OT--Santa?????

[wishtdream]

Santa only brings gifts to those that truly believe in the magic of christmas. Mom and Dad buy each child one gift. Telling my kids there is no santa would be like telling them that Mom and dad can't protect them from the world. It might be the literal truth but it just isnt gonna happen.

 

[Disney1976]

I think I figured it out when I was around 8 or so, when my parents suddenly put a lock on a closet downstairs and forbid my siblings and I from going in there. They made up some excuse, I'm sure. Anyway, we waited until my parents went out one day, and then using my father's large collection of power tools, took the door off its hinges! Inside were some (unwrapped) gifts and a bike my parents had bought for my brother and I. Oddly enough, I don't remember feeling crushed or dissapointed in finding out Santa wasn't real. I was getting a new bike, and I didn't care WHO brought it!

My siblings were older than I am, so I'm sure they already knew there wasn't a Santa, but they never did let on.

Oh, and my parents never did find out about us taking the door off the hinges. We put it back on, good as new, and told my mom years later about it. The hardest part of the whole thing was acting surprised on Christmas morning, especially when the bike wasn't under the tree! (My parents gave it to my brother and I later, after the other gifts had been opened).

 

[sskem96]

I'm 32 and I still believe!

My kids are only allowed to ask Santa for 1 present in the $20-$25 range. After all, he's got millions of kids to deliver gifts to. The Santa present comes wrapped in special Santa paper, and it's the one they open first. My 11 year old has said that people at school say there's no Santa, and I told her that Santa is the magic of Christmas like Tinkerbell is the magic of Disney. There are people out there that just don't get the Disney magic, and there are also people out there who just don't get the magic of Christmas, and those people don't believe in Santa, so he doesn't bring them presents. Some of my kids' friends get lots of gifts from Santa. I told my kids their parents don't believe in Santa, so they go out and buy a bunch of presents and address them from Santa, but they're really from the parents. I like the idea of the PP who told her kids that the children who don't believe are on the naughty list! I'm sure DD11 knows, but my mom never told me (she still believes too), so I don't see any reason to ruin the fun.

 

[Nie0214]

I found out when I was like 6, from my aunt no less. I had lost a tooth while at her house with my cousins, and I said I had to put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy and got told that Santa, etc. were all fake.

I wrote one of my college admissions essays on it though, about how knowing it isn't true doesn't take the magic away.

I wouldn't tell them, they will figure it out on their own. My grandma still writes Santa on all the presents.

Funny story about my nieces. The oldest told the youngest that there was no Santa. The youngest said "There HAS to be a Santa! There is NO WAY that mom and dad could afford all this stuff!"

Haha!

 

[StephMK]

We just told our dd just before Christmas this past year (she was just about to turn 11) because she BEGGED to know the truth--with tears and everything! Like others have said, kids in school were talking, and it came out that she and only one of her friends still believed in Santa. The "talk" (you know, the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of Santa, that stuff) was a little heartbreaking because, while she wanted to know the "truth," she was hoping the truth would be different than it really was. I would have loved for her to go on believing and only talked with her about it when she really insisted. I found myself wishing that she had just come to the understanding on her own, since I felt like I spoiled the magic for her. She still had a good Christmas, just not quite as magical.

The only plus side was that she realized my dh and I bought her all of the cool Christmas gifts she's gotten on Christmas mornings past--we earned some brownie points for that!

That's very similar to my oldest, DD has never really asked but was totally crushed when I confirmed her fear about the tooth fairy at age 10ish. So I've never spoken of Santa & she's now 14 & we'll exchange glances during Santa talk but she's never asked or mentioned anything to her younger sibs.

 

[StephMK]

I think I figured it out when I was around 8 or so, when my parents suddenly put a lock on a closet downstairs and forbid my siblings and I from going in there. They made up some excuse, I'm sure. Anyway, we waited until my parents went out one day, and then using my father's large collection of power tools, took the door off its hinges! Inside were some (unwrapped) gifts and a bike my parents had bought for my brother and I. Oddly enough, I don't remember feeling crushed or dissapointed in finding out Santa wasn't real. I was getting a new bike, and I didn't care WHO brought it!

My siblings were older than I am, so I'm sure they already knew there wasn't a Santa, but they never did let on.

Oh, and my parents never did find out about us taking the door off the hinges. We put it back on, good as new, and told my mom years later about it. The hardest part of the whole thing was acting surprised on Christmas morning, especially when the bike wasn't under the tree! (My parents gave it to my brother and I later, after the other gifts had been opened).

OMG that is hilarious!!!! You are my hero! I'm known for unwrapping & rewrapping gifts under the tree growing up - but taking a WHOLE DOOR off its hinges & back - now THAT is determination!!

 

[Disney1976]

OMG that is hilarious!!!! You are my hero! I'm known for unwrapping & rewrapping gifts under the tree growing up - but taking a WHOLE DOOR off its hinges & back - now THAT is determination!!

