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?

In my first year of teaching, I asked my Y4 class (so 8/9 yrs old) to draw someone who was different from them for whatever reason in a PSHE lesson. Most of them drew friends who supported different teams/were in different school houses etc. My “naughtiest” boy drew a picture of Father Christmas and I was just about to remind him that they were supposed to be drawing a real person when I realised he was deadly serious! I could have got in a whole lot of bother there!!

I want my kids to believe as long as possible. Innocence and magic are something that you can never get back.

My son still believed at high school. He said it was just him and one another kid that did, and their mates laughed at them. He's popular and sporty and confident and could take the teasing without it bothering him. My daughter prob only got to about 11 but still quite old compared to many. It was exhausting the lengths I went to, to keep everything plausible. Santa even bought them things I (said I) disapproved of. My son agreed I was too stingy to buy that much stuff, so it must be santa.

When my son was 5 he came home from school to tell me some kids said santa was not real. I said oh are kids still doing that? You know how some big kids like to make little kids cry? Well that's why they say santa is not real. To see if you will cry. He laughed and said I knew he was real. Happy days.

I really don't believe, that the majority of kids believe at 8 or more, or indeed earlier for most, they are just happy to go along with the pretence, just like all the adults in their lives do, 'cos it's a good game to talk about.

I think kids with doubts at 4/5 will directly question their parents - "this is crazy, the dude's not real right?" whereas later children will know and just be completely happy to go along with it - "santa isn't real" simply isn't something they would say, because no-one says it.

There's barely a Christmas movie you can watch without the notion that "santa isn't real" isn't a major part of the plot, how do you "keep them believing" and still do Christmas things?

If a small child comes home from school and says that Santa is not real, that should be accepted. If parents go on to try and convince the child that it is real, they're lying! The Santa business is a lie anyway, however it's dressed up.

I was interested in the teacher's post where she said an eight year old boy in her class drew a picture of Father Christmas when asked to draw someone outside of their family. She said she might have been in a lot of bother had she not realised he still believed. I don't think that is so, most kids wouldn't even think of Santa Claus, except as a story, at the age of eight.

When I was about eight I clearly remember at school we were asked by the teacher a question about Christmas, don't remember exactly what, and we all put hands up and said different things. One girl put her hand up and started talking about Father Christmas coming.....the teacher said quite plainly, "Now you are too old to be believing in Father Christmas". The girl sat down and no more was said. The teacher did not get into any trouble and she was right to say that (though in her place I would have taken the child to one side after the lesson). The rest of us were quite amazed that anyone of our age was a believer in Santa Claus.

Friends of mine had the right idea. They never told their children there was such a person but said it was fun to pretend.

@Bluerussian, if nothing else, this thread has confirmed my belief that if I had decided to take it upon myself, as that child’s teacher, to inform him that Santa was not real, then his parents may have been very cross with me. They may not have been, but certainly there would have been a percentage of the class whose parents would have been upset.

My 8 year old doesn't believe Santa is real anymore. I suspected he'd sussed it last year but he told me a few weeks ago. I'm not sure I could let a child go to secondary school still believing in Santa, they'd get the shit ripped out of them by the others surely. I'm guessing a NT 11 or 12 year old does know but plays along. 6 is fine though.

I think the whole Santa thing is ridiculous. Just tell kids the truth from the start! Same with the Tooth-fairy etc!

Innocence and magic are something that you can never get back.

My DD has been innocent and had magic aplenty without needing lies and pretence to the level shown on here countless times.

By innocence you actually mean “gullible” and by magic you mean “blind acceptance”. No thanks.

My eldest is 10 and believes....or says she does. My brother was 13! I was prob 11. I think going to high school is when many learn the truth or just before.

Mine is 13 and still believes. I shall brace myself for the usual "what the fuck is wrong with her?" comments this usually gets. I'm not telling her she is wrong and noone at her age discusses it, so it just never comes up for her to be disabused of the notion. 6 is a lovely age for believing- I figured it out at 4 and Christmas was never magical after that.

The longer they believe the better. This is the 1st year my 11 year old hasn't believed. I think I would have told him if he hadn't already found out this year as he's just started secondary school. I have older children and one of them was told by an adult when she was only 5 years old and I was Devastated because I felt it took the magic out of Christmas for her.

Used to look after a couple of siblings (5 and 8) the older one told me that children at school were saying that they didn't believe there was a Santa. What did I think? I said that everyone was allowed to choose what to believe, but in my house I thought that it was nice to think that there could be and maybe if people believed they might get a present but if not maybe not. The older boy smiled at me and told me that in my house he definitely would believe there was. We agreed that we wouldn't share these ideas with any younger children though.

Believing in santa never did me any harm it just made Christmas more exciting,

I remember my parents telling me about Father Christmas and we did have a chimney! I certainly didn't believe in him at 4, maybe before that but I don't remember, I know I didn't when I started school. My dad would come into my room when he thought I was asleep and put a sack of presents and a little stocking at the bottom of my bed.

When I told my mother that I knew there was no such person as Father Christmas she was very cross with me! It didn't stop her taking me to see Fr Christmas in a department store.

Oh yes I hope aged 6 DS believes.
I told DD last year after Christmas she was 10. She didn't believe others in school saying he wasn't real. I thought it was best to be honest with her.

My 8 year old still believes!

He's 6 not 16 good grief.