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Christmas

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Original poster

what age did your children STOP believing? And what did you say?

23 replies

yulemoonfiend · 18/12/2006 16:03

Ds is nine on friday. I cannot believe he still believes in Father Christmas! I cannot believe that some horrid oik at school hasn't pissed on his fireworks and told him! I'm delighted to have this (probably) last year of fun and I worry about next year as I have a younger ds too.
Just curious to find out from mums with older children, when they stopped believing,, if they took it badly etc.
I honestly can't remember how I found out or how I felt about it...

OP posts:

JeanieJingleBells · 18/12/2006 16:16

Hi,

My DS age 10.5 doesn't believe anymore and only semi believed last year, but my DD1 age 8.5 still really believes in Father Christmas. I think she would be quite upset if she knew.

I remember when I was told. I was actually in secondary school , when a teacher came into the classroom and announced that Father Christmas wasn't real. I was gutted.

HTH

purpleturtle · 18/12/2006 16:19

Wow! My five and a half year old solemnly told me yesterday, "Mummy, I believe in why we have Christmas, but I don't really believe in Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. Strange, isn't it?"

That said, as she was terrified of the man in red when she was little, I don't think we've ever really played it up, and have been pretty factual with her about it all.

worleywinterwonderland · 18/12/2006 16:27

my ds1 is 8 and still believes and friends ds1 is 9 and still believes. i think its lovely that they still do, children dont have much chance to stay children for long nowdays.
i have a ds2 who is 5.5months and hopefully when ds1 does find out he will keep it a secret so ds2 can enjoy the magic also.

my cousins ds1 is 5 years older than his two siblings and likes to be in on the act of keeping santa alive. although when he did find out he was quite angry as he said that you shouldnt tell lies!!

Miaou · 18/12/2006 16:29

My 9 and 8 year olds still believe - I wasn't sure if dd1 did until she presented me with a letter to send to Santa! . I too can't believe no-one at school has let slip, but they are in composite classes so there are still lots of fervent believers around . I'm just so pleased she still has another year of "magic"

My brother had to tell me when I was 10.5 - he was actually very nice about it and kept saying "are you sure you want to know? Really?" (he was 8 at the time )

purpleturtle · 18/12/2006 16:30

Dd doesn't seem to mind playing along. They wrote a letter to Santa at school last week, in which she asked for a pair of jeans, and that her baby brother wouldn't have to have many more jabs!

wangle99 · 18/12/2006 16:37

My DD is 9 and still completely believes - I'm not sure if she is going to be gutted when she finds out or not! I have a DS who's 3 so we'll be doing the Santa thing for years to come.

Anyway you have to believe if you want a stocking full of pressies!!!

I was 8 when I was told and I can remember it to this day - my mother and grandmother sat down and told me. I have no idea why I wasn't questioning it.

We will still do it when both children don't believe after all as previous MNs have said - it's a state of mind after all.

octobermum · 18/12/2006 17:03

My cousin 10 in jan and she still believes.

She was telling me on saturday the different ways father christmas keeps an eye on children to make sure they are good.

Pinkchampagne · 18/12/2006 17:18

My DS is only 7 & he is already questioning Santa's existence.

housemum · 18/12/2006 17:39

What do you mean, not real???!!!

housemum · 18/12/2006 17:40

I couldn't say for sure when the 13 year old stopped believing - I never told her. When she asked, I'd kind of fob her off with a politician's answer - "well, what do you think?" "Do you think it might be something to do with time zones" "well, how else would the presents get there?" or something like that.

Last year when 12 she finally admitted to me - though in a roundabout way, when she said "it is you isn't it that puts the stuff in the stockings?"

I wouldn't advocate telling - I'm sure they know before you think they do, and it's unlikely that they would say something at school to mates as they probably already doubt it so wouldn't make themselves seem nerdy by saying it's real.

Saturn74 · 18/12/2006 17:48

DS2 is nearly 9, and he knows the truth.
But he keeps quiet for DS2, who is nearly 11, and is still a firm believer - despite being blatantly told of the real situation by his friends!

Original poster

yulemoonfiend · 18/12/2006 21:35

fantastic - this is really lovely (wasn't sure if my ds was unusual, but obviously not!)
As someone else said earlier, childhood is so short these days, I like to maintain a little magic where possible. But I'm still dreading him turning round one day and calling us liars

OP posts:

wickedwinterwitch · 18/12/2006 21:36

Ds is 9 and guessed when he was about 7.

SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve · 18/12/2006 21:36

LOL @ pissed on his fireworks

Blossomgoodwill · 18/12/2006 21:39

My almost 9 yr old I think is starting to twig that he isn't real.

He said to my dh the other day I think Santa is going the same way as the Tooth Fairy

DumbledoresFairy · 18/12/2006 21:40

My 2 oldest are 10 and 9 on Thursday and i think this is the first year they have not believed in it. I think ds2 had his doubts last year but ds1 was adamant that FC existed. Either that, or pretended he did in case the presents stopped!

I don't think they are bothered about it not being true because I will still do stockings for them. I certainly wasn't bothered when I discovered the truth as a child as my parents continued with the stockings too.

As a parent, I am actually quite pleased not to have to pretend to them anymore and can take them with me to buy FC presents for my younger two who still believe. I have always been hopeless at the pretnece anyway - forgetting that certain things were FC presents and telling my children "I got that for you because......"

cat64 · 18/12/2006 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

EllieChocolateOrange · 18/12/2006 22:01

My younger sister believed in FC for ages (despite me telling her he wasn't real!). Her reasoning, as she told my Mum, "I know you couldn't afford to get those presents"! Ahhhhhhhhhhh

wrappingpaperBOwZZAndribbons · 18/12/2006 22:04

DS is 5 and it is so fantastic. I really hope he is a late doubter.

hulababy · 18/12/2006 22:07

I don't want Dd (still only 4 so very much believes) to stop believing. I love it all at the moment

I am 10 years older than my sister. We never told her and kept the magic going for her. Felt very grown up in fact to be in on the whole secret part of it all.

kittyschristmascrackers · 18/12/2006 22:08

The eldest is 8 and he still firmly believes. Whenever he mentions friends of his who don't we just say how sad for them because Santa does exist and comes to those who believe !!

shosha · 18/12/2006 22:10

Message withdrawn

MerryChipmonkAndAHappyNewey · 18/12/2006 23:17

Ds1 aged 10 was having doubts but then his teacher brought in some pictures she had found on the internet where people had put cameras in their living rooms/on their property and had caught Santa in the act! Anyway, he thinks that is is highly unlikely that I would {a} have the money or {b} Go to Smyths at midnight on Christmas Eve1!

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