Age gap..when's too old for Santa?

[stridesy]

My daughter is 2 and my son is a young 9. What age did your children stop seeing santa? I really enjoy the day out. We've done legoland, longleat... what do you do as my daughter is just beginning to enjoy the santa experience.

I'd have thought your son was too old for Santa, he's probably just humouring you. Seems very odd to 'do Santa' with a nine year old.

I love seeing Santa and I’m a tad older than 9! Just keep going until he say’s he doesn’t want to.

Just ask him whether he'd like to do whatever you have planned (be specific).

If you are having fun as a family, keep doing it!

If he says he isn't interested, maybe organise for him to spend the afternoon with dad/grandparents/his best friend while you take your 2yo.

9 too old for Santa?! Yikes how sad! My son is 8 and I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe he will be telling me he doesn't want to go next year! I'm not sure if he still believes or not (makes out he does) but he still loves the magic of it all and I can't see one year changing that.

I should also add that my son is autistic and goes to a special needs school so a little bit sheltered than the average 9 year old. He still very much believes. He's the type that would tell his sister what her presents are before her birthday so will tell him but in no hurry yet.

My DD is 8 and demanded to see Santa today (even though she is suspicious/humouring me). So a young 9 will probably still enjoy it.

A friend of mine still believed at 17, because she is autistic and nobody officially told her, and everybody still kept the pretence for her younger cousins. Her mum had to sit her down at 17, just after Christmas and say "you do know that I'm Santa in this house don't you?". So you've quite probably got a good couple of years left with him believing, and even then you might need to gently explain.

I guess its because I'm thinking next year or year after I'd love to do something like the polar express or go to peppa pig world at Christmas...but will keep asking him or he can tag along as part of the family. We went somewhere today and he was dropping his 2 year old sister in it with santa by telling him how naughty she was but he had a really good time as it was a real winter wonderland walk through.

My dt are 10 and we had our Christmas trip out at the start of December! If he doesbt believe and is humouring you he can tell his friends that he went for his sibling. Saying that most of the 10 year olds I know still see santa at some point during December.

My children are 9 and 11 and we have just seen our third Santa of the year today. Not one of them have visibly recoiled at talking to my 'far too old' children!!! I ll stop taking them when they don't want to go!!! 9 is not too old you ve got years yet :-)

I have a 14 year old with learning disabilities who still believes, an 11 year old who doesn’t but is happy to keep the magic alive, and a 6 year old who is still in full Santa belief.

We don’t have a family visit to Father Christmas planned this year (due to circumstance), but would otherwise go all together, and I wouldn’t expect the Father Christmas to find it weird that my older children were there.

My 14 year old has seen Santa twice this year (once with (SN) school, once at a learning disabilities group with me), and my 6 year old will see him next week after a theatre show (and 11 year old will be there too).

My teen still comes to see Santa (has younger siblings)

I work in year 4 (8 and 9) and they all still believe, so it's definitely not too old to visit father Christmas!

stridesy, if it's the Peppa Pig world that is part of Paultons, then you have access to the whole park at Christmas, there is something for everyone there, we've been to see FC several times and have been lucky enough to have dry days and enjoyed rides throughout Paultons.

My 9 yo DD believes. My 11 DS doesn’t but he’s still had his photo taken with Santa this year!

My 9 year old still believes too.

My 12-year-old knows the truth but he still comes along for Santa trips with his siblings (5 and a questioning 8) and writes a Santa letter, so that he doesn’t miss out! I did buy him a selection box instead of him seeing Santa at the primary school fair though.

We still did Santa Trips as teenagers. We would go on Christmas Eve and head for Chinese after. Obviously we were well past believing but it was a fun day out and the photos are great.

My 9 and 11 yr olds chose not to see Santa last year for for the first time, I offered this year but they aren’t fussed to go again so that will be it for us I’m sure.
We went ice skating in a different city as our Christmas outing last year. This year we’re going to another city for a day out. We still do Christmassy stuff together but just not the Santa part.

We gave DSS the choice this weekend - I was taking 2 year old DS and he said 'nah' - I don't think he believes anymore although hasn't explicitly said so, and DSS Mum has bought him an array of things to keep it alive (including 3 advent calendars, and four elf on the shelfs) - I think she's sad that he's getting older now. I might ask her if she wants to come along to see Santa with DS (she loves him!)