At what age did your kids stop believing?

[tiggerlover]

After what happened to DS last night (re: Santa) I was wondering at what age your kids stopped believing in Santa Claus.

 

[grinningghost]

Well, DD was told there was no Santa by an older girl when she was 7, but that was the year of the stupid "Tickle Me Elmo" craze. She told us that if she got a TME, she would know there really was a Santa Claus, because I had already told her they were really hard to find. That year, on Christmas Eve at midnight, my BIL, who is a train engineer, brought back a TME from another state, on his train, and met DH to give it to him.

Needless to say, that whole incident bought another year for her as far as Santa went. So she stopped at about 8. It was kind of sad when she stopped believing, but I tried to keep my emotions in check.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font color=#006400>
My ds was 8 and my dd was about 10-1/2.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

My son is 8 and stopped believing earlier this year, although he had his doubts last Christmas. He figured out the tooth fairy because he found his first baby tooth in my jewelery box. Easter Bunny and Santa were gonners, then.

 

[Hsminnie]

My oldest figured it out when she was 6 1/2 but decided to beieve anyway! My now 7yo will probably believe until she's my age, just like I do! I think she knows, but she loves the fun of the 'fairies' so she'll never admit to it!

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

My DD three years ago (she was 10) stopped believing when one of her gifts showed up in it's original box, Barbie Dream House, (Wal-Mart.com) and she happened to get home before I did and saw it I assumed that presents like that would be re-packed into a cardboard box? Boy, I was wrong . . .She never came out and said she didn't believe, but I knew it was all over . . .

DS is 9 . . .I really think he does believe still . . . a few years ago some kid was going around telling everyone that Santa was a "lie" and DS came home from school and I explained to him that sometimes not everyone believes in the same things . . .and that Christmas was a special time of the year when people get together and create special memories . . .and as long as he held a little bit of Christmas magic in his heart, then Santa will always exist. I then told him the story of St. Nicholas . . .

DH still believed in Santa when we got married I guess he always kept the magic inside . . . .When he got up Xmas Morning, the same presents were there from the night before and later in the day he said . . ."No gift from Santa?" He said that Santa used to leave a gift in different paper and it would be hidden . . .Geeze, I didn't know . . .I messed up big time . . .that was 15 years ago . . .I still feel guilty!

 

[JerseyJanice]

My 6 year old is very suspicious of Santa this year. He's been asking a lot of questions--too many, in fact.

So I'm afraid that this might be the last year.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well....my 9 y/o dd stopped believing last night!!! Many tears all around. She asked if it was really Santa or just Mommy and Daddy. What could I say. She already knows all the facts of life and I couldn't see fibbing about this one. So, I told her. I really thought that last year she had her doubts. She is very sad, but is taking her job of making sure all the 'little' kids get to believe in Santa still. It's kinda sad when they stop believing. But, I told her that I still believe in the magic of Christmas, so she feels a little better. By the way....it seems that it was the boys in her class asking who still believes....she said she didn't but told me that that was a lie. Her heart says there is a Santa but her brain says..'no way Jose'. Kids sure can be mean.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I've always told my kids that Santa is the spirit of Christmas. When they got to about the 1st grade, I told them they were old enough to "be Santa" for others less fortunate. So we have adopted many families through the years and the kids have always helped buy the gifts.

Do they still believe? Yes. I do, too. I'll always believe.

 

[Pooh93]

Mine still believe but I don't know how much longer dd will hang in there! She's 7. She wanted to know who "realllllyyyyy" put the candy in her shoe for St. Nick's day. I asked her who she thought and then quickly changed the subject. Youngest dd is not yet 5, so hopefully I'll have a couple more years with her.

 

[mhopset]

What do you mean NO SANTA!!!

I just seen a movie about him!

 

[piratesmate]

Some "kind soul" in DD's kindergarten class informed the rest that Santa wasn't real. DD came home laughing AT him - "Can you believe it, Mom?!? How could anybody be so dumb!?!" Every year after that, some of the kids made fun of those who still said they believed. She hated it, but is made of pretty stern stuff - she continued to believe despite what her "friends" said.

At ~8 she said "Mom, would you tell me the truth if Santa wasn't real?" We had a long talk about the Spirit of Christmas, but also made sure the cookies were gone, a "Thank You" note was written & used different paper, etc. She just WANTED to believe so badly!!!

I would have said she doesn't believe anymore (now 11), but when I asked if she was going to write a letter, she said "Yes" & ran to get the laptop.

DS on the other hand . . . never believed. When I mentioned Santa the year he was 22 mos at C'mas, he kind of rolled his eyes & said, "Mommy, he's not real." We never could convince him. (No, I'm not making that up - he spoke in complete sentences at 9 months, knew his colors at 11 mos & could read at sight words at 22 mos and books by 2 1/2! Scary kid!)

 

[Nutsy]

12 for my eldest son & 11 for my younger son.

All thanks to a kid at school who just had to spill the beans

 

[Kallison]

2nd grade for the two older ones, and the younger one was all over it by 1st grade. I'm not sad about it all, I got tired of the charade and thinking up fibs.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I don't remember how old my kids were, but my 9 year old niece came home from school last week and asked my sister if there really was a Santa. Someone is school had told her. My sister was honest with her and told her that there wasn't a Santa that they bought all the gifts. My niece, then, went on about how she knows where babies come from (from the same girl, I guess). My sister asked her and she tells her...well, the man puts his p*nis into the lasagna! LOL She goes on to say..."I ain't eating lasagna anymore"!

 

[tiggerlover]

Originally posted by Dopey Sharon
I don't remember how old my kids were, but my 9 year old niece came home from school last week and asked my sister if there really was a Santa. Someone is school had told her. My sister was honest with her and told her that there wasn't a Santa that they bought all the gifts. My niece, then, went on about how she knows where babies come from (from the same girl, I guess). My sister asked her and she tells her...well, the man puts his p*nis into the lasagna! LOL She goes on to say..."I ain't eating lasagna anymore"!

LOL

 

[JulesMom]

DD was about 8.

DS is 10 and still believes--I'm so glad

 

[supercarrie]

I was 8, and my sister was just about to turn 8. (Her b-day is Dec. 28.)

 

[cgcw]

Well, DS8 just asked me if I finished wrapping all of the presents - even the ones from Santa. When I asked him what he ment, he said, you know, all of the presents. So, I guess he knows the secret but hasn't really said anything yet. I'm surprised, because I thought we'd have tears and all but now I suspect I'm the one whose going to have the tears. Pass the kleenex please!

 

[Pin Wizard]

2nd grade! I guess that means he was 7 at the time. He laughs when he hears that his 4th grade friends still believe. He would love to tell them otherwise, and I keep telling him not to!