Sensitive Christmas question..please don't let DC's see!!

[Bomper]

My ds is 9 next week, and from things he has said recently, seems to still believe in Father Christmas, or is trying very hard to still believe!! Dh and I have been talking the best way to find out 'The Truth'!! Is it best to just hear it from friends/older children at school or should WE tell him?! Has anyone done that? What was the outcome?! When I was a kid I just slowly came to the realisation it wasn't true - don' think it was ever discussed. Also, have younger dd's who I don't want to find out yet!! Arse, why do we start these things?!!

dd1 was dubious about aged 8 so we did the following -
DH bought a really cheap santa outfit and ate the mince pie and downed the huge sherry.
He then proceded to make sure in the dim landing light dd saw santa fiddling around and packing presents into sack..
Finally we got 2 wellies and stood them on the hearth-get a seive and sprinkle icing suger all around wellies and remove and do the same on the floor just in front.
looks so like footprints and snow brings a tear to the eye !
dd1 still believes in Santa and is now 13 !

Nobody ever told us and even at the age of 15 still got a present from 'santa'. I knew he wasnt real as by the age of 10 I used to help my mum set up for my little sisters but it was still nice to be included.

I was really pleased to find out that FC wasn't real. I was terrified of him and couldn't bear the thought of him being in our house. Not even the milk and biscuits thing would pacify me! I used to scream before bedtime and made my parents promise me that they wouldn't let him into the house.

Not quite sure yet though, how to handle the situation with dd when it arises, bt that hopefully won't be for a while yet

My older two (10 & 9) were beginning to doubt but were then introduced to the NORAD web site a couple of years ago which tracks Santa in his journey on Christmas Eve. (EXCELLENT for getting them into bed - "Quick he's in France now, hurry up and get to sleep!")

This seems to have reintroduced an element of doubt into the cockyness of the age... and keeps the magic going for DS3 aged 5.

Not sure what to do this year as for the first time they will be spending Christmas with ex-h in another country. So we are planning to have our own Christmas early (16th)

Any thoughts on how to handle this? I still want to have stockings with them on our "Christmas morning"

mixformax have you thought of 'right now im having a word with santa, and hes thinking of making a special trip...'

I have 3 kids aged 11, 9 and 5. The 5 year old is so into FC this year and counting down the days; ds1 (11) def doesn't believe although we still joke with him about FC and he plays along and dd (9) is, I think, undecided. My parents never told me the truth about Christmas, and I am eternally grateful to them. It was always such a magical time for me as a child and still is as an adult. I don't think you have to go along the 'confessions' route personally - I have no objection to fibbing on this one

BTW FC telphoned ds2 yesterday (my brother!) and the look on ds's face was to die for