Believing in Santa

[Sherloidbaisherloid]

How old were your kids when they stopped believing? When they questioned it how did you explain?

8 for ds - questioned us from age 6

Mine are 7, 8 and 9 and all still believe. I think this may be the eldest’s last year which is sad.

DS came home from nursery aged 4 and announced he didn’t believe in God or Father Christmas!
We always talked about how “ some people believe....”.

10yo guessed during this last year, questioned it for a couple of months and then asked us outright so we told him.

8yo is questioning it so this might be their last year believing.

5yo believes.

2yo couldn't give a shit, just likes the lights and trees.

My almost 9 year old has been questioning it lately, we agreed we would be honest with them when they asked but they keep asking when our 3 year old is there so we just quickly change the subject!

My 5yr old still very much believes and 2yr old is non the wiser.

My sister questioned it I think when she was 8, and realised maybe 9/10. I remember as was 9yrs older

I'm pretty sure Ds1 aged 9 doesn't really believe now. He doesn't openly say it but the suspicion has been there for a good couple of Christmases already.

Ds2 (6) fully believes. He's much more into it than Ds1 ever was.

Ds1 still believed until just before he turned 12. Didn’t question much before.
Dd figures it out at 9 (but kept up the pretence for her older and younger brothers). She questioned from 8.
Ds3 and ds4 are 6 and 7. No questions yet... fingers crossed!

Yes I think when my oldest realises I will have to make sure they keep up the pretence for the little ones sake! Don’t want it to be ruined for them!

My son told me he knew it was me and that I just tell him the truth. He was 6. I think I could have kept it going for another year but I didn’t want to lie to him when he had asked for the truth. My mum was appalled!

My 9 year old ds appears to still believe. He questioned it a lot when he was about 5/6, and said he didn't believe it was true, but then got back into it. Pretty sure 7 year old dd has found out the truth, but don't think she would ever say anything. They have both asked me if it's me that buys the presents this year, but I haven't got the heart to ruin it for them so always say no it's santa! 4 year old has autism so he's not really aware of any of it!

My almost 8 year old doesn't believe 💔. I haven't confirmed it and said yes he is real when he asked but his reply was "mums and dads buy the presents at night time because they want their children to believe in magic and have fun in their lives". I still denied it but he knows when I ask him what he wants santa to bring he smiles and says "why do u need to know". H I was about 11 before I stopped believing cant believe he has stopped so young. I am gutted. I will keep the magic alive as long as I can get away with with his younger sister. And like I said never confirm it with him.

When he asks you turn it around and ask him "what do you think?" as it'll help you gauge what sort of answer he's looking for. Personally I'd dodge the issue for now as it's so close to Christmas and then tell him afterwards.

8yo questioning but wanting to believe. Probably her last year.
6yo absolute belief.

I just broke the news of Santa's non existence to my 11 (nearly 12) year old. She took it surprisingly well!

I was 7 when I stopped and set a trap for him to prove it once and for all. My brother was 11. My nephew is questioning it now and he is 9. I won't lie so I keep telling him to ask his parents as it isn't my place. I suspect he knows.

My 8yo started questioning - because kids at school said their parents had told them that Santa wasn't real... I told her that my parents never told me he wasn't real (true! I still believe ) and that sometimes it's best not to think to much or talk too much about it but just keep the magic of Christmas... I don't know, it would feel too harsh to just come out and say it!

Mine's been questioning since he was about 8 and is now most definitely just going along with it so he still gets his Santa present and stocking! Ditto the tooth fairy. He's 12

I remember a boy at school when I was eight saying Father Christmas didn't exist (he said he'd seen his dad in a Santa hat putting the presents out!) and I was adamant he was wrong, but I think that was largely because I really wanted him to exist.

The following year I built a santa trap (mum made me dismantle it before bed 🧐) and spent a long time scrutinising "Father Christmas's" handwriting, so I'm pretty sure I'd sussed it by then...

I didn't ask my mum directly until shortly before the next Christmas, when I was ten, and she admitted the truth, but I'd definitely stopped believing before that.

My older 2 kept their mouths firmly shut til after their last Christmas in primary - age 12. However Ds then told us he knew aged 10 but dd had genuinely believed the previous year, age 11.

DS1 was 11, we had to tell him as he was at High School (never ever questioned it, neither did any of his friends)

DS2 was 10, found out thriugh my laziness of not quite hiding everything (never questioned it and was quite gutted when we had to admit the truth)