At what age did your children stop believing in Father Christmas?

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What age did your children find out about Santa?

Just that really. Trying to work out how many more years I have left with my oldest!

This one?

The red suit is folded, the boots put away,
There's no heavy sleigh flying up in the sky,
No workshop of elves at the cold frosty pole,
No magical reindeer are passing you by.
The presents are chosen with care by your mom,
The stockings are stuffed in the quiet of night,
We play the old role of St. Nick with a smile,
To fill Christmas morning with wonder and light.
Does this mean that Santa is gone or isn't real?
Not quite, little one, for the truth is profound:
He isn’t a man with a beard made of snow,
He’s the spirit of giving where true love is found.
For Santa is kindness and joy in our hearts,
The magic of helping a friend or a peer,
And now that you know how the secret is kept,
You get to be Santa and spread all the cheer!

Rule in our house was never after September (so they wouldn’t have a Christmas dwelling on it/ coming to terms with it (dramatic way to put it but basically I think if you tell them
oct they’ll spend the whole time thinking ah Christmas will be crap this year!)) and always before secondary. Age 11/12 mostly, one knew well before that but we kept it going because he did sound sad when he said he knew!

I don't know. Mine knows the Easter bunny isn't real as I straight up told them as soon as the bunny was mentioned. I always downplayed Santa and presents under the tree are openly from family and friends.

When they were 4 they asked me if Santa was real, or if it was just me, like the Easter Bunny. I said "what do you you think?" (because DH and Nanny would have been crushed if I just told them that young) and they said "I think it's just you".

So I thought they didn't believe, but the following year after it was made a big deal of in Reception, they seemed to believe. But I don't know how much they really do. I'd rather they didn't tbh.

My dc are 13 and 15 and we've never discussed it.

I think there were probably a good few years of semi-believing, where they knew really it wasn't real but preferred to suspend their disbelief on Christmas Eve.

The whole thing has gently moved from "absolutely real" to "a game we're playing together" and it's just as lovely.

Surely not beyond 10? They’re having you on if you think otherwise !

Re: the secondary school thing. I will absolutely tell mine the truth prior to secondary if it will become an issue, but is it? Will other kids really know that they believe?

Im in my 40s and still believe when im at my Mum's and he's never let me down. I think the magic only happens there as at home I need to sort it.

Children play along with the adults too, by the time they admit they don't belive they may have been joining in on the game for ages.

This! Mine are 18 and 20 and would swear they still believe 😅. But realistically they have been playing along to some extent from about 7/8.

It depends on the parents-some do things like matching the paper that Santa (at the department store or whatever) gave them the present in to the paper they use, and do the cookie thing etc, others let their kid see them putting out the presents so they guess sooner.
Some wait until their kid can understand the concept of Santa in a metaphorical way, in that it's remembering St Nick delivering gifts, and while Santa isn't literally real, the parents are effectively becoming Santa (hence why some churches have Santa visiting). So kids don't have to feel it's a "lie", it's like the lion in Narnia, as in once they are able to accept the idea of age-appropriate representation. And they teach older kids to keep the magic until the younger kids are old enough to understand, whether they're religious or not. Some get their kids involved with gift-giving for deprived children, as the spirit of Christmas whether in a religious or secular family.
Think you'll find the letter about Santa being real, but not real as they understood when they were younger, if that is something you want to do

May I ask how he reacted? Think my kids (well eldest, 4) thinks Santa is real but also knows that I buy him gifts, too. Whenever Christmas comes he never seems to make a fuss of gifts being from santa, he just thanks me for them (rightfully so, I might add).

He is however ND and I'm worried his reaction to finding out he'snit real will be very bad if he picks up more of a belief in it over the years, but also don't want deprive him of that Christmas magic.

DD was 7. I was a bit disappointed as I thought I had at least another festive season with her believing. A classmate told her but she already had serious doubts.

DS announced that he didn't believe in January when he was 6, smart kid. DD asked me if Santa still visited children who believed in him when she was 9.

In my experience most still believe in y3, a fair few have stopped believing by Y4 and by y5 only the very innocent or send children still believe however I think most crack on for a couple more years telling their parents that they do believe just to hedge their bets.

No idea, they’re 13 and 11 and we’ve still never acknowledged within the family that he isn’t real! Obviously they know, but we all keep up the pretence just for fun really.

DD1: At 4 she had doubts, 5 she was convinced he wasn’t real. She’s a sceptical child! DD2 is now 4 and I don’t really know her thoughts, since DD1 stopped believing we don’t really do much Santa stuff and she’s been a bit freaked out by the idea before so we don’t really talk about him other than a vague idea.

DS was 7 when he asked us outright. He said 'You know I'm a scientific boy and I want to know'

My children have never believed. My parents told me the truth when I was 6.

I should add that DD1 was totally unbothered, if anything she seemed happier knowing the truth and continues to do all the ‘magical’ stuff like leaving food out and hanging up her stockings quite as merrily as before! I don’t think it actually matters that much tbh.

I think I was 32 when they stopped believing.

That’s so cute!

My 9 year old still believes I think - or at least she is keen to play the game! She loves elf on the shelf but I think she must know it is me. I'm a single parent and elf never comes to her Dad's house 🤣

10 and he was heartbroken

Sorry that was to the “I’m a scientific boy” comment!

DD is 10, and I think she still believes. However, she does help me buy stocking fillers for her grandparents and Dad.

She knows that Santa only brings her one or two presents and a stocking, the rest are from us, family and friends.

The cutest thing is that her big cousins have taken her down to meet Santa at a carol service on Christmas Eve since she could walk - its debatable who is more excited, her or a large gaggle of teenagers who are definitely long past the age of believing - it's lovely.

My oldest is 7 and starting to sus. Got in the car with her dad a while ago and said “I think Santa might not be real… “ and DH told her it’s best not to say that to mum or your siblings because they would be really upset “especially your mum because she loves Santa”. I think she will probably go along with it for a year or two more before she asks outright.

I believed till I was 11 because my mum put on such a good show I hallucinated seeing Santa through the frosted glass in our livingroom door when I was about 9. My mother also still enforces a 9pm bedtime on Christmas Eve even for me and my husband because obviously Santa has to come and set the presents up aesthetically.