We can’t blame kids for being skeptical about the existence of Santa. After all, the only explanation for how the big guy delivers gifts around the world in a single night is magic.
But while boys and girls at the age of six tend to be believers, one youngster proved that it’s never too early to be a cynic.
On Sunday 3 December, mum Sarah McCammon shared a hilarious letter her six-year-old son wrote to old Saint Nick. While you’d expect the note to be filled with exciting questions for the big man about his life at the North Pole or a list of extravagant toy requests, the boy’s letter included neither.
Instead, this is what it said:
“Dear Santa,” it began. “Santa I’m only doing this for the class. I know your naughty list is empty. And your good list is empty. And your life is empty. You don’t know the troubles I’ve had in my life. Good-bye, (I’m not telling you my name).”
The boy’s saucy message was complete with wreath and skull drawings on either side of his letter.
In a subsequent tweet, the mum showed her sense of humour when she clarified what her son’s “troubles” were, jokingly adding, “Don’t call child services.”
On Twitter, users loved the child’s blunt letter to Santa.
However, one noted that while the letter was very amusing, it was also sad, since no longer believing in Santa tends to mark the end of childhood.
On average, children stop believing in Santa around age eight or nine, according to a 2011 poll. This is significant because this is the age children learn to use their conceptual abilities and logic and thus begin to question Santa’s existence.
Clearly McCammon’s son is wise beyond his years. Either that or he’s bound to be a rebellious boy when he grows up. Only time will tell.
This story was originally published on HuffPost Canada.