Discovering Santa isn't real

[ConsternationStation]

At what age did you/your DC realise that Santa isn't real?

I was about 10 when I finally plucked up the courage to ask my sister and learnt the truth, although I'd suspected for a year or two before that. My eldest DS is 8 and I suspect he's not quite as sure on Santa being real as he was last year. He's not asked outright but he seems less into the idea. His little brother is 6 and definitely still believes.

I never believed in Santa as my parents always presented it as a fun story/game rather than the truth.

DD1 is 7, almost 8 and I think she's starting to work it out. She has said she knows the Father Christmas she went to see at a garden centre is someone dressed up. I've been non committal so far but I suspect this will be the last year of her really believing. The children at school (Year 3) are already discussing it so I don't think it'll be long until the cat is out of the bag.

I don't want her to let anything on to her little sister who is 5 so my general plan whenever she works it out is to say "well done, aren't you clever figuring it out. But Father Christmas is real because he is the magic in all of us. So I am Father Christmas, so is dad and now you can be Father Christmas too for your little sister."

Or something like that.

I keep going back and forth on whether my 5 year old still believes or not. I suspect she has figured it out but is happy to go along with it. Same with the elf on the shelf.

I don't remember ever believing in Father Christmas. My brother and I shared a room and we would literally hear our parent's downstairs assembling things and pumping up our inflatable chairs (90's kid ha!)

My 4 year old has been asking me very particular questions lately, raising his little eyebrows when I answer 😆 so I don't think we'll have long with him tbh! 😔