? If you’re talking 4-5 for age appropriate I can understand, but anyone who thinks 6-8 is too old for Santa is just a miserable person. |
Any kid who is old enough to read a chapter book to him or herself is old enough to talk to their parents about Santa.
And any adult who isn't savvy enough to "read around" a "problem" like that probably can't pull off believable holiday magic, anyway. My then-4yo asked me about whether he was real last year, and I said, "Some people say yes, some people say no; what do you think?" And she said, "I'm going to say yes." Which is exactly what I think, too! ![]() |
+1 I see a lot of threads and posts on DCUM about "is this or that book appropriate for my child at this age?" etc. I wish parents really did ask that more and actually paid attention to the content of books. Then they wouldn't be upset that a book that was never intended for their child's age is a book that "outs Santa," or has romance in it, or indicates that a fictional family is not perfectly happy, or whatever bugs the parent when they run across it. Of course a kid who is an advanced reader, or especially mature, can read things that aren't limited to his or her age group as printed on the back of a book. Kids do need to be challenged and stretched in their reading. But adults shouldn't then act as if what's between the covers of a book brought home from the school library is some huge shock. |
True. But the content of Superfudge is not like Blubber. Some of us reading this to young readers are aware of this and still choosing it share it with younger kids. |
Did I say it's "too old"? No. What's "age appropriate" is that kids will hear from kids their age that Santa isn't real -- starting at around 4. |
This is wrong. 4 year olds aren't saying Santa isn't real. They're just not. |
Not in my experience for my kids. Nor in any of my family members' or friends' experience for their kids. |
What is this hysteria people suffer from these days about protecting older children from the truth about Santa? While I was raised on Santa as a kid, it was also considered normal to learn about his non-existence during the elementary school years. It was sort of a rite of passage. I guess now that we're helicoptering everything else, we might as well throw in Santa. |
Four is awfully young to be in elementary school these days. We're saying that by fourth or fifth grade, it's a non-issue. Before that, it's something to be aware of. Which is exactly what you said, but without the outrage. |
Why would a 4-year-old reading Judy Blume? Or are we talking about the fictional character? |
There is no outrage in my post. Only puzzlement, and yes a little bit of eye rolling. If you look in the other thread about how the 1st grade substitute who outed Santa should never work again, you fill find plenty of outrage. |
I think the Jewish kids probably know. ![]() |
I think it’s good that you are letting parents know about the spoiler. My dd was reading those books at a younger age. |
People are mad at a book for telling the truth?!
lol mmmkay. |
Yeah, we knew that when we read it. I've got to agree with some of the other pp's - in my generation we didn't have Santa going "on, and on, and on..." I stopped believing in Santa fully, by the time I was seven and heavily suspected, prior. I have a friend whose 6th grader believes in Santa- and I'm sorry, but that's just dumb. How do kids even understand the power of a dollar if they think some magic man slides down their chimney to give them stuff? I think this kid is putting his mom on for more gifts or is not being allowed to grow up. |