Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

When did your children stop believing in Father Christmas?

63 replies

biks · 03/07/2023 08:08

I read a thread the other day where a poster stated that 6 years old is 'around the age' where children will stop believing and it has honestly played on my mind since purely as I'd love a few more years of believing with my DS(6) Blush

What's the general consensus? I was personally a late bloomer of 'finding out' at nearly 12 Blush but I'm glad that I was that age.

OP posts:
DappledThings · 04/07/2023 20:59

DS was 6. He ran around Beavers telling the other children before he told me. One of the other mums came and told me a bit cross. I caught him and told him not to say anything in case others still believe but I got the impression I was meant to have told him off. Not sure what for really, he'd figured something out and discussed it.

DD is 5 and still believes at the moment so we'll see.

I don't get the angst many seem to have about "the magic". DS still had a perfectly nice Christmas last year despite figuring it out.

RudsyFarmer · 04/07/2023 21:03

Mine still believe. Oldest child is 10. Will be 11 soon. I think secretly he knows but we all carry on anyway. I don’t think I’ll need to sit him down and actually tell him.

Schum · 04/07/2023 21:06

Mine were all about 11 in yr6. I can’t believe the number of 5/6 year olds who didn’t believe, mine were still totally taken in by the magic at that age!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Events & celebrations Families
Begonne · 04/07/2023 21:08

Ds was 6, but he’d been mulling it over for a while and trying out various theories on me. One of my favourites was that Santa had a present canon at the North Pole that shot presents across the sky and down chimneys. Another was an underground railway operated by robots with trapdoors hidden in fireplaces.

Dd was only 4 though and listened avidly to her big brother and all his amazing ideas, so she really only had two Santa Christmases. I got all the way to ten but I blame the 1970s experimental curriculum!!

DH is in his fifties and still believes that Christmas happens by magic. Mind you he believes in the laundry fairies too.

BeverlyHa · 04/07/2023 21:08

He is never going to go away from us. I have always had St Nicholas as a back up and he is real and a wonder worker also

Azandme · 04/07/2023 21:11

"DH is in his fifties and still believes that Christmas happens by magic. Mind you he believes in the laundry fairies too."

🤣🤣🤣

DidyouNO · 04/07/2023 21:18

It's never really been a thing for us. I raise my children to not tell fibs, never talk to strangers and house security then I was telling them a fat, bearded man we didn't know would enter our home, potentially enter their bedrooms and give them stuff. The whole thing was uncomfortable for us so I told our eldest when they were 5 and 3 and the younger 2 have never had the Santa story. They all get stockings though 😁. I promise I'm fun in other ways for my kids 😂

LostMySocks · 04/07/2023 21:18

DS1 definitely believed last Christmas when he was 9 - stockings go downstairs as he's nervous of Santa in his room and i have to go down with them in the morning. We are lucky that we travel a lot but has meant a lot of questions about how he gets everywhere. Has asked if there was more than one Santa (good idea, possibly).
He's quite bright but still heavily into playing and toys rather than gaming.
We've always been quite light touch on all the elves and stuff so perhaps more believable

Superdupes · 04/07/2023 21:22

Around 10 and was told by someone in his class, just the right age IMO. I remember the magic as a child and it not being the same at all after I found out FC didn't exist - no matter what parents of kids who know at 5 say.

stargirl1701 · 04/07/2023 21:27

Mine still believe at 10 and 8. They are in a tiny wee country school though. One wee boy got his own bull for Christmas last year...

Wigglewigglewitch · 04/07/2023 21:28

DidyouNO · 04/07/2023 21:18

It's never really been a thing for us. I raise my children to not tell fibs, never talk to strangers and house security then I was telling them a fat, bearded man we didn't know would enter our home, potentially enter their bedrooms and give them stuff. The whole thing was uncomfortable for us so I told our eldest when they were 5 and 3 and the younger 2 have never had the Santa story. They all get stockings though 😁. I promise I'm fun in other ways for my kids 😂

Mine never believed either, although we still did leaving out carrots etc for fun - every year there are people posting heartbroken because Christmas is ruined now their DC doesn’t believe and I just don’t get it however I also never believed so it’s just not something I can relate to. Also both DSs are ND and DS1 in particular from a young age was very into fact checking so I wouldn’t have been comfortable with doing Father Christmas in a big way even if I was massively into it myself!

Wigglewigglewitch · 04/07/2023 21:29

stargirl1701 · 04/07/2023 21:27

Mine still believe at 10 and 8. They are in a tiny wee country school though. One wee boy got his own bull for Christmas last year...

How did Santa get that down the chimney?! 🤣🤣

Newuser75 · 04/07/2023 21:34

My son was 9. It was a sad day 😥

Coffeaddict · 04/07/2023 21:35

DSS was 11 this Christmas and outright said he didn't believe.

Last year he went through the motions with his younger brother, the Mince pie and carrot ect. But when his younger brother was out of the room you could see he wasn't really into it so pretty sure he had stopped.

The Christmas when he was 8 he definetly believed. So I would say 8-9

Lancasterel · 04/07/2023 21:35

Had some very long chats with my 9 year old last Christmas, he demanded we tell him the truth… but he still wasn’t 100% convinced. This year at 10.5 I think he’ll carry on as normal (lists, stockings etc) but he’ll absolutely know FC’s not real 😢

Tetchypants · 04/07/2023 21:40

Mine were about 10 I think, though they may have just played along with it before then.

You have to believe to receive, kids!

stargirl1701 · 04/07/2023 21:43

@Wigglewigglewitch

😂😂😂

It's not the works I grew up in!!!!

DH was totally unfazed; like, 'what a great gift!' 🤪

stargirl1701 · 04/07/2023 21:43

*world

SquigglePigs · 04/07/2023 21:46

My 7 yr old Goddaughter was starting to question it last year but not too deeply.

My 4 yr old is picking holes in it all now so would be surprised if we get past this year. I'm kinda sad she's so young but I also struggle with make believe stuff and figured it out quite young.

thaegumathteth · 04/07/2023 21:47

About 10

Romeiswheretheheartis · 04/07/2023 21:55

My dd was 10/11, in yr 6. I started to sort of steer conversations that would question it, so that she wasn't going into secondary school still believing.

Blanketpolicy · 04/07/2023 21:57

Questions started getting a bit more probing around P4/5, but I'm not sure when he knew for sure as think he realised it wasn't in his best interests to get me to admit it.

He's 19 now and we have still never discussed it, but he refuses to write a letter now, says he'll snapchat him instead 🤣

Rainbowshit · 04/07/2023 22:01

I think DD was around 8 or 9. We were talking about religion and she said. "I don't believe in heaven, only idiots do. Oh and I don't believe in Santa either!"

Broke my heart. 😭 💔

ItWillBeDone · 04/07/2023 22:07

Stop believing?! I'm in my 40s, I still believe. I love a bit of magic 😍

brassbells · 04/07/2023 22:08

With the idea of that toy doll thing that I can't remember what it is called but it watches the children all December and keeps doing things around the house at nighttime

What do children think or believe it?

Does it make any difference if they believe in TF or FC or not?

So do they believe this doll watches them for longer than they believe in other things?

Swipe left for the next trending thread