with Jay it only confuses him. When he was little we'd read books etc. about Santa but didn't reinforce the idea at all ourselves and when he asked about it, as he was getting mixed messages from family members, we were straight and told him it was just a bit of pretend fun but not real and he was happy with that, although granny was probably scandalized! He also needs us to tell him exactly what presents we've got him and he even picks them from shops himself for us to wrap up, he can't tolerate the unknown. ~ Mel ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted November 24, 2006 A burglar dressed up as Father Christmas entered a house via the chimney and nicked all the kid's presents and bottles of spirits. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullet Report post Posted November 24, 2006 A burglar dressed up as Father Christmas entered a house via the chimney and nicked all the kid's presents and bottles of spirits. How on earth did he get down it? Chimneys aren't exactly made to fit a grown man Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted November 24, 2006 The house had a very wide chimney. A 5 year old girl heard something so went downstairs and saw Father Christmas. He told her to go back to bed or else she wouldn't get any presents. The family were devastated when they found they had no presents and told the 5 year old that it wasn't Father Christmas, it was a burglar and she should have told her parents. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirstie Report post Posted November 25, 2006 T is 7 and always believed in Santa. he was told by a friends child recently that Santa isn't real. This broke T's heart and he blamed me for 'lying to him'. Just recently my friend's son was told santa wasn't real (he has Autism) and he was furious that his parents had lied to him, he was distraught. I have also wondered how Lew will feel when/if someone tells him he's not real. He is so excited about it and soon he will be up untill 1am and awake again at 5am. It's quite hard going at Christmas time as i'm sure you guys will know. Lew also believes in the tooth fairy etc and his latest is God although he insists God is a woman! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butterfingersbimbo Report post Posted November 25, 2006 well lew is right there! if there is a god of course she's a woman oh yeah forgot about the tooth fairy! yep she's real........never did the easter bunny thing tho? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rainbow queen Report post Posted November 25, 2006 my 5 year old isnt very bothered by father christmas at all......... we saw one dressed in town and he did ask me if it was father xmas or words to that effect if he was real.....and i did wonder if i should of come clean................he showed no interest anyway -i asked if he wanted to go up to him and he didnt want to......... i made the mistake of taking him to some xmas fairs when he was smaller to see him .........and he screamed the place down.........as he hated the crowds ....so i avoid them now.............too much noise and bustle.....ect.......... i took him this afternoon to watch lights being switched on ......he couldnt care less.............he was to busy confronting strangers with questions and touching them.. [is this normal behaviour??].....im guesing it is cause hes been doing it for ages...........and coming out with personal comments.............any event we go to ends in screams and tears so i try to avoid it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rainbow queen Report post Posted November 25, 2006 http://www.av1611.org/othpubls/santa.html if anyones interested -check that link out about santa claws !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
