To ask teachers and parents if 6 is too old to believe in Santa?

[SpinneyHill]

My DS1 (6) told me earlier this year he knows Santa isn't real, but today we got a toy catalogue and I told DS2 (4) it was from Santa to help kids write their lists I was just about to whisper to DS1 to not ruin the magic (because I thought he'd stopped believing) when he suddenly became quite excited about Santa knowing where we live (we moved this year).

I almost feel a bit worried because I don't think I did believe at age 6?
Are his friends going to mock him for this?
When do they stop believing?

As a teacher I’d be sad if the 6yr olds in our school didn’t believe in Santa!

At 3 my dd told me he wasn't real. Fortunately I convinced her other wise. At 6 she is a firm believer, and faries etc.

My nearly 6yo declared he wasn't sure about it all and I'm heartbroken and trying to provide convincing rebuttals to all his doubts. I'm not ready for him to stop believing, I feel like he's only had a couple of Christmases of buying into it all! He's still little enough to believe in magic.

When I was teaching, it was common for several year 7 children to believe.
I did nothing to contradict them.
I think it is lovely. They will know the truth soon enough. What's wrong with a bit of magic in a very hard world?

I think 6 is young to have questioned it, my 7.5yo is still a firm believer, as are her friends. My eldest asked me at around 8 or 9.

My 10 year old is on the fence about him. But my 5 almost 6 year old definitely still believes. Why would it worry you that he does?

Any age up to secondary school. I would tell them before they go up to secondary school. My youngest Dd has decided he's not real and she's in year 5 but I've sworn her to secrecy as most of her friends still believe (they are all oldest siblings or only children).

My 10 year old believes but has a lot of questions

My mum told me when I was 9, on Christmas morning, because apparently I was making a fool of myself. I cried. Of course I knew Father Christmas wasn't real. I was going along with the fun and the magic.

My 20yo has never such as muttered anything about FC not being real. My kids just go along with it, I'm I'm never going to piss on their magic like my mum did to me.

I never told them there are people in the characters at DisneyLand either. Some things just don't need to be said.

As my two oldest children left primary school to go to high school I had a brief chat about Santa not being real. Both times I was laughed at and they confirmed they had known for years.

We still go along with it for for youngest DS though.

My yr6 dgs is pretending to believe for my sake! I overheard him telling his older brother that they had to let Grandma think they still believed.

If my 10 year old doesn’t believe he hasn’t told me!! We have 10, nearly 9, 7 and 1 and as far as I know they all believe!!

I still believed until I was 9 and my older nieces/nephews (now teens/early 20's) believed until they were 8/9.

I have younger nieces/nephews also, the eldest of them is 6 and she ABSOLUTELY believes in Santa. I have never known a 6 year old not to believe.

The idea of a 6 year old not believing makes me sad as that means I only have 3 more with DD. Although I'm 27 and I've never told my mum I know he isn't real.... and he still leaves me a gift at her house.

DS is 7 in year 3 and definitely believes.

My 6 year old still definitely believes - I think ours stay a bit more sheltered as regards Christmas magic because it’s an infant school so no older children shattering the illusion though. The 7 year old I think is starting to have doubts (she’s just started Junior school) and I think some awkward questions will begin to appear once Christmas season starts in earnest at her school - but she’s a mercenary little bugger and I think will put doubt to one side in the interest of securing presents for a couple of years left!

The 7 year old is still absolutely adamant that unicorns are real though.

When you stop believing in Santa, Santa stops bringing presents.

My kids were all pretty old figuring it out and I didn’t intervene. It’s a magical time and it’s for such a short short time. Honestly, there about 4 before they fully get it. Leave them believe for as long as possible and do whatever it takes (bare face lie!) to keep them believing.

At 6 he might suspect. He might have heard others talking. But he absolutely still wants to believe. Let him. He’s 6... not much more than a baby!

two of mine made to 11/12!

Mine made it to Y6

There're a couple of studies that say the average age a child stops believing in Santa is 8.

Six is just the right age to still believe in Father Christmas.

He might have had a passing doubt in March, but by September he will be convinced that Father Christmas IS real, and as the days get shorter, the closer it gets to Christmas, the stronger his conviction will grow! This is the magic of Christmas!

Even if he knows the truth, don’t tell him!!! If I mention Santa not being real now my mum tells me not to be ridiculous ;) I’m 25.

Y4 is when they start seriously wavering I think.

Only just told by 13 yr old.
She didn't really really believe but still.

You don't have to pop the bubble if you don't want to.

'If you don't believe, he doesn't come'
My parents never told me and I was 24 before I ever caught them filling the stockings o. The end of my bed!

I still believe! I’m 56.