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

[NoKnit]

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

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.

My eldest son was six and has asd and he just kept on about how it 'literally ' couldn't possibly be true, couldn't be done, and he knew it was stupid and that if he ever saw a man come down our chimney he would burn him I was gutted but I've never confirmed or denied. My six year old is a firm believer and I hope it carries on for a while! My two year old doesn't know what's going on but he likes it and just shouts 'stick man!' whenever we see an Xmas tree

Dd started questioning in y4, experimented in y5 by writing her list but not showing us to see if santa delivered and in y6 I came clean. She said she hadn't actually worked it out, not for definite and was gutted to learn the truth. She was then v keen to become part of the magic for her little brother now y4.

I started sussing it out aged about 7, but I pretended to believe until about 10!

The ages don't surprise me, though I expect some children keep quiet until they think that they will be seen as stupid if they say they believe in Father Christmas.

Around six or seven I think. We didn’t go overboard on the Santa thing though and he was just the delivery guy. We sold it more like a story as I wasn’t comfortable lying about it.

My just turned 8 year old told us this year Santa wasn’t real. Her 10 year old brother insisted that he was but has now confessed that he has known the truth since he was 7/8 (y3) but didn’t want the magic to end! 😁😂

DD just turned 11 and says she still believes but has questioned it a few times. I'd like to tell her to be honest but I know she will be gutted to know for sure. I'll go along with it this year but it will be the last one as she can't go to secondary still believing.

My kid is 7 and it wouldn’t occur to them that Santa isn’t real.

My 7yo has questioned quite hard the reality of delivering presents all over the world. He also doesn't like the idea of a person in his room so in our house Santa stays downstairs! I'm won't go into detail (refuse to deliver intricate lies) but avoid answering the question, start banging on about magic until he gets bored and wanders off. My eldest was probably 9/10, just gradually knew. I'm not a massive one for insisting they should believe or that it spoils the magic of Christmas if they know as I don't think it does. But I am conscious that to others it's a big deal, otherwise I'd probably just answer the 7year old straight up with a no! I just don't trust him to not impart this to the rest of the class so not just yet.

DD questioned at 9, I said Santa's is real to people whovbeleive in him. She decided she did ! She is now 11 (still primary) is quite sure.. DS is 8 and absolutely believing but has ASD and is emotionally very young.

I'm hoping santa brings me better typing skills.. she is NOT sure ..

My eldest is just 8 and he definitely still fully believes. It’s lovely.

Mine is 9 and I'm not sure if he still believes or is playing along for my sake. Either is fine with me!

Even when me and my brother were in our late teens my parents would still come into our rooms on Christmas morning and wake us up by saying "he's been!"

My and my sibling still have Christmas stockings with our presents in at our parents house. We are 40 and 36! 😂 I don't care if that's sad...I love Christmas

One of mine was 7, the other was 8. I think I was around the same age. The second child was the more upset of the two, but got over it fairly quickly. After they had outright asked (1st child) or hinted at doubts a few times (2nd child) I was honest with them.

And i think even if they ask a few well placed open questions/flat out lies can keep it going a little longer

That said I will tell mine before he goes to secondary school if he hasn't worked it out already. Too much potential for bullying

I don’t think my DS8 believes as he has seen a couple of parcels being delivered and has started to say presents from “you, Dad .....and Santa’ but he hasn’t actually asked any questions yet.

My DC were 6 and 7
I was 4/5 (reception class) when I found out as I recognised the Santa at the school Xmas party

DD1 was around 7 or 8. She didn't tell DD2, but DD2 was 9 if I remember correctly. It always bothers me when parents get upset that their 8+ year old finds out (obviously excluding ND kids) though - DD1 told her friend in year 4 and got banned from said friend's house!

DD is 7 and she's started asking some quite probing questions this year questioning how it all works. However last year we went to Finnish Lapland to meet Santa so this is still strong in her mind and the belief is very much still strong.

I'm pretty sure my 10yo does not believe but he's not vocal about it and has never asked me directly.

My 8yo knows he's not real because she has mentioned it now a few times in the last couple of years. I over heard her talking to my 6yo the other day, they came and asked me and i said that it's a bit like God. Some people are sure he's real, others don't believe he is and some haven't decided yet but that just in case he is real and can hear us it's probably best to believe in him just for now in case he doesn't bring any presents. That stopped the conversation in its tracks with both proclaiming to firmly believe

My daughter is 9 and she had doubts a couple of years ago but she hasn’t come out and said she doesn’t believe . She does a lot of hints to me so I don’t think she does but I think it’s nice she still plays along especially for her little sister .

@parietal

my DDs both did a lot of questioning around age 7 / 8 but I gave ambiguous answers and said that Santa only comes to children who believe in him. So now they pretend to believe and we pretend to believe that they believe, with plenty of knowing smiles but no explicit discussion. It seems more fun that way.

Definitely this. I'm nearing forty. I've never outright told my parents that I don't believe, and they've never told me they don't either. You can move seamlessly from experiencing the magic to creating it for others. The magic is still real.

I told both my big ones in year 6 before they went to high school. My eldest was gutted she genuinely still believed, I think my middle one had an inkling already as he didn’t seem too bothered 🤣 my youngest is only 3 so hoping for a good few years for him yet!

My DS was 11 when he stopped believing.

Both my boys were around 11. DD realised when she was 8 sadly...