to be really upset that dd1 5yo said 'Santa isn't real' 'its you and dad isn't it - which is better!'

[AnxiousElephant]

I suppose it took me by surprise and she said it infront of her ds who is only 3 so really didn't know what to say.......I just suddenly realised that her childhood is vanishing very quickly

Wow. She's pretty clued up then! My 8yo and 6yo are still completely clueless. I guess the penny drops at different times.

YANBU. I would feel sad too. Christmas will still be fantastic though.

My mom always said ''if I hear anyone questioning Santa then there will be no presents under the tree! think what you like but dont let on to me!!!'' She did actually sound much jollier than that reads though

This did mean we went through the rituals of leaving out ale and mince pies for santa until I left home at 17, twas all tongue in cheek of course but the traditions were kept alive and it did stop it all from slipping into too much of a commercial fest in a way....I am also a Christmas holic like my mom and plan to do the same to my poor children

She found something we bought as a family present and although I explained that was just a present from mummy and daddy for all of us, that santa would bring just their presents she just wouldn't have it . I just don't want her to spoil it for her friends or sister by saying something iyswim.

I felt betrayed by my parents when I found out the truth. It's probably easier if she figures it out now. Who says Christmas can't be magical without the myth of some stranger breaking into the house? ;-)

aww..we don't celebrate..

I think I will do that BabyDubs and I did say that he only brings presents to people who believe She hasn't mentioned it since

I always knew that my parents bought the presents, but I was led to believe that they were left out by the budgie cage and santas elves called regularly throughout December to collect them, and put them into storage until Santa came on Christmas Eve.....

It worked until I was about 8...

Clever little one you have there.

I have a 9 and 7 year old who don't have a clue yet, although I suspect the 9 year old is starting to have doubts as she has recently discovered the tooth fairy does not exist thanks to me standing on some lego and tripping over in her pitch black bedroom whilst trying to retrieve a tooth :(

my dd1 is 7 and I hope she believes for just one more year as we have a surprise trip to lapland planned for christmas this year.

My DD1 discovered at the age of 5 - I must admit I was heartbroken but the way I went about it was that if she was old enough to know about "Santa" not being real was that she had to realise that not everyone was ready to know what she knew - including children that were her age. We had 2 other DDs by then too. A couple of years later DD1 gave me 3 christmas cards, it was from Santa (actually they were from her that she had drawn and written) ~ they were to tell the DD2 and 3 that they were on the good girls list. It broke my heart that she could be so thoughtful and manage to keep a secret. I honestly think that DD2 ( then aged13) realised last Christmas that Santa was us, DD3 still not sure. Saying that neither of them dare ask us just in case we say yes its us!

DS is 3 and has decided Father Christmas is scary and doesn't want him to come! At first I wasn't sure what to say to this so I reassured him that Santa wasn't real and it's just your parents and then later DP said that was cruel, so we changed it to reassuring him that we will tell FC not to come this year and we will just get him some presents from us instead. He doesn't seem to have remembered my lapse in judgement.

I worked it out aged 3 - we had a real fire, so I knew about soot, and announced that I didn't want my presents to get dirty. Didn't buy their solution of leaving the front door open either. And not very long after that I worked out that Santa couldn't possibly go all the way round the world in one night (I knew how long it took us to get to Scotland on holiday!!!). At that point my Mum gave up. I didn't have any younger brothers or sisters to have to keep quiet for - but I did wonder how my friends could be so dim

Mine still believe which I may hang onto for a bit more :)
Although, I failed miserably with the tooth fairy......after being caught slipping money under my daughters pillow, they now think that I am THE ACTUAL tooth fairy and I go round the whole word at night! I am ashamed to say that I have only set them correct on the round the world bit......I told them I only cover Scotland, there are other tooth fairies for other countries

We must be a bit wierd!

We havent done the santa is real thing. Our dd (3) knows that its just a story that some people believe in but its really just someone dressed up. She still really loves xmas and is getting excited already.

I stopped believing at 5 and my mother was heartbroken. DS is 4 and still believes.

Wow, I can't believe some kids still believe at 9.

Probably heard it from school? Or a friend with older sibling? How did your Ds react?

Mynaufhtylittlesister is 13 a typo?! . She might be having you on to protect her stocking...

I was about 4 or 5 when I knew Santa wasn't real. One year I got a gun that shot balls with velcro on to a target and I heard my dad saying to my mum 'why did you get her that?' So I thought they got everything and put all the labels on to show they were from different people!

Do children believe for long after they start school?

Perhaps some just pretend?

hmm you could say yes we buy some presents so saves the well why did santa not get what i wanted as he makes them

but then point out he eaves one present he gets/makes himself for them what we do one present thast wrapped differnt to everything else with a special santa stamp on it

DD still believed last Christmas, when she was 12.9yo - but she has SN. I don't think she believes this year, but she hasn't said anything. DS1 is 9yo, I got last Christmas from him, but he definately doesn't believe this year - so this will be the first year of non-believer's - and I get two at once losing the magic. .

DS1 still believes in the tooth fairy though. . DS2 is almost 8yo and DEFINATELY still believes.

My parents never wanted Father Christmas to get all the credit for presents. They always did one from him and the rest from them!

I read about someone who on Christmas eve, dropped a present on their roof....so that when they went out for lunch, it could be "spotted" by one of the parents...they did it to reinstate the belief! 5 is too young to doubt...

I don't remember ever actually thinking Father Christmas was real.