Hehehe! Thank you. Yes, my siblings and I still laugh about that too. But you know, as a kid, when your parents suddenly close off a closet and won't let you inside, you KNOW there's something good in there! And my dad had all those tools just sitting in the garage, begging to be used....

 

[disneydave2003]

Some of my kids' friends get lots of gifts from Santa. I told my kids their parents don't believe in Santa, so they go out and buy a bunch of presents and address them from Santa, but they're really from the parents. I like the idea of the PP who told her kids that the children who don't believe are on the naughty list! I'm sure DD11 knows, but my mom never told me (she still believes too), so I don't see any reason to ruin the fun.

WOW really???? that to me seems as bad as telling the kid there is no santa. why tell your kid that other parents buy their kids "santa" gifts? mind as well tell your kids you are santa. why ruin it for other kids. is you kid gonna go and tell their friends that their parents dont believe so they buy the gifts therefore no santa for them????

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Not sure WHY you would want to tell them. that kind of boggles the mins.
I still believe & I have never been told "the truth" from my parents- Santa still visits their house & gives gifts.
It is part of the Christmas Magic - one of my girls asked something about Santa last year - there are two children in their class who are Jehovah Witnesses and said something. I asked her if she believes in Santa & she said yes - I told her as long as SHE believes in Santa, he will believe in HER and once she stops believing in him, he will stop believing in her. The Christmas magic is the whole package, not just Santa. It is helping to be an elf and giving to others. Helping to pick out gifts for siblings and friends. helping to spread the Christmas cheer. Santa is just one part of it. If you take away the one part, it doesn't stand as well. Then why have Christmas? Just give them what you bought whenever you please.
I love the fact that they believe & it is a strong part of their childhood. I think I was 10 or 11 before I found out "the truth". It made Christmas seems a little less bright. There are so many ways in which childhood is shortened, why take away something magical?

It is like telling them that Mickey Mouse isn't real!

 

[jennifer293]

My DD was in Kindergarten. Someone in her class told her.
DS was in 1st. Him and his cousin found santa's stash of toys. By accident.

My girls found my (wrapped) stash last year or the year beofre (can't remember) and they also see the wrapping paper stash I have.. My excuse is that there are a lot of little children out there that Santa and his elves have to prepare for so Santa asked if he could drop theirs off early so they would already be here and he would stop back by on Christmas morning to put them under the tree and to have his milk and cookies.....BIG FAT LIE I KNOW, but they believed me and that was all that I cared at the moment!!!!

The oldest DD has questioned the Easter Bunny, but when he was able to find us at Disney this past Easter and leave baskets full of goodies she "KNEW" he was real too..

 

[laughinplace199]

I haven't read all of the replies, but I am wondering why you would want to tell them? If they ask, that's one thing, but I wouldn't offer any info. Kids are little for such a short time. I wouldn't hurry that along if I didn't have to. I guess I feel like... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My oldest two kids just turned 9 & 7. If they ask, I will answer, but I hope they don't ask yet!

 

[holly7347]

I figured it out when I was in kindergarten. I got a bunch of gifts that I knew were gifts my mom picked out (lots of board games her favorite) so I said are you Santa and she said yes. I'm sure she could have come up with some crazy story but she told me when I asked and that is what I plan to do with my DD's. I think my 5 year old might figure it out pretty soon. Every time we see someone in a costume she says mom there is a real person in there, so she will be the one in line at WDW screaming that mickey is a real person. And I already told her about the tooth fairy being me because she is already upset about having to lose her teeth in the first place and when I said but it is good you put your tooth under your pillow and the tooth fairy brings you a gift she freaked. She didn't like the idea of someone coming into her room at night while she was sleeping so to calm her down I finally told her I was her toothfairy, then she asked me if she could be Andrea's (little sister) toothfairy . She questioned last year how Santa would get in the house since we didn't have a chimney. And I recently screwed up and was trying to explain to Andrea why I was upset that she drew with ink on their dollhouse. I said it was expensive and we can't afford to replace every toy that you draw on or break. And Paige said but mom Santa brought the doll house

So I don't think it will be long here. I do not plan to lie if they question me but I don't think there is any certian date that I will tell them if they haven't figured it out on their own.

 

[mjlewis23]

I'm 31, and DH is 34, and we still get Santa stockings from my parents. Someone at school told my DD (who was 8 then) last year around Christmas that there was no Santa, and she came home and said "Mommy, I feel so bad for xxxx, they don't believe in Santa, but I know he exists, and they aren't going to get any presents". She's a very stubborn child....you can't tell her anything else once she has her mind set on it. She still believes the princesses at WDW are truly real. (and I'm not telling her any different, after all, they are real, aren't they )

I think we have a few years of Santa left