What age do kids stop believing in Santa?

*zippy*

My SIL never told her kids about santa as she was always frightened of him herself as a child. When the eldest started schoool she came home and crossly informed them that they had lied to her as everyone in her class had told her there was a father chritmas

This will the first Christmas my DD doesn't believe She's 10, eldest one was about 8/9. Like others I still tell her there is and will carry on as normal.

Lord_Gardener

Ours (12 and under) still believe, they love to follow Father Chrismas foot prints (glitter!) from the chimney to the Christmas tree and back!

ruthyjo

I'm certain my nine and ten year olds don't believe. They'd never mention it to me or my four year old as they know we'd be devastated. Personally I think as soon as the question do you believe comes up or a child has to give it any thought the magic starts to ebb away. It wouldn't occur to my DD to ask herself whether she believed or not such is her certainty.

sara1980

was talking to my mum & dad about this last night.....

my oldest is 8 (about the age i was wen i stopped believing)....

he did question it last xmas,
i don't want to spoil the magic for him, but at the same time i don't want him to go to school talking about santa etc etc & for his classmates to laugh at him coz he still believes and they know the truth.

my mum thinks he knows, but doesn't want to admit it 'just in case'

chocaholic110

ambernora wrote:

I 'm 27 and still believe in santa. My 7yr old has told me there is no santa and that it's me leaving her presents. Hopefully a trip to Lapland in 9wks will make her believe again

Yup, that did it for us. We went two years ago and our eight year old still firmly believes he exists.

I work in a school though and you wouldn't believe the numbers of little blighters who want to spoil it for all the others

culpepper

Err
Mine have never believed in Santa:eek:
We never told them there was a real man called Santa who brought presents.
They both knew about the tradition of santa and we read 'the night before christmas' and other similar stories but they knew they were stories.
Sorry to be the kill joy

It always makes me wonder how parents explain to their kids why santa didn't bring the Pony, motorised pedal car etc that the kids are expecting.

I remember as a child being desperate for a bicycle year after year and feeling like rubbish when he hadn't brought it yet again. I think by the time I was 8 ,I realised it was all a lie.

Becles

I've never done the Santa thing with my two. I just hate the concept of it all.

suekjw

As long as they know not to ruin it for the children that do beleive then that's fine!

helenhugs

culpepper wrote:

It always makes me wonder how parents explain to their kids why santa didn't bring the Pony, motorised pedal car etc that the kids are expecting.

Thats a simple one for us. Santa doesnt love the children as much as mummy & daddy so he only buys the stockings as a reward for being so good, it's his way of saying thankyou for making mummy & daddy's lives easier. The presents are all from the buyers so we dont have to lie about that. If they don't get what they want it is simply because Santa doesn't make them, Mummy & daddy buy them & they couldnt afford it.

My 8 year old started questioning Santa last year but after mummy managed to catch a photo of Santa sneaking up the stairs with the stockings he firmly believes again.
hugs
Helen

doddsy

culpepper wrote:

Err
Mine have never believed in Santa:eek:
We never told them there was a real man called Santa who brought presents.
They both knew about the tradition of santa and we read 'the night before christmas' and other similar stories but they knew they were stories.
Sorry to be the kill joy

It always makes me wonder how parents explain to their kids why santa didn't bring the Pony, motorised pedal car etc that the kids are expecting.

I remember as a child being desperate for a bicycle year after year and feeling like rubbish when he hadn't brought it yet again. I think by the time I was 8 ,I realised it was all a lie.

Ooh Culpepper, glad we're not the only ones. We also do the 'tradition' of it, but couldn't square the whole thing with teaching the kids that a big strange man can creep into their homes, and trying to teach them to tell the truth and then persist in a whopper. Also, everyone I have asked says that they were really disappointed/upset etc when they found out Santa wasn't real. OH in true Simpson style says 'there's only one fat guy in this house that brings presents and his name ain't Santa! We did drum it into them though not to spoil it for others.