How long do they believe????

[MSSANDRA]

So..How long do kids REALLY believe in Santa?? I am reading of kids 10 and 12 that still believe and I guess that just amazes me. We had the "talk" in 3rd grade because he questioned why a friend from a lower income house was getting so little for Christmas but he told us that he could not EVER really remembering a time he truly thought Santa was a real person that flew in a sleigh. He just never had the heart to tell ME. We introduced the tooth fairy and Easter bunny but that never flew with him. Now they always came but....DGS that lives with us and is 4 doubted the Easter Bunny last year and is questioning Santa already.
Now they both are very bright kids but there are other bright kids out there so.....how long do most kids really believe?????

 

[kkmcan]

My ds10 still very much believes, although I do think this will be his last year believing in Santa. He's never questioned me. If he did ask me I would ask him some questions like what has he heard from his friends, how does he feel about believing in Santa. I would also tell him that there once was a Santa very long ago andand when he was gone people just passed down the story as a family tradition. Some families participate in the Santa tradition and some don't.

Now, I also plan on telling him when he's ready that his dad and I choose to carry on the tradition with our kids by being "Santa".

I feel that I didn't do a good job of telling dd about Santa and I really spoiled it for her too soon. She was in 4th grade and the topic came up and when she asked me about it, I asked her if it really seemed possible for a man to fly around the whole planet delivering gifts on one night. She didn't think so.

I also think that it's very popular thing right now that parents tell their kids that if they don't believe they won't receive. So my sons friends are complete believers!

 

[Tess'smom]

What do you mean Santa is not real!!!!!

 

[RMulieri]

I knew at age 7, but never said a word to my mom.My DH said he knew around the same age

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

As a parent it is really nice to think that our children believe in the physical being of Santa after 7ish. The Christmas Spirit can live forever. I am sure that 10 years from now the parents who post that their children believed in Santa at 12 will come clean about when they were really told. Seriously, and I really am not trying to be mean, any child who is exposed to other children in school etc, were told most likely by the age of 7.

 

[indimom]

Mine were 6 and 8. The 8yo was bummed, the 6yo didn't care.
I remember knowing at around 8 or so. I saw my mom's shopping list in her purse and just thought something along the lines of "okay, I thought so" so I was already doubting.

 

[Desnik]

DS is 7 and he believes in Santa, the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy. He sometimes will question certain things but I always have a clever answer because I want him to believe for as long as possible! Kids just grow up too fast! DD is 12 and said that she has has know for about a year or two that there was no Santa but she didn't want to hurt my feelings! She was about 10 when she stopped believing in the Easter bunny and tooth fairy.

Now just a few days ago DS asked me why doesn't Mickey blink or talk when he sees him at WDW. He caught me off guard and I didn't know what to say. So I just asked him what he thought and he said he really doesn't know so I left it at that.

 

[Hannathy]

I think 3rd to 4th grade is the real line. When I taught 3rd/4th split I still had a fair number of 3rd graders who truly believed but by the 4th grade they knew. I used to gather the 4th graders and give them the talk about not being nasty about Santa. Most kids just pulled out the dictionary and looked up Santa Clause and voila they knew. That is why I say wheat I say about 12 yr olds!

I also believe that any 12 yr old that says they believe is keeping Mom happy or has some real deduction skills problems. I know my 10 yr old didn't believe but didn't want to come out and say it cause he thought I liked him thinking there was a Santa.

 

[ancestry]

My 8 year old 3rd grader informed me a few weeks ago that she has known for "years" that Santa didn't exist but that she "chose to play the game" with the hope of getting more presents. <sigh>

Honestly I find it hard to believe that in this day and age most kids believe much past Kindergarten. A few may into 1st grade but even if they do their peers usually tell them the truth. I think the reality is what happened in my house where a child really knows the truth but doesn't tell their parents for a variety of reasons.

 

[nicki.momof3]

I used to gather the 4th graders and give them the talk about not being nasty about Santa.

As a parent of 3 children (oldest is in 3rd grade) and as a teacher I find it unacceptable that you pulled the entire class aside and told them anything about Santa. What about that 4th grade student that did believe - you just ruined it for them -a trusted adult just told them there was no Santa. I understand dealing with individual students on a need to basis but never pulling an entire class aside and telling them - WOW unprofressional. Telling a child about a personal belief is a parents job - not yours. If a child comes to me with a personal belief issue I always refer them to their parents. I don't know what their families belief system is.


I also believe that any 12 yr old that says they believe is keeping Mom happy or has some real deduction skills problems.

