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

[OvO]

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?

[SanityClause]

OvO, they are awake, and they do hear you sneaking in.

Or at least, mine did, as they told me when all pretence of believing in Father Christmas had finally ended.

DD2 was about 12 or 13 when we finally had confirmation that she didn't believe. It wasn't a serious conversation, just something a bit jokey.

Since my 3 DC have all stopped believing, it doesn't stop the "magic". You just get more conspirators.

[SerendipitousFoxley]

I had this exact issue last year with ds who turned 11 just before Christmas. He talked about Santa as if he believed, whether his younger siblings were around or not. But I thought SURELY not. He randomly revealed at a Christmas fair, very quietly, that he didn't believe anymore, but it was nice to keep it going.

I can't remember a "realisation" moment for me in my childhood.

[Kr1stina]

My youngest is 10 and knows it's not real but he keeps up the illusion for his older brother and sisters

[ChristmasZombie]

I believed at that age.

[MamaBear98]

As someone who believed in Santa properly until they were twelve,and then began doubting it the following Christmas when I had just turned 13,I can fully confirm that it is possible to believe in Santa until that age.

Thankfully as I'm in Ireland and had started school at 5 1/2 instead of 4 1/2,I was in my last year of primary school so didn't get any slagging like I would of if I had been in secondary school.

I was very disappointed when the truth was confirmed by my mother a few days after Christmas and my 13th birthday, but I was more disappointed at the fact that the tooth fairy turned out to be a myth too silly me had fully believed in them until that day

All of this only happened a few years ago

[Trills]

I don't remember ever thinking it was really real.

Not ever.

[228agreenend]

We had a discussion with ds1 when he was About 11 so he didn't get teased at senior school. He was quite startled and didn't know whether to believe us or not (despite obviously hearing things). Also had discussion with ds2 but te was less surprised.

I still love doing a stocking for them each.

[JimmyGreavesMoustache]

my 9yo definitely gives the impression that she believes
however, i assume this is driven by concern about what effect being an open unbeliever might have on the quantity and quality of presents.

[2anddone]

My ds is going into year 6 and still believes....he also believed all the characters were real at disneyworld and not people dressed up!! Hoping
For at least this Christmas before he goes to secondary next year.

[christmashope]

My son is a very grown up 11 years and 8 month old and he only just questioned their not being Santa last week.
I'm amazed that he believed for this long
His 10 year old brother still believes in
The Easter bunny, the tooth fairy and Santa!

[loobylou1967]

My DD (now 20) still believed at almost 12. My DH (her DSD) insisted we tell her before she started high school as he was worried about teasing and bullying. I couldn't bring myself to break the news so he had to do it. DD is an only one so that made it easier to keep the magic alive I think.

[georgetteheyersbonnet]

I knew by age 8 or 9 at the latest, and remember playing along pretending that I still believed, so as not to upset my parents. I also had younger sibs so had to keep up the pretence for them. I'm agog that any kid these days could get to 10 or 11 without it twigging!

[DesperatelySeeking2016]

My dd is going into year 2 and is adamant that not only has she seen father Christmas but also the tooth fairy! I'm hopeful that we have a few years left yet

[SpringerS]

My last Christmas believing in Santa was when I was 11. I knew that Santa couldn't possibly be real but basically decided to just not think about it and accept what I'd always believed for a little while longer. It wasn't a wilful deception of my parents so that I would still get presents. I just wanted Santa to be real, so more or less made a decision to keep believing.

The following summer I was reading What Katy Did and there is a scene in the book where Katy, her father and aunt leave our the presents for her younger siblings on Christmas eve night and joke about being Santa. So that was the moment that I absolutely knew for sure. But the year before even though I sort of knew he wasn't real, I still believed.

[megletthesecond]

Mine are 9 & 7 and told me they know it's me. I said he doesn't bring presents to people who don't believe .

[Fluffythepantfireslayer]

My 11 year old in her first year of big school came home in bits after her friends were chatting about Santa not being real. I felt terrible! It should be in a mums handbook that YOU need to have the conversation with them before they go to big school

[AtSea1979]

oVo sorry

[AtSea1979]

oxo I have found a new topic to lurk on

[CancellyMcChequeface]

I stopped believing at 6, being a very logical-minded child, but didn't tell my parents - I remember thinking that if I told them what I knew, my mother would be upset (she made a very big deal out of Santa) and I wouldn't get any presents. Better to go along with the lie!

When I was 11 my mother told me she needed to have a talk with me, and that as I was in secondary school I needed to know that Santa wasn't real. She honestly expected me to be distraught. I was just very relieved that I could at last stop pretending.

I very much doubt that your son still believes, OP! If nothing else, he'll have been told the truth by friends at school.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Ds found out in Yr 3 (from NDN child) but I told him to keep it quiet from DD (who was Yr 1 at the time)

We watched the ISS (International Space Station) aka Santas Sleigh last Christmas Eve, I'm sure a load of young DC had their beliefs confirmed when it floated by.

[DownstairsMixUp]

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

[DramaAlpaca]

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!

[WankersHacksandThieves]

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.

[BiddyPop]

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.

[PiggyPlumPie]

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.