When did you DS/DD know about Santa?

[imageid]

At what age did your DS or DD "know" about Santa? DD9 doesn't seem as excited this year. She hasn't asked any questions, but she made a list for me, DH and my mom, NOT SANTA! I asked about making a list for Santa and she said she would get to it. DS7 on the other hand is already counting the days until the big guy comes!!
Maybe its because we have no snow???? It doesn't feel like "the season" here yet!! Or is that my wishful thinking?

 

[bjscheel]

We're still believing at 8 and 5 but to be honest I kind of wish we didn't. I think 9 is typical for questioning. I don't remember when it happened for me. I wouldn't push the Santa list, just hang out and see if she says anything. I ALMOST told oldest DD when she was 3 because she was so scared about a strange man coming into the house in the night!

There is a lady on another board I frequent whose kids have always known that it is Mom & Dad but they pretend it's Santa and have a lot of fun with it. I wish that's how we started out- I feel funny about stringing them along.

Plus, if it weren't for the Santa gifts, I could say that since we're taking them to Disney there won't be actual gifts from us. I don't spend much anyway, they get so spoiled on DH's side.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Bet she knows but don't confirm it yet! Ds never belived in The Easter Bunny ("that just could not happen" he said ), or the tooth fairy (told the dentist at 3 that the whole idea was ridiculous) but he really belived in Santa. I suspected that he knew about 6 or 7 but we did not have the talk till he was about 9. After the talk he said that he had known for a long time but did not want me to say it out loud !!! We truly debated whether or not to do Santa but as all our friends did we thought it would be a big issue if we did not. I thought the first year he knew would be sad but it really gave a deeper respect for the True Meaning of Christmas to our home.

DN is 9 and told her mom this week that if she did not get what she asked Santa for she would know he was not real...... Not getting a new golf cart so guess that ends it for her!! Of course she does know but wants to ruffle mom!!!!!!!!

 

[Tooblessed]

We play the "Santa Game". My kids have always known it was us. Now my DS(6) is trying to catch us in the act. He hasn't been able to yet but it is still fun to see him try. My kids also know that my niece(7) and nephew(5) think Santa is real so we tell the kids not to spoil it for them by mentioning the "Santa game". So far they haven't ruined it for the others and we enjoy our little game year after year.

 

[dementia412]

Well I have to be careful not to read these with DD7 in the room. I keep telling her it is impolite to read over my shoulder, but she still does it. Guess I should be happy she loves to read.

Well mine still believe at 7, about to be 6 and 3, but I have always waffled on the "big lie and about the big guy"... I like the fun of it, but also feel weird about lying to them. I didn't believe by the time I was was five or six, so it surprises me my kids believe at this point... btw my mother continued to try to string me along until I was at least 9 or 10. I thought it was real funny, and I was rolling my eyes behind her back by that point. I think once the kids question it, I'll tell them the truth, and maybe they won't blab to the younger ones.

 

[ilovejack02]

My oldest found out at 7 from an older cousin.... boy i was MAD, but whatever. He only made comments about him not being real for a cpl of xmas's then went back to "believing" lol. We believe in the spirit of Santa in this house
Funny (and sad ) story..... My mom is a school nurse at a Catholic school and she had a little girl in first grade come to her office really sad looking and kept saying she was sick but didnt really know what it was..... SO Mom calls child's mom and she comes to get her, turns out baby girl had been told by some kid at school that there was no Santa and was very UPSET at this news.

 

[marcyinPA]

WHAT??? Whaddya mean? There's no SANTA????????



Seriously, my ds11 demanded that we tell him the truth in the 4th grade. So he was 9. It was Easter (ironically enough) and he wanted to know the truth about Santa. After we told him (and he responded with I KNEW IT!!!), we broke the news about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. He said he already knew about them...that it wasn't logical for a rabbit to bring candy to children, or for a fairy to pick up teeth and leave money (oh, he is a smart one! LOL).

He was relieved to hear the truth from us, and now considers it his mission to keep the truth from his little brother. He knows if he ruins it for my youngest (7), there will be heck to pay from me!

Funny story: My DS7 came home from school a few weeks ago, saying that one of the kids in his class said there was no Santa. I asked my DS what he said to the boy, and he said "There HAS to be a Santa! There is NO WAY my mom and dad could afford all of that stuff!".... I told him "Good point!"....