Another very negative comment - claiming that if a child believes in Santa that they have real deduction problems. I would be going to adminstration if this is what a teacher told me about my child.

Many families / children believe in many different things for many different reasons. Believing in Santa may have nothing to do with presents. What about that child that has a rough home life and not much to look forward to or to dream about. Maybe to Santa is a dream of a wonderful life. Maybe they only get one present but to them it is from someone loving and magical. Let a child believe in whatever they want to - dreams are wonderful.

My 5 year old daughter really believes that Cinderlla lives in the castle at WDW - should I pull her aside and tell her the truth?

 

[Hannathy]

Wow jump to conclusions! I never told them anything about Santa. I told the 4th graders not to talk one way or the other about Santa. I told them to keep whatever they believed to them selves. I never told a single child and I always told them to believe what they believed and they only had to answer to themselves that, that was what was so special about believes it was our own feelings. It was more of a Christmas is special and full of lots of people who believe a lot of things and we should let everyone believe what they wanted.
Never had a complaint and actually had some parents thank me. (Kids can be vicious on the playground)

And I still say a 12 yr old that truly believes in the whole shebang of Santa has some issues with distinguishing make believe and reality.

 

[billybobblockhead]

Don't know about ya'll but I seem to have no problem hearing the bell.

 

[livndisney]

And I still say a 12 yr old that truly believes in the whole shebang of Santa has some issues with distinguishing make believe and reality.

Wow jump to conclusions!

 

[nessz79]

So..How long do kids REALLY believe in Santa?? I am reading of kids 10 and 12 that still believe and I guess that just amazes me. We had the "talk" in 3rd grade because he questioned why a friend from a lower income house was getting so little for Christmas but he told us that he could not EVER really remembering a time he truly thought Santa was a real person that flew in a sleigh. He just never had the heart to tell ME. We introduced the tooth fairy and Easter bunny but that never flew with him. Now they always came but....DGS that lives with us and is 4 doubted the Easter Bunny last year and is questioning Santa already.
Now they both are very bright kids but there are other bright kids out there so.....how long do most kids really believe?????

I don't think it so much has to do with being bright vs not-so-bright (and I know that's not how you meant it). I think it's a certain type of personality. Some kids, who are very bright, just really *want* to believe. You can fool yourself into believing just about anything if you want to enough! I know that I believed up until I was about 10 and I was probably one of the last kids of my age group to believe. I just really didn't want to give it up and, as others have said, I also didn't want to hurt my parents' feelings. I did have suspicions and doubts for a year or two before that.

 

[Hannathy]

Wow jump to conclusions!

yeap that is a conclusion I will jump to! A 12 year old should be able to distinguish between make believe and reality enough to know there is no way a man with reindeer can get to every child in the whole world in one evening.

And is this child not living in the real world? have they never been on a computer? used a dictionary? seriously by 12 you have been exposed to enough outlets to see the truth that you should know. (unless you are special needs)

 

[palavra]

yeap that is a conclusion I will jump to! A 12 year old should be able to distinguish between make believe and reality enough to know there is no way a man with reindeer can get to every child in the whole world in one evening.

And is this child not living in the real world? have they never been on a computer? used a dictionary? seriously by 12 you have been exposed to enough outlets to see the truth that you should know. (unless you are special needs)

There is seriously so much wrong with this post that I don't even know how to respond

 

[walkdmc]

My 9 yo has asked me about 4 times this year if Santa is real. I always say "of course", because he asks me in front of his 6 yo brother. I don't want to be the one who tells him Santa lives in spirit only.

As a parent, would you tell him? Or would you just let the dream fizzle out?

 

[squirrel]

Well, Santa has at least two different nights to fill stockings of children all over the world. With the time difference, he has even more time.

My dad's side of the family is Dutch, they celebrate St. Nickolas on Dec. 5th.

 

[LuLuO]

I was five when I asked my mom, but I pretty much had it figured out for a while. Once I realized that the Sesame Street characters weren't real everything else just fell into place.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I hesitate to wade into this, but will just say that my ds12 is in 7th grade. If he still believed I would be very worried for him...it just doesn't go with the maturity level I see in him and his friends.

Most of the kids were questioning in 3rd grade, and they all knew by 4th -- and this was in a small private school where they were quite sheltered.

Honestly, if he hadn't figured it out by 4th grade we would have told him. I do think a 10 yr. old probably knows the truth, even if they don't want to admit it. Since he was young, my ds has had internet privileges (with decreasing supervision). I don't see how any kid who questioned couldn't find the answer without much effort. Of course, I suppose they would have to question first...

Maria