What age did you tell dc Santa isn't real

[Wimbledon11]

Dd is 9 and I am wondering if this year maybe a should let her know Santa isn't real. We also have younger dd who is 5 so how would I keep her believing?
What age did you let dc know

Ds(16) has never been told. Worked it out when new was 8-9. We had a few fun years where he tried to get me to admit it, now he just plays along to make sure he still gets a stocking.

Don’t tell them. They go through a half believe stage anyway. It’s all fun so keep enjoying it even when they laugh and say they know the truth.

Don't be ridiculous, of course Santa is real. Even my parents still believe in Santa, and they are in their late 70s. Santa is real whenever someone realises that it is more joyful to give a present than to receive one. How can you simultaneously not think that Santa is real and yet be Santa yourself? Are you not real?

I messed this up a couple of weeks ago.
We were talking about Santa with my 11 year old and he was saying he knew it wasn't real and had worked it out last year so I admitted it and he was really upset.
Obviously he didn't really 100% believe anymore but I misjudged and assumed he wanted the truth when he really wanted it to still be real.
I told him we could forget the conversation if he wanted so that's where we are now. It's not been mentioned since.

I know Father Christmas isn't real but I believe he is. I still stand on the doorstep on the 24th once the dc are asleep and stare at the sky and feel content and hopeful.

I would never have told them! All of mine figured it out by the transition to secondary school - but we still play the game, stockings will be filled, carrots and mince pie will be nibbles, cider will be sipped, and icing sugar snow will have boot prints in it on the floor.

It's still the Christmas magic, right?

You don’t tell them keep the magic alive as long as possible.

I was told when I was 5 or 6. I remember harassing my parents daily about it because I was sure it was them. It was the only answer that made sense. They finally told me when I threatened to tell my siblings. I was a lovely kid 😬.
My 3 year old is on the case now " is Grandma really Santa?" "Did you put presents from Santa in the attic?" (We don't) "santa can't keep toys for the whole world in a little sleigh" etc etc so Karma is coming at me hard and fast. I'm ramping up Christmas movies, messages from Santa (PNP app is brilliant) etc so I can keep some magic for her for a while longer.

I found out at 5. My mother was very honest if I asked her any questions and when asked about santa being untrue she said it was true and just told me that she and my dad bought the stuff and hid it. I thought about it and it made more sense. Similarly my dc knew around the same age.

I said to mum at 7 years old that 'Kerry at school told me Santa isn't real, is he'?
She told me she didn't want to lie to me and said Kerry was right.

I've never forgiven Kerry or my mum for not lying to me as I felt like my world ended that day

I'm pretty sure my 8yo still believes. I have never told my 13yo that FC is not real. We actually only spoke about it recently. He figured it out a few years ago but is happy to continue with the magic for his sister. I don't think you need to tell them..just let it happen naturally.

My sons turns 11 in January, i told him a few months ago. I didn't want him saying something about santa infront of his friends incase they took the mickey out of him. But I also told him not too tell any of his friends just incase some of them still believed

DD as 9.5 when we told her. There was already a lot going on the year before in school, especially with the children who have older siblings.

We had our reasons, DD can be high strung with anxiety and it was more important to keep a relaxed Christmas.

She is 13 now and writes a letter each year, she sets up wine and snacks for Santa and Rudolph, she polishes her boot for St. Nikolaus on the 5th December and talks to my mum about what the Christkind will bring.

You can have a magical Christmas even if your child does not believe anymore.

Our DD’s told us earlier this year that they knew FC isn’t real, I was gutted tbh. I would have liked at least one more Christmas but they have told me that everything has to stay the same.

They still want to make reindeer food on Christmas Eve, they still want their personalised FC videos, DD1 still wants her birthday video from FC - her birthday is 28/12. They are still writing their letters to FC and all of the other traditions that our family do.

I did say to them that FC is a lovely story that is told to children but Christmas is about what is in our hearts and they’re both happy with that.

So although we won’t have anymore Christmases with them believing in FC nothing in our house has changed and I love it I would never have told them the truth. They’re 8 and 11 at Christmas.

@ACanOfBeans

We don’t do Santa, so my children already know. But I’d imagine they already know but playing along, I don’t see any harm in it.

I planned on doing this but my sibling has children who do believe. How did you go about doing this sensitively? Atm I'm thinking about just never saying he is real but also not actively saying he isnt unless asked.

Never tell them unless they ask. My dd has never asked but I know she knows she’s 14 now and played along for younger dc. Younger dc is 9 but they didn’t believe last Christmas, they came out and told me they knew it was me and dh. I confirmed the truth, he figured the elf out the year before, however I’m still expected to do that because they love finding him the next day.

Don't tell! Keep the magic going for as long as possible. Christmas isn't the same once they don't believe.

The only instance I'd think to tell is if they are being laughed at and picked on by peers for believing.