How old when they stop believing in Santa?

[CakeCuresAll]

My daughter will be 10 in the new year and I think she still does believe in santa despite her 12 year old cousins best effort to convince her otherwise.

What age did you or your DC stop believing?

I have an 18 month old so even if she stops next year, she'll still get the stockings etc should I bribe her with those to keep quiet or just let DS understand that once you stop believing, Santa won't bring them...

DS said he had some doubts in year 1, but knew it was a myth in year 2 after he overheard Grannie talking about putting things in stockings.

He still plays along with it though, and is really good about not letting anything slip to spoil it for DD (6), who he is sure still believes completely.

"Am I the only one that thinks 6-7 is so young not to believe"

I think a lot depends on the child. DS1 thinks things out very logically so I'm not suprised that he stopped believing at 7. However DS2 is 6 and has far more imagination so will probably believe forever!

My DS is 9 and is currently testing the system! Refuses to tell me what he would like for Xmas as it is a secret and won't do a letter yet!

I know some of his friends still believe and some don't. I suspect this will be the last year.

Even when I knew the truth I use to love to imagine Santa. Made it more magical.

A friend of mine go her DH to stick a preseent on their roof when her DS showed signs of not believing....like it had dropped off the sleigh....

My DS1 who is 10 still says he believes but the doubts were creeping in last year judging by his questions. Not sure with him. Sometimes I think he does and sometimes I think he doesn't. He starts secondary next year so I will give him one last Christmas and then somehow find a gentle way of letting him know. I don't want him teased at secondary school when he starts.

DS2 still believes but he is only just 7. I would like to keep him believing for a bit longer. More difficult to do with the second one.

I don't plan to change any of the rituals when they don't believe any longer though. It is all part of the fun and anyway, it makes it a bit easier to bear when they find out the truth if nothing much actually changes.

ds worked out the tooth fairy this year, sometime around turning seven. So I'm surprised he hasn't queried FC yet. Maybe he knows which side his bread is buttered?

Bless him, he was actually quite touched with the TF that it was Mummy and Daddy who had gone to all this effort to do nice things for him. (Not that I cursed the other mother in the class who apparently gave her son a letter from the darn Fairy, telling the story of how TF got the job, which ds chose to tell me at 7pm, when we'd run out of printer ink, dh was not home that night and I have very distinctive handwriting...)

Oh, and dh was FC at the school fair today. Some of the older children still believe, bless them, certainly many of the Yr 4s. Although some of the Yr 1s do not. Dh managed to reinforce belief amongst some children by saying 'Oh, I think I remember you, isn't your Daddy from Scotland' and such like.

Both of my 7 year olds are having doubts, I'm doing my best to prolong their belief.

My ds was starting to have doubts last year, but wasn't entirely sure so went to see Santa at the school fete and made sure he put out carrot and mince pie before going to bed. He also had a letter from the north pole explaining some of the things he might have been hearing about at school and we watch lots the santa films and xmas stories.

There was much talk at school and some people were saying it was parents but he and his friend had a long chat in the back of the car about it and weren't convinced either way. I was too busy driving to comment

I did have to metion to one of the teacher though to please be careful what they said as they were planning the school fete and discussing who would be Santa I suggested the best person to ask would be Santa himself... She later said her own son believed until he was 11 so she should have been more careful.

So yes my ds 11 now (12 in January) and has been saying a lot that it's me. But also said that it's nice that he gets presents from me and Santa. So while I'm pretty sure he knows he's still hedging his bets just in case.

Because it's just him and myself I've been able to weave a little ritual into it (all the things I never had as a child). So he has always had a present from me and presents & stocking from Santa. And I've always received presents from Santa too.

Plus we put out carrot and mince pie and Santa always writes a thank you note. He also puts his slippers by his bedroom door and these get filled with chocolates. He didnt have slippers one year so Santa brought some to put the chocolates in.

He also still believes in the tooth fairy and easter bunny. What can I say! He has no siblings to spoil it for him. And we do live in a small rural community and the children aren't street wise here. I like it that way.

I help with a Brownie Pack and some of the 8 and 9 year olds were talking about Christmas. Am pretty sure some didn't believe but at least half sounded like they did.

my ds2 has been doubting since he was 5 (he's 8 now) but he still believes every xmas its just the rest of the year he's not sure

ah gilly, I want my son to come and live where you live

anyway - of course Father Christmas is real - I have no idea what you are all blethering on about!!

And I am 34

:) It's hard to know what to tell them about FC and the tooth fairy etc. So many families do it differently.

DD is starting to doubt the Tooth Fairy now after questioning her friends and seeing so many different amounts being left!

I hope she still believes this yea at least.

I think I was about 8 when I stopped believing. My mum and stepdad thought the smirks between them went unnoticed but it was obvious :(

My DD is 6 and still believes in FC and the TF. I do worry because her school is very small and so all the age ranges mix together. I just know someone will tell her that FC doesn't exist.

DD (7) still believes , which tbh I find really odd - she's a curious child who likes to know how things work; I do wonder if she's just determined to keep believing because she likes the idea, if that makes any sense! Similarly, she knows that fairies and mermaids are not real, yet still believes in the Tooth Fairy!
I was born cynical, and cannot ever remember 'believing' (DH very shocked by this!) so certainly knew from the age of about 4, but I do remember pretending to believe as otherwise my parents would be upset!
Our DC have never been to see Santa at a local grotto, either - they are not at all fussed by this, as they understand that the Santas there are just people pretending, because the real one is too busy.....

Oooh and both my DC have been in earshot of a child saying that FC does not exist, and they seemed to just block it out.....

Mine lasted until they were about 11. By then they were personally convinced and never mentioned it, or asked us outright.
They now suspend disbelief very firmly and follow all the traditions because Father Christmas is still "real" in all the ways that matter.

DD1 will be 8 just after Christmas and we had THAT CONVERSATION this morning! It was actually fine, and very light-hearted.

My ds is 4 - last night we were arguing talking about fireworks, and I said we'd save them for christmas eve so they'd show fc where we were. 'mummmeee, santas just a dream' he said. So that told me .

Interesting, cos thats all his own working out

DD1 beleived until she was 7. DD2 was 10 and DD3 was 11. They are now aged 23.20 and 18 and still pretend to believe. They put thier stocings up and stil put mince pies and carrots out for Father Christmas and his Reinder. Well DD2 and 3 will. DD1 will be in France with her DH this year but I know she is still going to have a stocking.

everybodysgotone I know quite a few children who believed unti they were way past 7 and no they wer not just going along with it

I think if as we do in our family ( and that includes my brothers and sisters family),tell the DC's that Father Christmas only buys stocjing presnts and the rest come from us and relatives, Then the chilfren aren't devestated when they finf d out and also they know they won't get big presents from Father Christmas.

I know a father that actually went into a nearby field on christmas eve, stole some cow shit and trailed it in their front garden, in order to convince 9 and 10 yr old daughters that reindeer had stopped by.(not dh,he thinks im pushing the boat out by wrapping the presents)

My Grandma is 86 and still believes