Marcy

 

[IluvDonald!]

We had to tell DD at age 10.....Yes, age 10! We were able to keep the "Magic of Christmas" going for a long time, and she fully believed, but we knew we had to tell her so the other kids at school wouldn't make fun of her.
She knew there was no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy, but still believed in Santa.

When we told her, I don't know who cried harder, her or me!! It broke our hearts, but kids can be cruel, so we knew we had to do it.

Anyway, to this day, our House Rule is this....The day you STOP believing in Santa Claus, is the day there are no more presents. So, yes, there is a Santa Claus - in the heart of each of us.

 

[yellownovawife]

One day last February, my DD11 said she had something to talk to me about in private - I was sure this was going to be a puberty question based on her serious tone.
When she sat me down and said - "You have to tell me the truth - Is Santa real?" I got teary-eyed right away. She is an intelligent girl but we have kept her "young" and kept her believing in magic. Of course kids at school had been telling her there is no Santa for years!
I told her I just couldn't say it and she said that I had to say it out loud so she would know for sure. I could not say the words "there is no santa" or "Santa is not real" because I believe in the spirit of Santa and my daughter, obviously knew that. Eventually I was able to say "It's Mommy and Daddy"
She then said "I have 2 things to say" I was braced for her speech about being decieved for so many years etc.... but she actually said "First of all thanks for telling me the truth, and second of all, Thanks for all the great presents" I will never forget this!!!! This Christmas, will be her first Christmas helping us to keep the magic alive for her little sister! he spirit of Santa is alive and well and living in Uxbridge, Ontario , Canada.

 

[abcboys]

bjscheel? -Is this an ebay board you frequent. If so I know who you are talking about. Peek. My oldest is 8 and for some reason I'd really like to tell him. I just feel weird with him at that age believing in something that isn't so. He knows the easter bunny isn't real (he thought it was fun last year talking about the "easter bunny" with his little brother so I think he would be okay with the truth). For now I think this will be his last "santa" christmas and will tell him before next year. I don't feel like I want him to drag it on for years and years. Now with his little brothers I think its cute how they believe in santa but I do think there is a time when they should be told the truth. My DH thinks I'm a fuddy duddy.

 

[kaysmommie]

Well I have to be careful not to read these with DD7 in the room. I keep telling her it is impolite to read over my shoulder, but she still does it. Guess I should be happy she loves to read.

Well mine still believe at 7, about to be 6 and 3, but I have always waffled on the "big lie and about the big guy"... I like the fun of it, but also feel weird about lying to them. I didn't believe by the time I was was five or six, so it surprises me my kids believe at this point... btw my mother continued to try to string me along until I was at least 9 or 10. I thought it was real funny, and I was rolling my eyes behind her back by that point. I think once the kids question it, I'll tell them the truth, and maybe they won't blab to the younger ones.

That sounds like me when I was like age 8-10. I kept my mouth shut because I thought I wouldn't get anymore Christmas presents . I had older brothers so stopped believe by age 6. DD is 6 now and think she still believes, although she sees some boxes and bags hidden in moms closet. DS2 doesn't even like Santa yet.

 

[KangaFan]

She may have an idea, but like some others said, still wants to believe. I had a pretty good idea at 8 and said to my Mom, "I know there's no Santa," hoping she would talk me out of it, but she confirmed that I was right and put me to work wrapping my sisters presents. So much for the magic of Christmas! (I forgive her, she was a single Mom w/3 girls, God Bless her.) This is a really hard age, particularly for girls. They are torn between wanting to be like an adult and still wanting to be a kid. I wouldn't say anything and in fact would rent movies like "Miracle on 34th Street" It makes ME want to believe! Good luck!

 

[Reese]

Well I haven't had the heart to break it to Dh yet but Ds knows . Actually DS has had suspected at 9 but Santa pulled off an amazing feat that year that kept him believing for a couple more years. My 2 dd's wanted bunkbeds that year and they went to bed in their beds and woke up in bunk beds....that was the longest Christmas night ever.
Some background. Every year the kids purge their old toys and clean them up and donate them to the Christmas baskets. They write their wish lists for Santa and cross off an item to go buy for "our family" that we sponsor for Christmas. In this way DS at 14 and DH still believe in Santa as more of the spirit that surrounds the season. So yes neither of them believes in the man in the big red suit (even though DH dresses up like him) but the still believe in the concept of Santa and enjoy the persona. DS has even taken to buying his own Santa presents for his parents and siblings as an added surprise under the tree.
Now DD 9 has just started questioning this year. Hopefully a trip to WDW for Christmas will be enough to sway her for another year or two .

