When to Fess Up about Santa Claus?

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

How old should your kids be when you admit the truth about Santa's existence as it relates to the old man sneaking into your house and dropping gifts under the tree?

I'm not talking about the spirit of Christmas--because that lives on in our hearts long after we quit believing Santa drops gifts. It seems like my 15-year-old hasn't believed in Santa for about 10 years now, but my 7-year-old is still cruising through life with the belief...

And then, do you tell them, or do you wait until they tell you they don't believe anymore?

 

[MsDisney23]

No don't tell them, let them believe as long as they can! They are only young for so long!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

No don't tell them, let them believe as long as they can! They are only young for so long!

I agree.

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

I've decided to never tell. My oldest is 9 and although she obviously has more questions than she used to(mostly from kids at school), I think she's afraid that if she questions it to much or stops believing then she won't get presents, LOL. We've also told her that if she decides not to believe, she should keep it to herself and not influence her younger sisters.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD11 told me the other day that Santa wasn't real . How can that be. Of course Santa is real!!!

 

[Sandy V.]

And then, do you tell them, or do you wait until they tell you they don't believe anymore?

I waited until they came to me and asked. It was about 3rd grade for both of mine. My oldest (DD) was thrilled at keeping her little brother a Santa believer, and never said a word otherwise to him after she found out.

Kids should be kids for as long as possible. I was just telling my husband last night that some of my best memories of the kids were those Christmas mornings when they were still both Santa believers, and they would run down the stairs shrieking "He came, he came" as they danced around the bounty under the Christmas tree. All too quickly, they grow up.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My oldest is 9, and still believes. I am thinking this could be his last year, but then some of my nephews still believed at 10. I know my sister sat my nephew down at the age of 11, because he was so adamant about Santa being real, he was ready to fight for him at school. Also, my son lives in his own world, so he could very well believe until he is 20, who knows.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Oh, I should add that my kids have been coming home since 1st grade saying other kids say Santa is not real because their mom and dad told them.....

 

[Toby'sFriend]

My theory has always been to never try to create huge schemes of lies about Santa and to just let the kids grow into the knowledge themselves.
Whenever anybody asked me a question like the one earlier today "why doesn't the Santa at the Mall know my name?" I'd just say, "I'm not sure, what do you think?"

My oldest figured Santa out by around 1st grade - my middle son was more 2nd or 3rd, I can't remember.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

You know there is something so special about Christmas morning when they think Santa and his elves have come while they were sleeping and worked their magic.......I would not tell until I had to meaning when they came to me and asked specifically....usually it is when one of their friends has told them there is no Santa Claus...it is your parents..

Keep it up as long as you can...but then come clean when you have to.. "Sigh"

 

[AnaheimGirl]

We're waiting until they tell us they don't believe anymore. We'll answer questions with "why do you think that?", or "if he's not real, who do you think is leaving the gifts?", and basically let them figure it out on their own.

Our older dd is 8 and sometimes seems to know, but she always adds in a quick "I think he's real", which I also suspect is more due to her thinking he won't come if she doesn't believe.

 

[mainewmn]

My boys are 15 & 13 and although its been a few years since they figured out the whole Santa thing, each time they want me to come out and say there is no Santa I always smile and tell them I believe in Santa. SO my answer to your question is NEVER!

 

[NMAmy]

Well, my 15yo dd was just chastising me this weekend about telling her when she was in third grade. The kid comes to me and says this," Mom. I know you would NEVER lie to me. Is Santa real?" I hemmed and hawed and tried the old "What do you think?" routine and she was just adamant that she wanted to know the truth and she knew that I would never lie to her.

So, I told her all about the spirit of Christmas and blah, blah, blah. She was heartbroken. She still is, if you want to know the truth. And I never lie. I did point that out to her this weekend--that if you ask me for the truth, I will never lie to you.

Now, me? I still haven't admitted that Santa isn't real. And my dad made sure I got a present from Santa (even when he had to mail it to me because I lived far away) right up until the year he died. I got an Easter basket every year, too. I was 39 when he died.

 

[jennyl772003]

I was the oldest of 3, so in my house, Santa only left toys if you believed in him.

I am 28, and my parents still haven't told me otherwise...

 

[moniot]

My kids are 11 and 12. Even though I know they know we don't discuss it. As long as they believe they receive. It is so much fun to "wonder" what Santa will bring this year.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Don't tell them, especially at only 7 years old!

 

[KelNottAt]

My boys are 15 & 13 and although its been a few years since they figured out the whole Santa thing, each time they want me to come out and say there is no Santa I always smile and tell them I believe in Santa. SO my answer to your question is NEVER!

Same here. My kids are old enough to have figured it out. But, they never asked outright and I never volunteered any info. The closest they've come is something along the lines of

DD: Mom, have you finished Christmas shopping for me and DBro?
Me: Yes.
DD: Has Santa finished shopping for us?
Me: You'll have to ask him.

Also, we limit Christmas gifts to 3 from me & DH, and 3 from Santa. The kids know that Santa stops coming (and so do his gifts) when they stop believing. Something tells me they'll be playing along for a long time.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

DD#1 believed into 5th grade, since we had photo proof of Santa coming when she and her sister were small. We were at Disney and she was babbling on and on about how she knew Santa was real and no one else in her class believed her, etc.....I felt really bad and didn't want her to be the class idiot so I spilled the beans. But I then recruited her to go with me through Downtown Disney and get stuff for her siblings.
DD#2 is in 5th grade this year and rarely mentions it. I think she has figured it out but doesn't want to know! I wish she would talk to me about it; I need to make sure she doesn't tell her 7 year old brother.
It was funny though, last year I was showing her the old Santa photos, and she said "boy, in this picture Santa looks a lot like Uncle Sean!" More than you know honey, more than you know!
Robin M.

 

[Rex Rules]

DD is 10 and still believes, at least that is what we thought until yesterday. We went out shopping and had a little Santa something in a bag, different from the other things we bought. I sneaked around to the back door and went straight to the bedroom with it and DH came in the front like normal.
Later in the evening, while we were all sitting eating dinner, out of the blue, DD says so, What was in that other Target bag? What bag?? I say - I don't know anything about that. She smiled and then said, are you going to be needing the Santa wrapping paper? And casually walks out. DH and I are just staring at each other - AH! Busted! Every year stuff from Santa at our house is always wrapped and always has to have Santa on the paper.

 

[laurietg]

My poor niece is 4 years old, and her mother told her from day 1 that Santa is not real. She sooo wants to believe in him. My sister and I had parents who weren't great role models, and she swore she would never lie to her kids. My opinion-she took it too far.