How many "magic years" do you get?

[ShoopShoopShoopShoop]

So, your child is old enough to understand that the big man is coming and the years they truly believe? I'm guessing 3/4-8/9? So maybe 5 years?

I have a lovely friend whose children are a bit older than mine and she 'warned' me about the lack of Christmassy magic once Santa is done so we had time to plan ahead. Every year we do secret Santa amongst the immediate family, we do theatre on Boxing Day, I still do stockings for anyone staying over and we do something Christmassy like the lights walks in the days before. It's lovely with teens and young adults it is just different.

Every time I have said "perhaps Father Christmas might get you that" this year she's given me a sidelong grin and said "That's you and Daddy" (she's nearly 7).

She twigged the Tooth Fairy earlier this year too.

Last year she asked me if Father Christmas really rode through the sky with his sleigh and reindeer, I said "well, some people certainly like to believe that he does" and she said "oh good" so I think she's been getting there for a while but couldn't handle the TRUTH last year.

I never remember believing! As soon as I heard he came down the chimney, I remember looking up the chimney, seeing the size of it and immediately realising it was just a game. I must have been unnaturally skeptical child.

I'd say max of 5 years. I got one more year of seeing the wonder on my dc because the Christmas he was wavering he got a present that he knew I wouldn't buy him..in our house all presents from us came from FC.

Mine will be 10 in a couple of weeks and I'm currently working out whether to book Santa this year or whether her class will work it out between now and December 😬

We will still have a magical time though as I am a sucker for it all.

I'm pretty sure my 7yo knows it's pretend, but is happy to play along. Last year was the first time my (then) 4yo really understood and got excited. Though we've never made a big thing about it, or tried especially hard to perpetuate the myth.

Our nephew worked it out the year he turned ten, with his younger, far more suspicious DS rolling her eyes because she’d known for a couple of years at that point.

He was still trusting enough to agree to keep it quiet though, after I told him that DH still believed.

DD was 9 when the believing stage was over.

But - it doesn't mean the fun stops. We still do lots of things together, she still writes a letter (well email with links now) and puts out drink and snack on the 24th.

It just changes.

I have young adults and it's still magic.
Santa still writes the gift tags and we still do sticking but I fill them with toiletries to last January and new socks.
We do these at midnight with a few drinks so it's a different magic but equally as wonderful.
Magic is what you put in at any age

That was me. I can’t remember when I realised he wasn’t real but it was early on. I didn’t have the heart to admit to my mum so I just kept up the whole Santa thing. I’m 40 now and still put my sack out for Santa, which mum duly fills!
The magic never died for us!

My nearly 9 yo still believes, or chooses to. I think this might be the last year though

All the years are magic, whether they believe in Santa or not.