Some might think that it's irresponsible to feed into this for so long but they have the rest of their lives to grow up.

 

[bjscheel]

bjscheel? -Is this an ebay board you frequent. If so I know who you are talking about. Peek. My oldest is 8 and for some reason I'd really like to tell him. I just feel weird with him at that age believing in something that isn't so. He knows the easter bunny isn't real (he thought it was fun last year talking about the "easter bunny" with his little brother so I think he would be okay with the truth). For now I think this will be his last "santa" christmas and will tell him before next year. I don't feel like I want him to drag it on for years and years. Now with his little brothers I think its cute how they believe in santa but I do think there is a time when they should be told the truth. My DH thinks I'm a fuddy duddy.

abc, you're right! I use the same screen name there but I don't recognize yours!

Now we never did the Easter Bunny. To me that is just ridiculous and my parents never did that so it never occurred to me to tell my kids a giant bunny would leave them candy. We don't give the kids anything at Easter, though DH's sisters do.

I do feel weird about my 8 yo believing in Santa too. Both of them know that the Santa they visited Friday was Jessica & Sidney's grandpa in a costume though!

 

[imageid]

Thank you for all your lovely stories! I think you are right, she probably knows. Every year, I think...is this the last year and this one might be for her. Oh well, I still LOVE to see their faces Christmas morning when the surprises are under the tree!

 

[ndgqmiller]

I got a phone call from my older sister this weekend and she was so upset her dd9 asked her the big question and like other posters she couldn't say the words finally she told her that the spirit of Santa lived inside of mom and dad and that there was not an actual man in a red suit. She was so upset bc her oldest has known for awhile(dd13). She made the statment this will be the first year there will be no "Santa" in her house.

My kids are ds10,dd6,dd2 and none asked yet. My dd7 said the neighbors had said that santa was a spirit and so she asked if he was like God. I put a nix on that quickly I don't want them to compare Santa to God. My ds did speak up when she said it and said taht santa was real. So I don't know if he knows or not and is keeping it going for me. Until he asks I'm not saying a word.

 

[dsnymomof4]

Wow - I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't actually say the words. DS13 kept asking back when he was 9 or 10 and would say things like "I know he's not real" and I would never answer him! Maybe he still believes! Seriously, DD10 told me a few weeks ago that a few boys in her class were telling everyone that he's not real, that it's really Mom and Dad and I said to her "Do you really think I could afford to buy all those presents?" She hugged me and that was the end of the conversation. I just don't want the "magic" to be over for them. Although, as they get older, its hard to keep the secret. I have to make sure Santa doesn't use the same wrapping paper on their gifts as Mom and Dad use - I'm so afraid I might give it away.

 

[Reese]

I have to make sure Santa doesn't use the same wrapping paper on their gifts as Mom and Dad use - I'm so afraid I might give it away.

I always make sure Santa's wrapping usually has characters (Princesses, Winnie the Pooh) and I also use the really shiney stuff. Than we also have to make sure that we don't have any extra laying around and the scraps are buried in the trash.

 

[bnsilly]

I have always said.."you don't believe, you don't receive...." lol
But I will admit that as my youngest dd is 10 and she is probably helping her mom out by keeping Santa alive..I love Christmas, and I too, just haven't been able to "say it". My older 2 kiddos are 17 and 13 and we have never had a discussion about it...It is really tough when your babies are growing up so quickly! = (

 

[Disneydreaming6]

Every year after the children opened their gifts from santa, my ex husband would say, "now say thank you to mommy and daddy", and I would kick him in the ankle. Then his lovely mother would come over and when they were done showing her what santa brought, she would say, in her heavy accent, your mommy and daddy is santa. My eyes shot daggers at her. They are the type of people who need recognition for what they give to others. So by the time my oldest ds was 8 he knew for sure, thanks to the grinch's on his fathers side. But he did play along for my sake for another 2 yrs, because he knew how much I love Christmas. Last year he sat me down and told me he knew, I asked him knew what, and the look on his face was like oh you poor foolish lady. Now for my ds5 I am going to keep it going as long as I can.