What age did dc stop believing

[superstar84]

Ds is 8 1/2 and keeps asking questions about Xmas

At what age did your children realise?

I have no idea. I think they just gradually shifted from a shallowly-held literal belief to playing the game of letters/stockings/leaving out food etc.

When she was 8, elder dd told me in very matter of fact tones that she knew perfectly well that Father Christmas was me and daddy, so I might as well admit it.

So I did. While exhorting her not to tell her younger sibling.

When she was in her early 20s, she finally told me that she’d been dying for me to deny it, so she could go on believing a little longer!

My DD found out last December - she was 9 1/2. There were some kids in her class saying that Santa wasn't real and that they had to move the elf on the shelf at night for their younger siblings - she was convinced he wasn't real and kept questioning us on the weeks leading up to xmas.

We thought we had got away with it but on Boxing Day she announced that she knew because she had seen a photo on my phone of one of her presents (sent to my mum) weeks before and when she opened it her suspicions were confirmed 🤦🏻‍♀️

She starts secondary school next year so I knew it was coming, but I was gutted as I love the magic of xmas. We had a giggle and a chat about it all and she has promised to keep going along with it for her younger brother, she's very excited to help out with the elf on the shelf this year.

I did also ask her to be careful with what she says about it at school as I would hate for her to be the child ruining it for any others who still believe

I have a 9 and a 7 year old. I know my 7 year old (who'll be 8 by xmas) still truly believes. Still on the fence with my 9 year old. I think he still believes to an extent but at the same time I'm a little unsure. I'll find out soon enough I'm sure!

Dd was 8/9 when she definitely knew but she had been questioning it for about 2 years (when she knew her wasnt real but didn't want to believe he wasn't real iykwim). Ds(11) still firmly believes. He's going into secondary and I feel I should tell him but also don't want to (he has asd but mild/high functioning). Ds(8) also very much believes but I think he will twig before his older brother. It wouldn't surprise me if this is the last year. Maybe I will try and make it subtlety obvious (my dsis said she figured it out cos all the labels had our parents handwriting so I've always used printed labels instead. Maybe I'll use my fancy label maker ive just bought and the kids know about)

I guess he was about 9?

My niece has never believed in him. She's 12. Sister never 'did' Father Christmas. She was honest and said it was parents that did it and some people like to pretend it's the person in the pictures, just another Christmas story like Nativity or the Snowman.

As our house has a rule of "if you don't believe, you won't receive", DD implied she believed until the Christmas Eve evening (after her stocking and Santa's snack were laid out, and wine had been taken with dinner by DH and I), when she was 12 and hung over my shoulder trying to make me laugh and admit it at the same time. But we'd had a "we know you know, and you know that we know you know" type of vibe for at least a year prior to that. However long before that she had figured it out and said nothing, I have no idea.

Funnily enough, we never formally admitted it (we laughed it off that Christmas Eve) and she never formally told us she didn't believe. She still wanted her stocking in the CEH (to be ready to be laid out with Santa's snack) and put it out last year (14) and still made cookies for Santa in the afternoon (although checking with DH which flavour he would prefer most! ). So whatever she says in public, at home with just DH and I, (she's an only DC), she still wants some reassurances that traditions will continue. She had always known that the CEH (and filling the advent calendar) were both me though - we never did Elf on a Shelf or similar.

We told DD1 when she was in year 6 as we didn't want her going up to Senior school still believing. DD told me she didn't believe me (ie FC was real) and she was going to carry on believing anyway! She enjoyed playing along with it until we told DD2 when she was in year 6. She said she already knew by then and had for a year. It has never been spoken of again, and I'm not sure DD1 has quite forgiven me for telling her and ruining the magic. They're teenagers now and still love all the ritual and insist on putting out a carrot for Rudolph on Xmas eve etc, despite the fact that DD1 will be getting driving lessons the next day!!

In our house Santa is just a glorified postman. It's been implied that the stocking presents are off him (although I don't think I've ever explicitly stated this) but they know the other presents are off family/friends as they're labelled and they have to say thank you in person or write a thank you letter. I don't remember having an actual conversation with my parents about it, like a PP said it just shifted to "I know you know and you know that I know that you know" but we all enjoyed the pretence and I suspect that's what will happen with my DC. In fact I think we may already be at that stage but I don't want to confirm anything as I like the little bit of magic

Mine stopped believing at 9.

DS2 was suspicious the Christmas he was 8 but not enough to stop believing completely. Funnily enough he never believed in the Tooth Fairy as "fairies aren't real". He still took the money though 🤣🤣