Does your nine year old believe in Santa?

[peedoffbird]

I mentioned Father Christmas to my dd the other day and she sort of laughted nervously (I could have been mistaken I suppose).

If she didn't anymore I think she wouldn't say. How do I find out or should I leave it and see?

Can you tell me what your experiences are please? Thanks.

[LauraShigihara]

Absolutely yes. I am very worried another child might blab because he will be very upset if he thinks otherwise. I am well-aware that this might be the last year and he is my precious last born .

Maybe your DD has head something - lots of children love to dish the dirt once they know - but, if it were me, I would just carry on without saying anything untilshe asked outright.

[peedoffbird]

Thanks Laura - I am going to carry on regardless - same here as she is my youngest. I wil presume all is well unless she says otherwise!

[Greythorne]

Well, I got into hot water in a family a couple of years ago when I had a conversation in front of a ten year old about the non-existence of Father Christmas. Cue much kicking of (my) shins under the table because the ten year old still believed in FC. I was baffled by that, quite honestly.

My five year old believes but I fear this will be the last year for her. How a child can rech nine or ten and still believe confounds me.

[peedoffbird]

Well Greythorne, my dd still believes - or so I think! Sometimes she just seems too old to still believe though.

[DoubleMum]

My 7 yr old doesn't believe, and despite me telling her absolutely not to talk about it I caught her discussing it with her friends I'm afraid. I'm sorry all of Freya's friends' parents.

[peedoffbird]

Bugger! Maybe I'm deluding myself! I don't want dd to look stupid by continuing to encourage but don't want to burst the bubble either. She is very nearly 10 too.

Could I say something like "what have your friends been saying about Santa?"

[cutegorilla]

Well she hasn't told me she doesn't but I have a strong feeling this is tactical on her part since she offered to bite Rudolf's carrot left out by her younger brother last year! I'm not going to ask her if she does though because it doesn't really matter so long as everyone is still enjoying the fun.

[peedoffbird]

Cutegorilla this is the reason why I think she wouldn't tell me even if she didn't as she would feel she might miss out on something! You don't know how they think - knowing dd she might assume that the pressies would be cut down if she didn't believe!

[Alitoomanykids]

my nine year old is def aware that Santa and mum have a lot in common... but he has been silenced by the strong suggestion that if he 'doesn't believe' and ruins it for his younger siblings then his christmas stocking will be left empty. Apparently Santa can look quite stern when she wants to!

[bigTillyMint]

Mine didn't but they still like going along with the stocking being filled by Father Christmas in the night!

[Alitoomanykids]

oh and am sure that it has been well and truly discussed at school last year... when they would all have been eight. I would be very, very surprised if he didnt know even though I have not asked outright!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DD is 10yo and hasn't believed in Father Christmas since she was about 6 yo - as really believes someone brings presents.
I don't know when she realised they don't come down the chimney.

DD has a brother 2.6 years older , so he's kept the secret when she was little.

But they both go along with it to keep up traditions.
(But if I asked DS what FC was bringing him he's give me a green eyed look that only a pre-teenage boy can )

[DameEnidsOrange]

DD (nearly 9) has been questioning the existence a bit this year as "people at school say he's not real". I probably should tell her, but I just don't want to spoil the magic and fun [PLB].

DS on the other hand, at 14 says he still wishes Santa was real , he has been very good at keeping it alive for DD - probably because he really does want to believe

[funnypeculiar]

ds (9 in Feb) still believes, but he is the most gullible child I've ever know. He also believes in the tooth fairy, Easter bunny etc etc. I keep thinking "This year must be the last" but no hints he's cottoning on so far. His little sister has a much more questioning frame of mind, and I suspect will be the first one to figure things out...

[sununu]

my otherwise extremely bright and analytical 9yo does - I think through an effort of will becasue he really really wants it to be true. I am getting a teeny bit uneasy about it tbh because obviously I don't want to burst his bubble but on the other hand to continue pretending is feeling more like a deception!
at least he hasn't asked for a time machine this year as he did for several years running to bitter disappointment.

