Saddest thing I have heard

Well that's better Urmstongran.

But I wonder would life be better without santa and Christians could just celebrate with a family meal. And then there wouldn't be all the folk who feel particularly sad at Christmas.

What about the children watching their mums and dads and their homes being bombed to smithereens
Divorce can be a huge relief to many children I think it has for this little boy in the original post I don’t think that’s too sad personally

Yes, it's a bit sad, but certainly not the saddest thing I've heard

The whole Santa thing can be a minefield. Too little and there’s no Christmas magic. Too much and it just seems wrong.

We have 2 grandchildren a boy aged 7y and a girl of 3y.

Mummy and daddy wrap one big and one small present each ‘from Father Christmas ‘. The rest are from them. And family.

Very sad stories.

Re the neglected child: I caught an item on This Morning last week. Santa was reassuring a little boy who had rung in that if he was sorry for bad behaviour Santa would come. He said the number of presents he would leave always depends on how good a child has been. I was so annoyed. Poor parents really need someone saying something as stupid as that on tv.
I told my daughter and she said when she was young she thought her cousins must be much better behaved because they got better presents than she did. And other cousins must be extremely naughty because they got very little. She really believed this.

It made me question the whole Santa thing.

Oh NotAGran your post just made me cry.

NotAGran - now that is REALLY sad. Poor little lad. I hope FC does visit him this Christmas.

The saddest child related Christmas thing I ever heard was a little boy of 5/6 who was taken into care because of severe neglect .
He said ‘ Father Christmas has never come to me and I don’t know why because I am always good ‘

Divorce is always sad of course but in many cases it must be preferable for the children rather than living with warring parents.

Mum and dad separated but happy is far better isn’t it?

Most definitely NOT the saddest thing I or anyone else has read !

My son is going through a divorce and he as a young daughter they have split and our granddaughter said “ l am happier now because mummy and daddy will not be arguing shouting and being unhappy . Now we can all enjoy Christmas l go to daddy and to mummy and best of all l come to stay with you nanny and grandad . Love her she is so grown up.

It is sad, but not the saddest thing I have ever heard by a long shot.

It breaks your heart doesn’t it?

Makes our concerns about chocolate and gravy seem petty. Some children are not even warm enough let alone having presents and a big meal.

I kind of thought that’s what the little boy in the OP meant . He felt that he need no longer worry now his parents were divorced. Could be wrong though. Often am .

I feel sad for all the children forced into a caring roll far too young . It’s as though they have had their childhood snatched away from them.

I also feel sad for those children from very deprived homes . Extreme poverty (for whatever reason) is never the child’s fault is it ?

That is sad Oldwoman70, but there are other children (I was one) who will be very glad that their parents are divorced this Christmas.