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Original poster

To ask about children believing in Father Christmas, what age did they stop?

104 replies

NoKnit · 27/11/2020 21:53

I have to ask as I am quite curious. What age did your child stop believing in santa?

The other week my 7 year old asked his Dad if santa was real and husband just told him no he isn't real although he shouldn't tell his little brother (who is 4). Although in fairness we could tell the 4 year old and he'd forget in a few minutes anyway Grin

The thread about the 9 year old and his neighbour just got me thinking. We live in a country that doesn't really do santa, or does it their own way so it isn't a big deal to us. But I am pretty curious as to when your children stopped believing and if you think 7 is too young.

OP posts:
KitKatastrophe · 28/11/2020 03:08

@purplemustang
Alright! I literally had no idea that the Easter bunny is a "thing" that kids believe in like Father Christmas. I don't really know anyone who celebrates Easter.

FrenchFancie · 28/11/2020 06:04

Did is 8 this year and a smart kid - she certainly is having doubts and is far more aware of ‘Christmas shopping’ being a thing, and knows that I am buying her presents. But then the next day will talk anxiously about whether her Santa letter will get through in time (we live abroad and the postal service is a bit rubbish). I suspect she doesn’t really believe believe but is hedging her bets in case she doesn’t get presents.
She has lots of non-English friends here who have their gifts brought on New Year’s Eve by a saint type figure, so it makes the whole thing a bit trickier!!

Freakout11 · 28/11/2020 06:21

My parents would have said I completely bejewels at 10

I didn’t. I only pretended I did for fear that if I said I didn’t believe I wouldn’t get presents.

A 10 year old that still truly and genuinely believes intrigued me

ohnothisagain · 28/11/2020 06:26
  1. he realised that the story doesn’t make any sense (plus we went to a Grotto and the gift he got was the absolute opposite if the things he likes - that got him thinking).
Imapotato · 28/11/2020 06:27

From around 9 you could tell my kids didn’t t really believe any more. We didn’t talk openly about him not existing however, until they started secondary school.

corkernewyorker · 28/11/2020 06:38

9 and 11 year olds still totally believe. In fact they are worrying this year about Covid and have vowed to wear masks to ensure the big man will deliver their stockings.... I think it is lovely.

Ploughingthrough · 28/11/2020 06:38

My just turned 8 year old hasn't wavered yet. Mind you she doesn't watch Friends and hadn't read the entire Harry Potter series by 7, so she's not the mumsnet super-mature child that seems to exist on here! I hope she hangs onto the magic a little bit longer, there's nothing wrong with believing in santa at 8/9.

Misskittyfantastico85 · 28/11/2020 06:45

My Dd is 11 and I have no idea if she still believes or not. I suspect not, but its almost like she cant let go or doesn't want to let us down by letting us know she doesn't believe.

loutypips · 28/11/2020 06:45

Dd is 10. I think she doesn't believe but just goes along with it to keep me happy as she thinks I still believe! She's had doubts the past couple of years.

Moonflower12 · 28/11/2020 07:11

My 7 year old believes I think.
My grown up children pretend to believe as they don't want to spoil it for me- we joke I still believe!

Moonflower12 · 28/11/2020 07:13

And I sort of do still believe, in the magic-ness of it all.
That feeling when you look at the tree at midnight on Christmas Eve as you finish wrapping and think of their little faces in the morning.
That's what I believe in.

Angel2702 · 28/11/2020 07:18

Here it is around age 10. Although we’ve never said to our eldest, they work it out for themselves and just go along with it.

Our daughter is 9 this year and we have a letter planned to all of them for next year retiring the elves and everything will naturally fall away after that.

HelloDaisy · 28/11/2020 07:22

Both my dc believed until the first year of secondary school!
Ds asked me directly that Christmas so I told him. He was very emotional that we went to all that effort for him ❤️.
We decided to tell dd after the first Christmas at secondary as she was old enough. She was distraught to know he wasn’t real and cried for ages!

HollyCarrot · 28/11/2020 07:32

Fairly sure my 9 y/o knows but she's doing a stellar job of pretending. Only said to my husband the other day she'll still be pretending when she's 20 for fear of missing out on the presents!