[Marne]

My almost 9 year old does, though she has been asking qusetions as her friends dont all believe, i think this year will be the last.

[dabdab]

Well, I think my 10 yr old knows he isn't real, but still pretends to us and herself that he is. I had a conversation with her a couple of years ago. Dd: 'Does the tooth fairy exist, or is it you?' Me: 'Do you really want to know?' Dd: 'Yes' Me: Are you really really sure you want to know?' Dd: 'Yes' Me: 'Yes, it is me who puts the coin under the pillow' Cue: (wailing) Muuuuummmm! Why did you tell me?'
Next tooth out - Dd: 'I will put this tooth under my pillow so the tooth fairy will sneak in in the night to leave me money!'

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Alitoomanykids FC brings a piece of coal and a moudly orange to any children who don't let Mum eat the contents of the Fireside Tray for Father Christmasdon't at least go along with it all.

It's one of my favourite parentey memories about 3 Christmases ago when my DS crept downstairs to check and ran back upstairs to tell DD that "He's been "

[Taffraid]

They believe because they want to. DS is 9 next week and last year said a few times "Santa isn't real is he, Mummy? Like the tooth fairy isn't?" He looked so sad and bereft when he said it I lied.

I wasn't sure DS believed but a few things have happened in the last week:

1. I said "What do you think Santa will put in your stocking this year, DS?" He very excitedly showed me a special area on one of his shelves that he keeps special things that he wants to "keep clean" [hhmm] - where he stores the letters he has had from Santa [hsmile] He stroked them
   

1. He was super grumpy about a few trips I'd organised so I mentioned I was going to take his younger sister to Santa's Grotto, maybe when he was in a football match as he wouldn't be interested would he? He muttered, almost inaudibly "I want to go"
   

[hgrin]

Another year or two yet, I hope. I suspect his hardasnails football team will blab something in the next month or so but I shall just say what I usually do " Where does all the stocking stuff come from then? " and then laugh and change the subject when he says "You get it, Mummy."

[TheSmallBloodiedFingerPrint]

My DS (9 in march) is sort of doubting and drops the odd thing into conversations like he's testing the water. I think he wants to believe it but has heard otherwise at school. He hasn't come out and said anything directly though so I suspect he's keeping his options open in case santa doesn't come this year!

[EdithWeston]

I think my 8yr old (precious last born) still believes. That may be assisted by her big brothers actively colluding to support her belief as they think it's "sweet" (very out of character for the pair of them!)

I am surprised she's not tumbled to before this, though. For the last two years I expected it would be the last of magic pretence, and here I am getting another round of it.

[MirandaWest]

DS will be 9 in November. I am not sure what he thinks about the existence or otherwise of Father Christmas. When he was 7 he was definitely dubious and then when he was 8 he seemed to have either realised and not let me know, or suspended reality a bit. DD is 7 and definitely believes.

I know that by the time I was 9 I knew how stockings got filled but must have kept this from my mum and dad as when I was 10 they sat me down and told me. I was very :( as even though I knew I didn't want them telling me IYSWIM.

So unless DS asks anything I won't say anything.

[MirandaWest]

I believe tbh though :)

[Poledra]

DD1 will be 9 just after Christmas. She was having her doubts last year until they got a phone call from Santa. DD1 said under her breath to me 'It'll just be Grandpa.' But it wasn't.....

So she believed again but I don't know if we'll manage it this year. I do know that she will love knowing while still keeping the fantasy alive for her younger sisters

[Alitoomanykids]

well, they will learn eventually but it isn't going to come from me. An aeroplane flew overhead yesterday and I suggested to all the kids (age 10, 9 , 7 and 2) that they wave to Pippin.... I am afraid I am a hopeless case.