Father Christmas!

[Julie_B_mum_of_three!]

Hi everyone. I've never posted before but I've been a member for 4 months!

 

My DS has Autism (originally diagnosed Aspergers) and he's only just turned 6. As he is my first child I don't really know what is age appropriate compared with other children his age. Just wondered what anyone elses experience is of good old Father Christmas or Santa!!!

 

We have 2 other younger children so went as a family (for the first time) to see the big FC. The other 2 boys had a great time, but my DS told me afterwards that it wasn't the real santa and it was just a man! Totally unimpressed with the amazing grotto which had the moving stuffed animals. I asked what he thought of FCs dog and he pulled a sour face telling me it was only an electric dog and looked at me as though I was stupid!!!

 

Guess that means he's never gonna believe in the Tooth Fairy either!?

 

 

[Caffeine Junkie]

My two girls who are NT and aged 6 and 9 years, have always said it is just a man in a Santa's suit. My youngest still beleives in Santa (I don't know about the eldest). We just said that it was actually one of his helpers, as Santa is so busy at this time of year.

[chris54]

Funny you should mention Father Christmas.

 

To day we took our son, now 8 down to see Father Christmas or should I say, to see if he wanted to see Father Christmas.

 

There was one at the school fate, which he didn't want to see but thought it might have been length of queue.

 

Walked in, only one in queue so I asked the question. NO. Went for a cup of tea, asked a few times, still NO. So that's it.

 

He has never been that keen but has gone along with it in previous years.

 

As he gets presents from us and some from Santa he wont be to keen on letting on what he thinks about Santa's existence. He had a letter from Santa the other day with a sack with his name on, to put out on Christmas eve. He did ask how Santa knew which school he went to and what he wanted. I just said something about Santa knows every thing.

I think now that he is kidding us along.

Probably thinks we are potty believing in Santa.

 

[bikemad]

My lad believes in Santa and also the tooth fairy...tho dont know how much longer for cos he is asking like twenty questions bout them now.

[Canopus]

Does it destroy a joy of childhood to tell your kids that Father Christmas doesn't exist?

[pearl]

There came a point where we had to, Canopus. JP was 11 & approaching High School, he'd have been toast if he'd gone there still believing, so with a heavy heart we gently asked him a few questions till he reached his own conclusion

 

Welcome JulieB

Edited December 8, 2008 by pearl

[sesley]

he went to a christmas party on Saturday and santa gave him a wall e toy one of the little robots and he said , I wanted a Game so i have said Santa will make quick visits to various partys,but only for a short time ,while he collects last minute requests, don't worry, he will be back after midnight, when you are a sleep ,and only if you are a sleep because Santa is magic and know's when you are awake and won't come until you are really asleep i wonder how long i can keep this lie going for

[pookie170]

Funny thing, this...

I had to tell Cal a couple of years ago,as some of his classmates were really giving him a hard time about still believing (they were only 8 at the time, for heaven's sake!!) and he wasn't that bothered- I think his classmates had presented a sound argument as to how Santa could not be real........

However, while Cal happily believed in both Santa and the Tooth Fairy up to that point, his little brother is a bit diffferent....

His belief in Santa is sound and a thing of joy for all of us, but when he lost his first tooth in August, and I informed him of the tooth fairy ritual, he fixed me with a condescending, almost derisive look and said

'The tooth fairy? Come on Mum, you don't think I'm going to believe that, do you?'

 

 

Like, what????

Nope, he was not having it- I went to the trouble of calligraphing the night away and leaving a fab little note, with tiny inky footprints and everything (there was even a print on his pillow!) but he remains thoroughly sceptical.

Why? I don't get it! How can you have firm faith in one thing and not the other? Sheesh!

 

So much for Aspie kids having no imagination!!

So you're not the only one whose offspring considers them bonkers, Julie!!

Hope you all have a great Christmas, regardless!

 

Esther x

[Kathryn]

Save yourself the bother of telling them Santa doesn't exist. Take them to Lapland New Forest and for the mere sum of �25 they can destroy the Christmas fantasy for you. Alas it's closed now - what a shame.

 

Apart from the tacky attractions which left much to be desired, apparently one child had to be comforted after seeing an off- duty Santa smoking.

 

K x

[pookie170]

Wow....I'm sorry we missed that one!

 

I recall sitting on a rather well-marinated Santa's knee when I was about 4- every time he spoke to us, we were eneveloped in a fug of whisky fumes- my little brother howled the grotto down!!

 

Ahh....the magic of Christmas, right enuff!

[cathyz]

At the age of 2 we told our eldest DD (sadly no longer with us) that if she gave Santa her dummy she'd get a present. She ran in to the grotto threw the dummy at him and shouted present (oh the shame)

 

She never mentioned the dummy again til christmas morning opened all her presents then cried for most of the day cos Santa hadn't brought the dummy back.

[chris54]

I'm now certain that realization that Santa is not real comes from discussions with friends at school.

 

Last night out of the blue came the question "Do you believe in God? YES or NO". I side lined that one.

 

He has only just discovered the concept of God and is now questioning it.

 

I don't really what him to come out in an RE lesson and say to vicar "My Dad don't believe in God" , especially am my other half is friendly with same vicar.

 

Any way back to Santa's grotto.

I can remember always asking my mum "Can we go and see Father Christmas?" never did but then I can never remember a time when I thought Santa really existed.With big brother and sisters that fantasy was long gone.

[NobbyNobbs]

my biggest problem with father christmas was as the youngest i was terrified if i let on i didn't believe in him anymore my parents would stop giving us stockings! it was only the discovery that my older sisters best friend (an only child) still got one that stopped this

[sesley]

the Santa illusion is a disaster today before going to appt with psycologist,we popped into tesbys for bread and with p, we thoguht we would see if the game he wanted was there stupid us and it was there and he saw, we picked it up and thought it might not be there later so we decided then and p went because he wanted Santa to get it, so i walked away with him saying We needed to tell Santa where it was,my oh went to customer serivce to get it discreatly, who then told us go through checkout well we still needed bread and he p saw the thing he wanted from Santa in oh hand and he went off telling to put it back, he wanted Santa to get it, and we were only had 10 mins to get to out appointment, the ups shot is i have now convinced him that Santa now knows about the game and we haven't bought it , while he was and angry we sent it back.oh dear how long do we have to keep the Santa lie going we entertained tesburys anyway.i don't think j public understand autism, but then its still a mystery to us and we made a mistake being impulsive.