Did you believe in Santa as a child, even for a short while?

[Pavementworrier]

Yabu for yes
Yanbu for no

Well, the vast majority will be yes. I did, for ages. Most families do Santa. I didn’t with my own kids but it’s a tiny minority

Yes, of course!

I never did believe. I asked my mum outright at a very young age if it was real and my mum said no (I am glad she did it would be weird if she had lied). I think a lot of children maybe can tell their parents want them to believe so they pretend.

Weird if she lied? I’d say sad she couldn’t let a very young child have a bit of Christmas magic.

And yes I believed, and no I don’t hold it against my mum for lying to me 😂

Yep, believed until I was about 5. My siblings and I decided to not tell mum that Santa didn't exist because it might upset her because she so obviously believed

No. My family never did Santa. I don't get the hysteria on here about the magic of Christmas being ruined, if you don't do Santa for your kids.

I loved Christmas as a child and it was plenty magical.

I had a really vivid dream of Father Christmas (as my parents called him) in my bedroom when I was 7 or8, patting my stuffed animals on their heads.

Even when I logically knew he wasn't an actual real person... that dream still sticks with me.

No. My parents raised me to see Santa as a fun tradition/game, nothing more.

You don’t need to believe in Santa to have a magical Christmas

I don’t know one single person who felt lied to by their parents when they found out Santy wasn’t real. Ime it is a mumsnet phenomenon, a bit like turning up empty handed to weddings/being put out children aren’t invited/not inviting partners - only ever come across it on here.

tbh, I’m not sure I believe….in mumsnet 😂

Yes, I believed wholeheartedly at first and then in a kind of unthinking way until I was about 10 or 11. I was kind of able to hold multiple beliefs in my head as a child, so I would see articles about stocking fillers in my mum's magazine but still also believe in Father Christmas and magic. When I was little fairyland was also very real to me, and witches, and a general feeling of magic and possibility in the world. I was a massive reader of books like The Enchanted Castle, Narnia etc so that probably fueled it!

I don't really remember ever believing, and remember a conversation with the other kids at school when we were 5/6 about if it was real, consensus in the class was no. Potentially I did as a toddler, but I'm not sure.

From looking at my own kids there seems to be a very small time window between understanding what's going on enough to have a set idea of where the presents come from (maybe 3) and been able to see the logical flaws in the santa explanation (maybe 4/5). I'm pretty sure all the people on mumsnet claiming their 10+ year old still believe are deluded.

I thought everyone in this part of the world did. Everyone I know did anyway. And it's not really a lie, it's a shared myth to enhance childhood and provide some magic and joy.

Yes until I was 6/7.

I vividly remember being 6 and wide awake on Christmas Eve. I heard some odd houses and crept downstairs to see my parents and grandad bringing in gifts and setting them up. I felt distraught and cried. But when I woke up in the morning, I still went to my little brother excitedly and told him santa had been. When I asked my parents, they told me in a very much way of fact way, and I believe the spirit of Christmas wasn't included in their answer.

I've already told my children that santa brings a few small gifts and families give the rest. When my son (7) asked about santa the other day we spoke about the religious aspect of Christmas, the cultural aspect, and then the special aspect which is giving and I told him about Saint Nicolas being considered the first Santa. We spoke about the original green suit and what we could do this year to give back in some way. It worked really well, and he's told his dad since that he knows about the first santa, and now there are many Santa's all working together in light of that legacy. When he's a little older, I'll remind him of that conversation and tell him we are all santa, and now he is responsible for making the magic happen for his little sisters.

It doesn't have to be 'no santa doesn't exist and I buy you gifts'. It can still be magical when you know the truth.

I don't know anybody in real life who didn't believe in Santa or parents that didn't do Santa. Seems to be a mumsnet thing to sound cool.

I have to say I was a bit confused by the whole thing when I found out - I remember asking my mum about it when someone told me at school that he wasn’t real (about age 7) and not really understanding why it was ok that they hadn’t told the truth about that before. I can’t say it did any lasting damage but it is a bit of a weird double standard.

It wouldn't be weird if she lied to you at a young age. Parenting is full of not straight with the truth with young children. It is hardly lieing

You don’t need to believe in Santa to have a magical Christmas

Of course you don't, but I can remember believing in Father Christmas, and therefore believing in pure magic - it was so wonderful and exciting. There's never been anything else that has given me that sense of pure wonder in quite the same way.

Of course, as I got older (aged about 7), I came to understand that magic wasn't real, so FC couldn't be real, but those early years of belief were like nothing else I've experienced. As corny as it sounds, I'm really grateful for the magic of Santa.

What!!!!!! Santas not real

I assume so. But I don’t remember believing in him and then finding out he wasn’t real, so I guess I didn’t believe for very long

No, never.

But my dad was tight as all fuck with money, so right from a small child it was “I can’t belive this for me X amount” all the time.

I was also born and miserable, cynical git, so I never saw the magic or joy in anything as a child.

I don't remember ever believing in Santa. I think my son was the same which is a bit sad. He's got a similar brain to me - he's very analytical and asked endless technical questions about how it would work. Also cottoned on very early to Santa bringing children from rich families loads more presents.

No never. DS never either. None of his friends believed by year one definitely as they were here just after Christmas for his birthday absolutely ripping the piss out of little siblings (who were not with us) who appeared to still believe. Catholic school. Maybe Catholics don't do Santa with as much vigor as others?

Yes, I did. I remember the Christmas eve nights waiting up for him, vibrating with excitement, struggling to sleep. The waking up at 4am and poking my stocking with my toes trying to guess what's in there without actually looking. The absolute thrill of going down to the pile of presents. Aaah it was nice.

I remember the discussions with my pals in primary school, it was when we had the cool goth teacher so must've been year 3... And the realisation that he probably wasn't real. And then pretending for a good few more years for my parents' benefit because I knew it made them happy.

Then telling my parents I knew he wasn't real but pretending for even longer for my little brother until he stopped believing too (9 year age gap!). I remember feeling a bit flat the first year no one in the house believed anymore, but we made it magical in other ways and have continued to do so.

I dunno, people can do Christmas however they want and you don't need to believe for it to be magic, but I'm happy I had those experiences and that excitement, and that I can still remember it.