Lying To Your Kids About Santa Could Cause Serious Damage Says Child Psychologist
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Everyone remembers the moment they found out Santa wasn't actually real - usually at school, or from an older sibling.
For kids, it can be devastating, especially if they're particularly young. And for parents, it's a tricky dilemma - when is the right time to tell your children that it's all just make believe?
Well, a psychologist has claimed that lying to your kids about Father Christmas can actually be pretty damaging.
Child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer explained the key is not to continuously lie for too long, adding that a good time to break the news is just before your child heads into secondary school.
"It is important that your children trust you and believe what you tell them so if you keep the myth going for too long there's a danger that you'll damage your credibility with them which can be damaging for your relationship as they get older," she told the Daily Star.
"Many parents feel that sending children to secondary school still believing may lead to bullying, so the Christmas of year six is a good time if they still believe then.
"Other than that, it's about when the children start asking about it and you'd have to lie outright to them to keep them believing".
Finding out Father Christmas isn't real can be devastating for kids, so Dr Gummer explained it's important to approach the subject in the right way - and to go about it in a sensitive manner.
To avoid breaking the news out of the blue, she suggests waiting for them to approach you about it - after all, kids often hear rumours from friends, siblings or in the playground beforehand.
It's also important to emphasise that the magic of Christmas is still very real, and messages of being kind, good and caring are still important!