How old were your children when they stopped believing in Santa?

[SandyChick]

My 6.5 year old says he knows I buy his presents. I've tried convincing him but he doesn't believe me. It doesn't help that he's found some presents at his grandparents house.

Surely 6 is too young to not believe?

They start questioning it about then. Mine were 8 yrs but that is when they asked outright, they worked up to that for some time making that conclusion.

Ds - 7.5, he's now 9

Dd is 7.2 & gave me a look the other day & said so tell me about this magic key Santa has mum that let's him into all the houses in the world

My face was this >

Eldest dd was 7.
She questioned me like she was in the bloody Gestapo 1 day, I couldn't stand the torture and buckled.

We're gutted. Thought we'd get to 9 or 10

I don't want to confirm it for him. He said I know you just buy the presents. Tried to convince him otherwise by saying some relatives buy gifts but those are the ones with name tags on the rest are from Santa - he laughed

ds1 never believed in santa as i never discussed santa (very untraditional upbringing myself). dh, however, has 'done santa', as it were, for dc2 and dc3, but dc2 who is nearly 6 has just mentioned this week that he knows FC isn't real. i'd raise my eyebrows at a 10 year old still believing in FC.

Well I think DS was about 8 or possibly 9 but he told his little sister, so she was aware of the disillusioning truth at the age of about 3 or 4 years of age!

DD was about 7/8 I would say but DS is 8 and still totally believes

Our 9 year old DS still believes (or so he says)

7 - this year, such a shame - I thought we'd have another couple of years of going to see Father Christmas and tracking him on NORAD.

Before I had DC was adamant we wouldn't do the Santa thing, but of course we did. DS1 was always sceptical,DS2 downright unbelieving, but, they played the game to please us . We still burn the Santa letters in the fireplace on 1 December, they are now 15 & 13

Mine are just turned 9 and just about to turn 6 and both still believe. Neither have ever even questioned that Santa is real. I guess this will be my DS1's last year of total belief.

I'm going to have to get him onside once he doesn't believe so that he doesn't ruin it for his little brother.

DD1 is 6.5 and still believes.

My nephew believed until he was about 11. He never even questioned . My sister thought that he was just humouring them for a few years but when she casually dropped in conversation that there was no Santa he was horrified. He was like, " what? Seriously?!"

They must have been really convincing!

My 7.9yo still totally believes, i think the santa message thing you can do helps as he says her name and everything

I was at least 11 before I realised he probably wasn't real my parents never told me he wasn't - even to this day!!

My ten year old 100% believes. It's really very sweet and I love the innocence of it :-)

My D.D was 9. About an average age. I'd say. I was 13. I only found out when I woke up and saw my mum doing my stocking, otherwise I probably would have still believed in santa, today. (L.O.L) I remember having an argument with some boy in my class at age 11 arguing that Santa was real.

I know one thing though. When I found out as lovely and magical as Christmas is. It was never the same after that, until I had my D.D. xxx

My eldest at 5 and second dc at 4.5 both in reception. Dc1 figured out if santa was real then the poor children wouldn't need shoe boxes full of presents. Dc2 wanted to know if santa was human or a god and if he was a god why noone mentioned him in assembly except near Christmas. Quite analytic my two. Dc3 aged 3 still believes.

Both of mine still believe and eldest will be 11 next week! She is utterly convinced in the miracle and magic of Santa, so much so that her friend, who was starting to doubt things, is not re-converted!
Might have to tell her next year for secondary school though, to save the bullying

Not sure I would be gutted. It's actually a good sign that they realise it just can't be true.

I wasn't gutted when they worked it out, I would be rather worried if they didn't have sufficient reasoning powers by 10yrs and were not asking penetrating questions.

I was told by a friend, rather too early, but I am surprised that children can get to 10 without someone telling them. I was also widely read, another way that it is impossible not to know by a certain age.

My nephew was 13 and still believed. ..I accidentally spilled the beans expecting a 13 yo to know santa wasbt real and his mum was upset with me for spoiling things for him.

I found out when I was 6. It hasn't ruined one Christmas for me yet. :)

I found a present when I was 8 I think. I wasn't disappointed and it didn't make Christmases any different.

I think once they started school so five or six maybe? I was happy with that, got fed up with santa getting all the credit for my hard work.

DS (5) is starting to doubt and question everything. have booked a stupidly expensive Santa grotto thing this year as think it's the last one.