Nearly 10yr old DS still believes in Santa

[Happyhappyveggie]

DS is 10 in Jan and still totally believes in Father Christmas. I assume it might be the last one and he's still really sweet & innocent about it all.
But another parent said to me that it was ridiculous that he believes still and that her son had worked it out at age 7.
Aibu to be worried about it or just. E glad that he's still innocent and sweet!

My nearly 11 yr old 100% believes. We went to lapland 2 yrs ago and & it has definitely cemented in her mind that santa is real.
He was the most amazing looking santa I've ever seen.
She also believes in the tooth fairy and the easter bunny.

Why spoil her innocence and shatter her illusions of these characters? I'm sure soon enough she will realise how crap the world is all on her own.
For now I'm enjoying the child that she is.

Are you sure? I figured it out at age five but kept quiet until my parents told me. My poor mother looked so surprised when I replied yeah, I know.

eversoslightlytired indulge him and enjoy it. :-)

I defo agree with going to Lapland if you can. We went to the uk one when dd was wavering last year, and it was fantastic. The Santa was perfect.

We've also been to Lapland lost. Definitely works towards them believing he's real I think!

I'm really surprised at the number of 10+ year olds who genuinely believe in FC. I suspect a large number of them really don't, but are reluctant to say so. My own youngest dd was 5/6 when she started with the questions about how he could get round the world etc. .why she wasn't allowed to open my wardrobe. .why the one in the shopping centre was wearing a false beard. .why there was another one in a different shop at the same time. She wore me down so that eventually I had little choice but to admit her to the world of truth. I also had to tell her sister who is 14 months older. It seemed unavoidable at the time. She didn't seem too surprised either. I asked them not to tell any of their friends. I don't know if they ever did. It must be difficult to keep your gob shut at that age.

My nearly 10 year old still does, I think! I'm not sure if hes humouring me. He does ask if santa is real, but normally in front of his 6 year old brother, so I can't say 'no, but don't tell littleGP'. Santa doesn't buy all their presents anyway, just whats in their stockings, so I might just let them know he doesn't exist if they ask.

Without exception, the most joy my children have ever had is on Christmas morning when they discover he's been. It's wonderful, magical and I'm smiling as I type at the memory.
I find it astonishing that some parents would prefer their children to be 'critical thinkers' than experience this sheer delight as many times as they possibly can.

Very same arethereany and I and my siblings still reminisce about the excitement and joy of Christmas mornings in our house. We’re all late 30s/40s now . I know everyone’s different but I will never understand the people who get so uptight about FC/Santa and equate it with lying to their dc. It seems so joyless to see it in such a negative light.

He made me believe youarenotkiddingme

FGS are people seriously worried about a NINE year old believing in Father Christmas? What the hell does it matter!! Let him enjoy it! Seriously, critical thinking? What a load of utter nonsense. OP let your lad enjoy being a a child for a bit longer x

God there are some fucking fun sponges out there.

My nearly 10 year old believes, and no, he doesn't secretly not and is pretending for my sake. This will probably be our last year and if it's not, I will tell him before secondary school, but ffs, let them be kids for as long as they want. And he's pretty intelligent and has no issues with critical thinking, what a load of twaddle.

YANBU OP.

It kind of reminds me of when I used to watch professional wrestling. You know it's not actually real but you kind of want it to be so you keep the illusion going. There's enough cold, hard reality in the world so why not believe in something that makes you happy?

Are you sure he really still believes?

I worked it out at 8 but in my house Father Christmas leaves a magic hot chocolate with north pole snow on it for after midnight mass (hot choc with spray cream, grated white chocolate and a lot of glitter) and when my siblings stopped believing they stopped getting magic hot chocolate, so I never told my parents, or anyone else, that I knew. I assume they worked it out at some point but we've never spoken about it, I still leave a letter on their mantel piece and I still get my hot chocolate (I'm 29)

At that age I don't know if my mum though I still believed. We have never had a talk about it and even though we all knew stocking presents were from our parents (some even bought in our presence) she still always waited until after we were asleep to fill them up, right until she stopped doing them for us at about 16 & 18.

So, my long winded point was - he may know. Doesn't mean he wants you to point it out to him though. I don't think I've ever said father christmas isn't real outloud, even as an adult

My brother believed until he was 12. Critical thinking skills were fine as he achieved perfect 100 per cent scores in all of his GCSEs, A levels, and got 90 percent overall in his degree! Some kids just retain their innocence longer. It’s not a bad thing.

I still leave a letter on their mantel piece and I still get my hot chocolate (I'm 29)

^^this is everything that Christmas should be 😍😍

My ds2 was 6 😩 he’s played along as I told them that children who don’t believe get new pants & socks 😜

Lack of critical thinking skills I would be more worried at every religious believer critical thinking skills in their millions as grown adults before I started to worry about a sweet ten year olds!!

Dd is ten and in shop on her bday she said, I would like,x I said she would have to ask father Christmas for it. She gave a quick wry smile.. She sort of knows but I am. Not going to say it....we will eek one more year out....

Thank you wellandtruly. I think I’m more excited than he and his little sister are. I’d love to be a child again just so I could believe.

I had a year 7 boy, so 11, two weeks ago explain to me how he knows Father Christmas is real. Ive had believers in year 7 sporadically throughout the years. It isnt unheard of

My dd found out when she was 11 when she spotted the extra sticking.She said she thought it was me.By 12 she too was pretending that there was a Santa,critical thinking was the no Santa no Santa present just the one from me and no stocking.

Well, I found out around 7,but,because it made me sad and I didn’t want the magic to end I lied to my parents until age 10. I knew but just pretended I didn’t ... could this be the case?

My daughter has always known Father Christmas isn't real. We still visit him etc because it's a nice christmas story and she still loves it. Christmas is still fun and exciting. FC doesn't make Christmas, loved ones do. Saying some random guy brings yoi loads of presents isn't what Christmas is about. Don't get me started on the "only if you're good" stuff.
Anyway, if your older kids do believe, why ruin it unless you HAVE to? They'll figure it out soon enough. I can't ever remember beleiving in him, although I must have done because my parents still tell me he exists.

My DD is 10 on Boxing Day, I'm sure she knows, but she refuses to let on, many of her friends are the same, and you know what, even if she is having me on-because I tell her there's a pile from us and a pile from Santa (she may believe when I know she knows she will only get one pile) I still love the pretence of santy visiting, why not?!

I hope we get the fun visits to see santa, preparing him and the reindeers snacks on Christmas Eve for a few years yet! and I will forever remember that last year we drew him a map of our local area, because we moved 3 weeks before Christmas and our house (new build) wouldn't have come up on the Santa-nav. So much fun!