In think that most children don't stop believing in Father Christmas at 5 years old?

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On Mumsnet, there seems to be a large contingent of posters who claim that children over the age of 5 don't believe in Santa and if they do believe then they shouldn't. I have never met a 5 year old who didn't wholeheartedly believe in Santa, elves, everything. I think peak believing years are actually age 4 to 8. It's actually sad because if a child doesn't believe in Santa at 5 then they never really have. I wasn't a particularly naive child but I was 10 when I worked it out. My ds was around 9 I think. To me believing up to age 10 or so is entirely the norm -vor am in the minority in thinking that ?

DD started asking questions last year when she was 7.5, I asked her if she really wanted me to tell her and she said no so I suspect she knows but wants to keep up the pretence!

DS is 5.5 and a full on believer.

We’re taking them to Lapland in a few weeks where they’ll get to “search for Santa” so the magic will stick around a bit longer.

I thought it was more a badge of shame for not keeping the magic alive for the parents!

A friend of a friend had to tell her 10 year old that Santa wasn’t real before he started secondary school as she was worried he would get bullied. He genuinely still believed, or if not was very good at convincing his parents that he did!

@beatsin8s my parents tried 'the key that fits all doors'.

Never fell for that, the mid 70s had a big 'look out, there's a thief about' campaign. If that key fell into the wrong hands.....

I was born an old soul in a young body.

DD is in year 5 and most of her class still believe to some extent. I think they’re all fairly suspicious by this age but not completely sure. Seems pretty normal to me although I was much younger when I was told (by my older cousin). My 12 year old and I have never actually had a conversation about it. I’m sure he can’t still believe but we both pretend for the sake of keeping the Christmas magic alive.

I don't remember how old I was, somewhere in the 7-9 range. I was suspicious for the Xmas before I 'knew' because Father Christmas used the same mismatched wrapping paper as my mum, and had the same hand writing 🙄My mum still maintains his existence 😁My kids are only almost 4 and almost 1, I'm hoping for a lot of mileage yet!

DD is 11 this month and DS is 9 this month and they still believes in Santa and the Elf. I think I'm just a convincing bullshitter tbh 🤣

My nearly 8yo still believes that shagging elf is real.
Agree with pp have seen 4th class kids (10) absolutely squeal with excitement when Santa came in

i was 10 or 11, but we didn’t have the internet in those days. I bluffed my Mum into telling me, then felt really sad about it. My daughter was around the same age.

PS My daughter still believed because “you wouldn’t lie to me and you wouldn’t have time to buy all the presents”.

I never lied to my children so they never believed.

My dcs are between 5 and 11 and only the eldest doesn't believe. Dd is 9 and still believes, its sweet but I'm not sure how much longer she'll still think this.

I believed until I was 12ish, and I'm glad I did. The magic of Christmas goes once you know (still special and exciting, but not the same). Never got discussed at school so I wasn't bullied over it.

My ds never believed from when he could talk about it. It wasn't for lack of trying, but he is just that sort of person and was equally problematic on the subject of god when he started school.

I had to break the news to my son aged 11 just before he started high school as I was afraid he’d get bullied! My other son is 10 and is questioning as he knows that the tooth fairy doesn’t exist - I think this will be last year he believes.

Every child is different, my son was 10 my daughter 5🙈 She’s astute, observant and nothing passes her razor sharp focus! Whereas my son everything goes over his head. We all still love Christmas so not a big issue unless you’ve set yourself up for a fail as a parent by going in hard on the Santa experience.

I'm so glad my parents told me this white lie - I remember opening a new toothbrush in my stocking. I was so excited just because it came from Father Christmas. Definitely my best childhood memories involve opening presents from Father Christmas, no matter how little it was🥰

I found out at 5 as I recognised my mums writing lol! But my auntie ended up telling me when I was 6

DD is 5 and I'd say in 'peak believing Santa' mode this year. DS is 8 and very much still believes. I believed until I was 10 and my teacher told us the truth! The longer they believe the better in my opinion and I'm happy to carry on nurturing it. I would feel sorry for kids aged 5 who don't, it feels far too young for the magic to have gone.

You sound like my old RE teacher - 'the first lie your parents ever told you was that Father Christmas was real, discuss' my god he was a miserable bastard, had been kicked out the church according to the rumour mill.

IME the last two years of primary school are when kids tend to question and find out, which is perfect I think. A boy in ds's Yr 5 class told them all and I'm glad that's how it happened.

I stopped believing at 5 as did pretty much EVERYONE in my infants school (so approx. 180 kids) because one twat told their kid and then the truth spread like wildfire through us all - don't underestimate the power of a school grapevine.

That said knowing the truth and enjoying the magic are two different things... I love a whimsical xmas and wouldnt shit on anyone else suspending their disbelief, I believe most kids 'know' logically but if they are having fun with the stories let them.

I was 11 for last year at 12 I played along once at senior next year the magic had gone.

My 14 year old NEVER believed in fairies at all even as a little kid, he was utterly adiment that the tooth fairy was the dumbest bull he had ever heard and refused point blank to take any part in it lol.

My girl had worked it out by last Christmas, we were horrified she was gonna mention it to her younger brother, as she’d already made some sarcastic comments when opening her stocking presents. We had a chat, told her she won’t miss out but under no circumstances tell her brother until he knows himself.

hes 8 and seemingly has no idea still, though we’ll see - I’ll be glad when I no longer have to sneak their Santa gifts into their rooms while I’m half cut.

Agree. It should be a badge of shame but the parents with very young non believers sound almost gleeful and bragging about it.