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Original poster

At what age did your child stop believing in Father Christmas

79 replies

ishouldprobablygettherapy · 16/10/2023 09:48

In light of another thread I read some of yesterday, I saw very mixed opinions about when children do and don't believe in Father Christmas. Or whether some others ever do at all.

So my question is, what age did YOUR children stop believing??

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 16/10/2023 09:51

One of them was told by another pupil in year 5, the other I had to tell before they went to high school !

BarnacleBeasley · 16/10/2023 09:53

Mine isn't old enough for Father Christmas yet, but I still remember when I stopped believing - my older sister and the neighbour child ganged up on me when I was about 4 and asked me if I believed (strongly implying that the answer needed to be 'no' if I didn't want to get teased), so I said 'no' and realised as I did so that I'd stopped believing. I was a bit upset at the time but I can't say it ruined Christmas or presents for me.

crazyBadger · 16/10/2023 09:59

9... one shrugged and said ok the other didnt talk to me for a fortnight, because I had lied to his face for years .....

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AutumnalPumpkin · 16/10/2023 10:00

@BarnacleBeasley yes I often think it is the older kids that tell the younger ones!
I remember being about 8 and my mum came into my room and asked me whether I was going to believe or not that year. It really upset me as to me it seemed obvious from the question that it wasn't real!

AutumnalPumpkin · 16/10/2023 10:01

crazyBadger · 16/10/2023 09:59

9... one shrugged and said ok the other didnt talk to me for a fortnight, because I had lied to his face for years .....

It's funny how they can react in such different ways! We only try our best don't we. I suppose at the end of the day it is a lie.. but it's lovely for littlies to have the excitement of it at Christmas

AuntieMarys · 16/10/2023 10:02

Year 2

ShellySarah · 16/10/2023 10:04

I figured it out myself when I was about 7. When the thought entered my head of the magical guy delivering presents - I thought ohhhh like the Easter bunny and tooth fairy too. I just had already realised adults did these things and that Santa wasn't real either. I never told mum I'd realised and left it at that.

Theduchy · 16/10/2023 10:04

7 - I've always said I wouldn't lie to her so when she asked me outright I told her the truth. She was absolutely fine and would have been way more upset if it got further down the line and she knew I'd lied.

PuttingDownRoots · 16/10/2023 10:04

My 10yo matter of factly told me she knew it was parents earlier this summer.

I think however we've had a couple of years of wanting it to be real rather than actual belief. Same way she wants to have her Hogwarts letter.

Her elder sister (now 12) just sort of went from believing to making it real for her younger sister without any announcement.

NineteenOhEight · 16/10/2023 10:05

I happened to ask my 11 year old this at the weekend, and he says he never really believed FC was literally true, as far as he can remember, that the impossibility of one man delivering billions of presents in a single night, department store FCs, lots of children in his class either not celebrating Christmas because of their cultural background, or getting presents from an entirely different figure, just made it all seem unlikely. He’s a very rational, common-sense child. He adores, and has always adored Christmas, though — this has never stopped him writing FC letters, putting out mince pies and carrots etc.

CissOff · 16/10/2023 10:05

Both of mine were about 9ish. I’m pleased to be honest, I was getting sloppy towards the end in hiding it 😂

LeviOsaNotLeviosaa · 16/10/2023 10:11

I have 4.

DS1 (16) got to about 10 I think, DS2 (15) was 9. The same year they both implied they knew, but there was never a big conversation about it. Obviously they don't believe now.

DS3 (12) has ASD and has never said out loud that he doesn't believe, but he's far too logical and sensible to. He just wants to keep the magic. I believe its the same with DD (10).

I suspect we haven't had any 'true' believers for the past couple of years. They all still demand that the sodding elves make an appearance every year though! I didn't anticipate them becoming 'part of' the whole Christmas thing the way they have. I'm so bored of bloody elves and having to come up with things for them to do overnight, but the kids absolutely love it so I still force myself through it 😂

clappyjay · 16/10/2023 10:14

11! Which seems quite late

BarnacleBeasley · 16/10/2023 10:21

@ShellySarah I never believed in the tooth fairy, because I'd stopped believing in Father Christmas before my milk teeth starting falling out, so introducing new magical gift-givers was always going to be a non-starter. I did put the tooth by my bed the first few times, but eventually just started handing them straight over to the actual tooth fairy in exchange for cash. I'm in my 40s now and don't remember the Easter Bunny ever being presented as real - I don't think any of my friends believed in it either.

jays · 16/10/2023 10:21

mine was 8. I think he’d had his suspicions and he asked me on Christmas Eve if Santa was real. I asked him what he thought and he said he thought it was me getting the presents, I made a snap decision based on the fact that at least he was getting a pile of presents in the morning and i fessed up. I had a wee cry to my friend on the phone later about how it was the end of an era etc and I said ffs listen to me, no one has died! And she said ‘well Santa’s died’ 😂 she was talking the piss but it set me off again! My son was totally fine btw, it was me who was upset!

OnAir · 16/10/2023 10:25

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DappledThings · 16/10/2023 10:57

5 for DC1, DC2 is nearly 6 now and totally believes but also thinks he's her friend's dead grandfather.

Wasn't a big deal for us. FC only ever delivered stockings with small presents. None of this he brings everything concept that I'd never heard of until I was on here

AnySoln · 16/10/2023 11:02

7 during covid so dont know how she found out. So dc2 knew from about 5

popandchoc · 16/10/2023 11:10

My 12 year old was year 5 i think so around 9?

I feel like my 8 year old is getting more suspicious so think this might be her last year believing.

Damnloginpopup · 16/10/2023 11:26

Sorry, what now? Not real? WTF?

I'd like to see proof that he isn't, from a verifiable source.

Not real. Ffs.

flukein · 16/10/2023 11:26

I was 11. My sister told me

TheDuchessOfMN · 16/10/2023 11:28

My eldest was 10. I think we only got our youngest to 7 or 8. It’s much harder when they’ve older siblings.

CurlewKate · 16/10/2023 11:31

Mine are 22 and 26 and they still do. If they know what's good for them!

Seriously-I don't think they ever have. It's always been a glorious, joyful game of pretend in this house. Treated on a don't ask don't tell basis.

Stompythedinosaur · 16/10/2023 11:33

I don't know, because we've never had a big dramatic reveal. I continue to act like he's real, but they know it's just a game.

I think they knew it wasn't real at around 8 but sort of convinced themselves at times that it's real. They are 10 and 12 now, and I think my 10yo can kind of still convince herself it might be real when she wants to.

dontforgetme · 16/10/2023 11:37

Mine are 6 and 9 and both have been asking questions this year. I think the 9 year old will be told by school friends come December. I'm sad about it to be honest! Although finding hiding places in a house with no storage is a complete pain in the arse!