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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

There's no way an 11/12 year old still be lives in Santa...

45 replies

OvO · 04/08/2016 14:36

Is there?

Mine is 11.8 and talks as if he's still real. I'm 99% sure he knows but is carrying it on for me.

I can't question him as what if he does still believe and I ruin it!

He's deferred so just finished P6 (Y5) so is in with younger kids so there's a tiny possibility he might still be hanging onto the belief.

I know you lot will be rolling your eyes that I could possibly think a 11/12 year old still believes, and that I'm getting played. . He's definitely a young 11 though.

My 8 year old is suspicious but I think I can get one more Christmas out of him.

How old were you/your DC when you/they stopped believing?

OP posts:

redhat · 04/08/2016 14:36

mine still believes

AtSea1979 · 04/08/2016 14:38

Mine still believes.
You do realise it's the summer holidays not Xmas ones don't you?

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 04/08/2016 14:40

Mine did at this age. I tried telling her the truth as mn said I should and she cried and I backtracked and made out I was joking. She's nearly 16 and it's never been discussed since.

Original poster

OvO · 04/08/2016 14:43

Atsea, this is the Christmas topic.

MN keeps us Xmas fans locked in here until November.

OP posts:

AmysTiara · 04/08/2016 14:49

My niece did. She was pretty clued up in all other ways.

dementedpixie · 04/08/2016 14:51

My ds queried it from about the age of 6. He knew last year it was us (he was 8). Don't know when dd stopped believing (she is 12)

originalmavis · 04/08/2016 14:52

I think at this age they really really want to believe it though, so may be kind of clinging onto the whole Christmas magic thing. I dont blame them!

BertrandRussell · 04/08/2016 14:53

What I don't understand is why people think everything has to change when they stop believing......

Tanfastic · 04/08/2016 14:57

Mine still believes and he's 8. I would have thought friends would have said by 11/12 though.

DoloresVanCartier · 04/08/2016 14:59

DS was 12 in February. Last Xmas he def believed (P7) and when it came up n conversation with his teacher she said there were only a few in the class that didn't believe.
He starts high school in three weeks...

SilverBat · 04/08/2016 15:00

I overheard my DS aged 10 telling DD that if they let on they knew he didn't exist they would get less presents

Original poster

OvO · 04/08/2016 15:00

Well it'll change thing in my house when they both don't believe - I won't give myself a mini heart attack trying to put their stocking on their beds without getting caught. I actually sweat and can feel my heart pound with the stress of it!

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 04/08/2016 15:01

We leave the stocking outside the bedroom door so as not to get caught!

Original poster

OvO · 04/08/2016 15:01

Silver . I can remember similar conversations with my sisters!

OP posts:

Boogers · 04/08/2016 15:02

DD believes. DS really really wants to believe but doesn't, though he keeps up the pretence for DD. She firmly believes in fairies and who am I to say they're not real?

BiddyPop · 04/08/2016 15:14

Well my 31 year old DB grew out of belief quite a few years ago - but he still leaves out a pair of socks for half a fruitbowl, a half pound box of nice sweets and a book from FC every Christmas Eve that he has stayed at home with our DPs. FC has never yet not come through for any and all of my DSiblings staying in that house on 24th December!!!

FayaMAMA · 04/08/2016 15:16

My youngest brother is 18 now, but when he was about 12/13 admitted that he believed he had seen Father Christmas' sleigh when he was younger... I later found out that my younger sister believed she had seen 'him' too. They both said it in a jovial way but you could almost tell that they still questioned the logic based on what they "saw" in the sky on Christmas Eve.

Even though they were the youngest siblings, by the time they were 8 and 10 years old my older siblings had started having children so the 'dream' carried on and there was never a break in generations 'believing' as such.

It's very likely that your 11 year old still believes.

sweetsomethings · 04/08/2016 17:28

My son is in P2 and it was all the talk around the school from the P7 that he wasnt real and they let everyone know. I managed to convince for now but i cant see it lasting much longer

SlightlyperturbedOwl · 04/08/2016 17:32

My 10 yr old doesn't, he did a secret grin to me last year that let me know he knew but was just being indulgent for his younger brother. I followed it up in private with him later and we agreed it was very magical believing, but now he gets to help make the magic

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 04/08/2016 17:45

Most 10 year olds have thought through the logistics of an old man delivering presents on a sledge to all children in a short time frame and realised something doesn't add up (especially when he's still hanging around in the local shopping centre until it closes on Christmas Eve.)

PiggyPlumPie · 04/08/2016 17:51

My DD was just 11 last Christmas and genuinely still believed until DH made a comment about one of her stocking presents and she twigged. She didn't tell us until about Easter that she knew. No dramas - the older two told her its no less magical knowing.

Her friend on the other hand will not entertain being told Santa is not real, but also denies puberty will happen and says she is not going to secondary after the holidays.

BiddyPop · 04/08/2016 18:17

I forgot to add, our 10 yr old almost certainly doesn't believe but I don't totally rule out the chance that she might. Very logical, very clued in, clearly guided DH to ideas last year - but not a Dickie bird of a notion that she doesn't believe.

Christmas is special in our house though, and it has never been all about the presents or FC. Certain special books read together, the new PJs on Christmas Eve, particular walks and outings - so even when she no longer believes, it will still be magical for us all. Just slightly different.

WankersHacksandThieves · 04/08/2016 18:47

I think that mine at that age logically knew that he didn't exist but they were so desperate to believe that I think they convinced themselves :o

They are very clever but also quite gullible. I never ever said that he didn't btw - we just gradually came to an agreement that I can pretend he is real and they will play along but smile - they are 16 and 15 and definitely don't believe. We've just never had a conversation - you don't need to.

DramaAlpaca · 04/08/2016 18:55

I think that mine at that age logically knew that he didn't exist but they were so desperate to believe that I think they convinced themselves

This was my youngest DS at almost 12. He was absolutely devastated when his older cousin accidentally spilled the beans just before Christmas. He's 18 now & still hasn't properly forgiven his cousin for telling him.

DS1 worked it out aged 9, and DS2 was about 10 when he asked me to give him a straight answer. When he got over his devastation, DS3 was seriously pissed off about being lied to!

DownstairsMixUp · 04/08/2016 18:58

I think he maybe does still believe! Ds is 7 next month and I'll be sad when he doesn't believe anymore. :(

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