To have thought that trips to see Santa wouldn’t end yet?

[redambergreen70]

On a Santa experience today with DD8.5 and DS5.5. It’s a fantastic experience, lots of activities and cost a decent amount of money.
We think DD is starting to have doubts about Santa but hasn’t said anything directly, however it’s quite obvious from today that this is probably our last year as DD seems almost a little embarrassed and too cool for it all.
I feel quite sad and maybe it’s naivety on my part but I honestly thought we would have another couple of years.
So I guess I’m asking, what age did you stop doing the traditional Santa visits and look at something more suitable for older children? And what did you do instead?

My 11, 9 and 5 Yr old were all very happy seeing Santa this year.

I stopped believing at 7 but we still did all the Santa activities well into my teen years . Even as an adult ( before kids even ) I put out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer ( and ate/drank them myself 😉)!

The spirit of Santa is real at every age .

I think it’s lovely that you are still doing that for your daughter but you could always ask her what she wants to do next year to see if there is a Santa/Christmas activity she might be more interested in.

How sad that you feel like that.

I was told at 11! Having said that I was very innocent haha

I find it hard to believe a 4/5 year old no longer believes in santa.
My son is 3 this year for Christmas and it's his first year actually believing and being genuinely excited, no way will he no longer believe next year when he's 4, that would mean he's believed in santa for all of one Christmas 🤔 one of my nieces is 9 and definitely still believes. My oldest niece is 14 and will happily go see santa if she gets a day out and mince pie 😂 she even volunteers to do the elf for her youngest sister throughout December.

DD9 is the eldest and she is absolutely loving keeping the magic going for her younger siblings. But we are toning down the Santa stuff this year and doing more nice family things. Cinema trips, panto, baking, Christmas Lights walks etc. We don't even have a Santa visit booked this year and they're not bothered about it.

Mine are more interested in the bloody shelf elves than Santa anyway.

I've always told mine the ones you visit are just people dressed up. I find it so uncomfortable I couldn't say anything else.

My 10 year old believes. This is the first year he's expressed any cynicism but that's more at tv portrayls rather than Santa himself. I suspect we'll get one more year out of it. Then I'll make sure he knows. I believed until I was 11.

Mine are 7 and 10. They werent fussed about seeing Santa last year but happily saw him yesterday at a pre-arranged party, and will again next weekend at another activity. They both still believe -- my 10 year old has asked if he's real in front of his sister, and I always just say that Santa is real if you believe he's real. Which is why I still get a stocking at 38.

I think we stopped at about 8. I don't think it's that they don't believe as such but they have become more self aware and a bit awkward with strangers. My dd is still very excited about Father Christmas and is plotting how she can try and get a sneaky video of him (Thanks Christmas Chronicals) but we haven't done a santa visit this year.

My now 18 year old stopped believing very young. She broke it to me very gently that Father Christmas wasn't real and was just the mummy and daddies. She was only 3.5. Maybe I could have lied but she was quiet proud of her reasoning.

We still visited FC for a few more years and she loved Christmas.

No kids? I can tell.

My now 10 year old seemed awkward as you say last year, so she was just 9. We haven't done it this year.

You can keep going for the younger one, but the elder child doesn't need to speak to santa etc. We have a big age gap and her brother is 15 so could be trusted to keep the magic alive for her.

Mine are both too old now but our local country park had a Santa Paws grotto for dogs so we took the pup instead!

Depends on the Santa surely... the one go to is more of a day out with a present from Santa rather than Santa being the whole focus. They have presents for up to 15yos. Most of the kids are Primary age with a few younger siblings

I've booked for my four kids who are 12, 12, 8 and 2. The 8 year old and 2 year old believe, and the 12 year olds have been told that the magic continues (in the form of stockings) for all those who do not voice any disbelief ....

I am hoping the older two will keep our visit to Santa alive so that the younger two can still enjoy it!

We never did Santa visits. DC had the occasional done at nursery/ school but that was it. Christmas celebrations can take all sorts of forms and that's fine.
I'd say in DC current Y2 class a third know he s not real, two thirds still believe. The first third have been really good at pretending though, which I think is lovely.

Stopped when dds were about 8 or 9

Or maybe 7

That is so cute

I can't imagine an 11 year old wanting to see Santa?

Don’t be ridiculous.

OP, IME 7/8/9 is when they stop believing in Santa. But I took DD to a Santa thing a couple of weeks ago and there were plenty of groups with older siblings getting in the spirit of it for their younger siblings’ benefit so it doesn’t mean it’s all over as soon as your eldest susses it out.

DD last went at 9. It was during Covid, so wasn't a traditional sitting on Santa's lap type thing anyway - it was more of a Santa's workshop with gifts delivered on a conveyer belt. DS2, who was 19 at the time, also went with us just for the day out.

We still do Christmas things - panto, German Market, lights etc - just without the santa.

The kids I work with are all fairly streetwise and generally I'd say by year 4 most don't believe and none do by year 5.

This! I teach year 5 and year 6 children. Many of the Y5’s still believe and even one or two of the Y6 children.

It was spoilt very early for me as a child (very mean older cousin who was set out to spoil things) and I couldn’t have been older than 5. I will keep the magic alive as long as DS is happy to believe! 🎅✨