Howmanysleepsnow · 28/11/2020 07:34

DS1 was 11 in Y6. He stopped believing in magic a year or so before but said that there must be a scientific explanation. His younger sister stopped believing before him. She questioned age 8 in Y4, stopped by age 9 in Y5.
DS3 is 8 and believes. He’s a strong character and happy to tell older non believers that it’d be impossible for your parents to deliver presents without waking you/ hide things that well/ mum would never buy x as he’s not allowed it and regularly presents evidence that Santa must be real!
DS4 is 7 and 100% believes.

PivotPivotPivottt · 28/11/2020 07:36

My 9 year old still seems to believe but I'm suspicious she might be pretending. She questioned a few things last year (including why Rudolph's carrot was in the binBlush) so I didn't expect her to believe at all this year. I think she's either pretending or half believing.

Dexy1957 · 28/11/2020 07:46

We were lucky enough to go to Iceland to see Father Christmas my son was seven. Father Christmas told him that he was so terribly old that he would see a lot of other Father Christmases they were all his cousins that helped him, but it was he he came on Christmas Eve my son believed till he was around nine .

namochangoro · 28/11/2020 07:47

Mine never liked the idea of Santa delivering presents. Didn't want him round. So we started to tell it as it is, a legend / myth / Saint account that gives people a good idea to celebrate with generosity and gift giving which some take further and like to believe that the actual embodiment of Santa actually materialises and visits in person. A bit like other tales of the supernatural.

Tbh I believed in the typical way as a child and was very upset when at 5 I found out the truth. If it had been like a ghost story, myth, fairy story, Loch Ness monster sort of thing the whole thing would have been able to retain the magical aspect.

Itstartedinbarcelona · 28/11/2020 07:47

I assumed that DS(10) wouldn’t still believe, especially as he sees so many deliveries arriving to our house in November and December, but when I asked him he said none of his friends believe but he knows Santa’s real as he saw his sleigh on a neighbour’s roof! I know DD(14) hasn’t believed for a while but I’ve still never openly acknowledged it and probably never will!

DorisDaisyMay · 28/11/2020 07:54

My seven year old knows he is not real because he has an older brother.

His older brother a few years ago said something like ...blah blah Father Christmas and I said ‘you don’t believe in him do you still?’
And he looked at me.
‘What you mean he’s not real?’...

We still pretend- put out the carrot and beer but I actually think it’s better that there is no pretence going on because it feels like we are sharing the experience of suspending our disbelief.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 28/11/2020 07:59

I worked it out myself around age 8 but kept up the pretence for another couple of years for my mums sake lol
My 6 year old has already rumbled the tooth fairy but I gave a non committal answer .
If he questions me after this Christmas then I might let him know the truth about santa ( hes 7 in feb )
Any younger, no.

Fizbosshoes · 28/11/2020 08:08

I've LOVED "doing" Father Christmas and felt really disappointed when the eldest found out at age 8. However they've gone along with it and kept the secret for 6 years, and DC 2 still believes at 11. Part of me loves their innocence, but the other part Hope's theyll hurry up and suss it out, or get told by friends as I know this has to be the last year.

funinthesun19 · 28/11/2020 08:17

My 9 year old is getting very suspicious, but I’m having at least one more Christmas where he still thinks it’s a possibility he’s real. I don’t really care if that’s wrong that I’m not being honest with him.

1stmonkey · 28/11/2020 08:53

My dd started asking at 5, i suspect the influence of school and older children. We kept it going and she was convinced by the magic of it all until last year (aged 9) when her suspicions were much more concrete. We chose to tell her the truth in January long after the excitement had died down and explained that now she's growing up, she gets to be a part of the Santa club, and has a responsibility to keep the magic going for kids who still believe.
Have since overheard her talking to her friends and playing along for those who still believe in Santa which has been lovely!

IMNOTSHOUTING · 28/11/2020 08:55

I remember 'finding out' about santa when someone asked me if I believed, I'd avoided thinking about it before then but when actually asked realised I didn't believe. I think most kids are the same. Those who want to believe will keep believing and those that don't care as much will admit the truth earlier. Based on the kids I know the usual age to stop is somewhere between 7 and 10.