Is this a mean thing to tell my 10 year old about Santa?

[sosofedupnow]

So my dd has been asking for years if Santa is real as some kids say he isn’t! I have always told her of course he is as I certainly can’t afford all those presents he leaves. This year I have started shopping early and left a few presents in the boot of the car and I know she’s seen them (and had a good look)

So I told her today Santa doesn’t bring presents to children that are 10 or over as he just does younger kids and I bought her those gifts to pretend they were from Santa so she wasn’t sad. She replied saying he does he does but I honestly think she knows and is just playing along for the presents and the fun of it! Now I’ve said what I said I feel bad like I should have just carried it on!

But we are going on holiday for Christmas too so I don’t want to spend a fortune on presents but will probably still spend over £100 on dd but I don’t want to look mean like I’m not giving her many presents as Santa is giving most of them but then if she does still believe then I don’t want to stop her and the magic of Christmas!

So do you think I said the right thing or not!

I wouldn't have said anything. Did she ask you?

I've got no idea, your post confused me but only on Mumsnet do I know of kids who are still believing past about 8 so it's about time she knew anyway in my opinion.

My DD is 9.5 A couple of days ago she announced Santa wasn't real. Ok I said.

A minute later she backtracked... but I've seen him on the videos ( I've done pnp since she was 2), and he brings the sticking. So maybe he is real.

I don't think she truly believes, I think she's going along with it because she likes the magic. I've messed up a couple if times this year - saying I'd bought he something that she remembered was in her stocking - so I'd be amazed if she really was that naive.

No she didn’t ask me but the presents she saw were the Santa presents then she started asking if I think Santa will bring her a gross science set which was one of them and I know for sure she saw it!

Yes I also think my dd is just playing along too

My DD is 10 and I think also playing along because she loves the magic of it all... she's asked many times and all I've ever said is that everyone in the world has a right to believe in whatever makes them happy... I still believe in Santa because it makes me happy and she may choose what makes her happy.

All this nonsense about them having to know by a certain age is so ridiculous!! Just let them be kids... I made this decision based on my DD and what I believed would make her most happy. If she had come home crying because she was being teased at school for believing in Santa then I may have taken a different approach.

To be honest, neither of my kids has ever been teased for believing!! DS 12 had many conversations with friends who came over when he was 10 about Santa and my DS was the only one who still believed. Not a single friend teased him... I think far too much faff over "they will be the laughing stock" is made. Make your judgement call based on your DC - that's what I believe anyway.

DD was in Y6 last Christmas and when she asked if Santa was real I took the opportunity to confess. I think she knew before then but I'd played along too. I took the opportunity to kill off the tooth fairy too!

They really do need to know before heading off to secondary school.

I heard that Santa comes to children who believe in him. If they don't believe then the parents buy presents for their children instead so that no-one's left out. Kept the magic alive in our house for a bit longer when the conversations started early in primary school!

I still make the older ones write their letters to santa and have made it quite clear that santa doesn't come to people who don't believe in him :o

They are nearly 19 and 17 now and still put their empty sack out by the fire place on Christmas Eve :o

I stopped believing at 7 and upon announcing it to my DM I was promptly told not to be so ridiculous and to definitely not say anything like to the little ones.

It was never mentioned again aside from me then discretely thanking her for my Santa gifts on Xmas day.

She signed my Xmas presents from 'Santa' right up until I had my own children in my early 30s!!

I love Santa. No need to deliberately spoil someone else's magic.

DS 10 announced age 6 that Santa was a ‘scientific impossibility’. I said that was fine, but he was never to say a word to his friends, and especially his little sister. To be fair, he’s played along to this day. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever told my parents I don’t believe...I think they may have guessed, though!