“Santa survey” shows children stop believing in Father Christmas at age eight

[C C]

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednew...03_en.html

EXCERPT: . . . Professor Boyle received 1,200 responses from all around the world to his The Exeter Santa Survey, the only international study of its kind, mainly from adults reflecting on their childhood memories.

Interim findings show:

34 per cent of people wished that they still believed in Santa with 50 per cent quite content that they no longer believe

Around 34 per cent of those who took part in the survey said believing in Father Christmas had improved their behaviour as a child whilst 47 per cent found it did not

The average age when children stopped believing in Father Christmas was 8.

There are significant differences between England and Scotland. The mean age when people stop believing in Father Christmas was 8.03 for England and 8.58 in Scotland. There was a difference in attitudes between England and Scotland, as to whether it is ok to lie to children about Santa - more people in Scotland than in England said it was ok to lie to children about Santa.

A total of 65 per cent of people had played along with the Santa myth, as children, even though they knew it wasn’t true.

A third of respondents said they had been upset when they discovered Father Christmas wasn’t real, while 15 per cent had felt betrayed by their parents and ten per cent were angry.

Around 56 per cent of respondents said their trust in adults hadn’t been affected by their belief in Father Christmas, while 30 per cent said it had.

A total of 31 per cent of parents said they had denied that Santa is not true when directlyasked by their child, while 40 per cent hadn’t denied it if they are asked directly.

A total of 72 per cent of parents are quite happy telling their children about Santa and playing along with the myth, with the rest choosing not to.

Professor Boyle said: “During the last two years I have been overwhelmed by people getting in touch to say they were affected by the lack of trust involved when they discovered Santa wasn’t real....

MORE (details): http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednew...03_en.html

[confused2]

From http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednew...03_en.html

Professor Boyle said: “During the last two years I have been overwhelmed by people getting in touch to say they were affected by the lack of trust involved when they discovered Santa wasn’t real....

When you find the guy that you thought gave unselfishly turns out to be your parents - is that really a let-down? Like when parents call their parents Grandma or Granny and so on when their child is present - this is out of respect for their parents position in the childs life - nobody calls their mother 'granny' - it would be absurd. We have to guess that parents who perpetuate the Santa myth went through the rite themselves - the only possible reason to inflict the myth on their children is that they liked it and continue to like it as adults.
#FooledbySanta - my heart bleeds.

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In a few years time the child will be getting a manky second hand bike (guess how I know) which is all their parents can afford and it will be the childs turn to lie - for the same reason their parents lied.

[Zinjanthropos]

In a few years time the child will be getting a manky second hand bike (guess how I know) which is all their parents can afford and it will be the childs turn to lie - for the same reason their parents lied.

Has the experience turned you into The Grinch, C2? Were you a bad boy, a used bike being a substitute for a lump of coal?

My long departed F-I-L always gave my kids used stuff, even things he purloined from the curb, toys that people were tossing out. My kids didn't know any different.

[confused2]

Were you a bad boy?

Even now there's a part of me that wants to respond with:-
"Please don't hurt me - I promise to be good from now on." - that may be an adult (learned) response - I am too far from the child to know how a child actually feels. I can say that when my parents moved house some years later I was very pleased that the bike didn't follow me to the new house. I'm not sure how bad you have to be to get an albatross hung round your neck (clicking wiki gives facts without emotional context) - but that bike was an albatross for the young C2.

If present giving is in any sense balanced then the cost of what I might (wouldn't) give you would be balanced by the cost of what you might give me - I know exactly what I want (usually nothing - I already have everything I want or need and much besides) - so ... well there you have it. If you really must give something then anything with alcohol in will be received with gratitude in proportion to the volume of pure alcohol contained.

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My long departed F-I-L always gave my kids used stuff, even things he purloined from the curb, toys that people were tossing out. My kids didn't know any different.

- Yes, absolutely - a present you can put back outside the house (without guilt) to be collected by anyone who wants it is a good present.

[Secular Sanity]

We had a family member that was infamous for her gifts. She passed away last year. She was pretty wealthy. She was an author of self-help bullshit. One year she gave my mother in-law a used plastic table cloth covered in food. My most memorable gift was three balls with a book, "Any Idiot Can Juggle'. Fuckin’ Bitch!  

[Syne]

Wow, you'd think people never heard about not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Sounds like some people could save themselves a lot of ill-will by just foregoing gifting altogether.

Santa is basically the only model for objective morality secular children have left. He basically models the omniscience and justice of god. Or if you prefer, a template for objective self-awareness and sense of karma. As such, I would expect secular children to be devastated by the truth, as they don't already have religion as another such model.

[confused2]

Wow, you'd think people never heard about not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Sounds like some people could save themselves a lot of ill-will by just foregoing gifting altogether.

Absolutely. As it happens, along with many cringeworthy and expensive presents Mrs C2 gave my niece 3 juggling balls (without the book). Ten years later she (the niece) can juggle like a pro - one hell of a party trick when compared to (say) being able to fart 3 blind mice.

Santa is basically the only model for objective morality secular children have left. He basically models the omniscience and justice of god. Or if you prefer, a template for objective self-awareness and sense of karma. As such, I would expect secular children to be devastated by the truth, as they don't already have religion as another such model.

We have a cultural disconnect here. I have to sleep now - I will try to come back to it.

[Secular Sanity]

As it happens, along with many cringeworthy and expensive presents Mrs C2 gave my niece 3 juggling balls (without the book). Ten years later she (the niece) can juggle like a pro - one hell of a party trick when compared to (say) being able to fart 3 blind mice.

That’s funny, C2, but I was thirty with two little ones. I was juggling. Three blind mice, eh? We may have a gender disconnect here but I’ll work on it.

[Syne]

Three blind mice, eh? We may have a gender disconnect here but I’ll work on it.

Oh, that one must be cultural too, as I've never known any guy trying to fart tunes. Belch maybe, and not guys I ever associated with, but never fart.

[confused2]

Probably best not to do all the notes at the same time.