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?

Mine are 12 and 16. They obviously must know but I've never actually said anything outright; when asked I've said something about it being the spirit of Christmas, which it kind of is.....I still want to believe myself

The funny thing is my son still runs to show me what Father Christmas has brought him even though he knows it's me !

My dd reckons her 4 year old will 'twig' before the 7 year old whose eyes and mind are filled with magic and wonder atm.His little bro on the other hand has a mind filled with sharks, rice cakes and lego

Being the youngest of a fair few, there was a fair bit of eye-rolling from the older ones, so I don't think I ever saw Santa as a proper person, even a magical one. We were quite religious, so I think it was probably logical that I interpreted the whole Santa thing as the Spirit of Christmas moving people to buy each other presents and that people liked to dress it up as an old man in a red and white suit! I wasn't that keen to raised DD with him, but ILs intervened...I don't think she believes in him anymore though (not sure...eyes 11 yo doubtfully). The rituals are fun, but I think he's a bit of a faff personally otherwise

at Sativa - I agree, I think DD would miss the rituals even though she probably doesn't believe in him!

Why would you try and convince him Santa is real?

mine have always known i think. i never believed it as a child, just thought it was a nice story to play along to, so i guess that's what they do.

DS 21 and DD 16 still pretend to believe. They, DH and myself still get stockings from Father Christmas. We put Norad on the computer and leave out mince pies, carrots and brandy.

I don't think I ever believed, I know I didn't at 4, maybe I did at 3. Christmas was magical and I still loved pretending that Santa was real.

7 and 5 - DS worked it out and told DD.

BeeHatch forget the logistics.

The Man in Red can do it cos he's magic.

DD has been highly skeptical since she was 3. Yep 3.

There was a hilarious day when she and DS came to me holding hands and looking all earnest and said " We want to know the Truth". I just said Santa was real if you believed he was, which is still good enough for DS (now 9).

DD sent a letter up the chimney last Xmas Eve which said "Dear Santa, are you real or not?"). She was 5. She also left the first tooth she lost under her pillow for "The Tooth Mummy".

at "The Tooth Mummy".

DS was 10, so very pleased with that. I was only 7, in the mid-eighties .

DD told us she did until we pushed the issue this year at 10 yrs old, she grinned and refused to tell us when she'd figured it out. The only mystery she wanted cleared up was how we got the tooth marks in Rudolph's carrot (serrated biscuit cutter).

Everhopeful - I know ! I still have to buy different wrapping paper for the stocking presents so I'm just perpetuating the pretence....

For me nothing will ever compare to the magic of Christmas at my mum & dad's. We really did watch the skies hoping to see a sleigh and when I was even younger I received a letter from Father Christmas. I can't even put into words the feeling in my heart; that's the magic bit I guess....

I found out the truth over time via my classmates and the fact that I was still awake & could hear my mum & dad bumbling about trying to get the presents into our bedroom. I must've been about 8. I kept it a secret from my younger sister though.

Unfortunately my dad thought she knew and as we stood at the bustop on the way home from school cheerily asked "So where do you want your presents this year ? In your pillowcase or under the tree?" I stared at him but it was too late....the magic well & truly died that day

My teacher told us before school broke up for Christmas when I was 7. She cheerily said "And you do all know that Father Christmas isn't real, and it's your parents that bring the presents, don't you?" I felt my stomach lurch and wanted to cry.

I wish he did exist, it would make life much easier!

Mine are 13 and 15 and still pretend to believe - I think they feel it would upset me if they didn't!

Well it looks like we might be safe for another year. He's done his last and been talking a lot about Santas workshop and his reindeer.

I think he does still believe but he found some 'presents' at his grandparents house. We told him that relatives buy for him just like we buy for them but that his main present will come from Santa.

We used to say all of his presents were from Santa which is where we have probably gone wrong in past.

Fingers crossed!!

We have a toddler too but he's still
too little to understand this time around.

My 8yo DS announced recently he knows Santa can't get round the world in one night so he can't exist. I said it was magic and DD still believes (ie don't spoil it for her!)

I am 35yo and still get a stocking

My two are 16 and 14 and absolutely know what's what, BUT we never talk about it blatantly though, and they love to go along with it all, tis magic still. They get so swept along by it, that last year, when opening stockings (we were in a hotel in Japan visiting my bro) they showed us what FC had brought them. Like we'd never seen it before

As I say, proper magic!

the most wonderful Christmas website there is
www.noradsanta.org/
suspension of disbelief and shared silliness
(putting out a glass of wine for santa with teenagers in the house is worth every second ... and the cat munched the mince pies)

little kids believe he's real
slightly older kids are a tad confused
much older kids know that te ethos of anonymous giving is real
and THAT is what matters

wow, can't believe how old some of your kids are and still believing in Santa! my eldest was so scared of him at age 3 we just told him it was just someone dressed up, so the other two have never believed either. We don't make a big thing of it, it doesn't spoil their Christmas, I just didn't want him being distressed for no reason and was cross that the nursery didn't let him see who the person was who was dressing up at his nursery party so he wasn't having a massive hysterical fit and hanging on to me. I have always been careful to remind them not to spoil it for others, as some people like to believe it, but can't understand the web of lies people tell their kids. I will be so unpopular here!!

horsey I do not lie to mine. WE all choose to play along. Big (and much more positive) difference.
And Norad Santa as just wonderful on Christmas Eve. Truly uplifting.

Am not against the magic, just want to be able to let my kids be happy too. It just seems to get rather convoluted when people keep trying to explain it all. Either it is magical - or not.