When to Fess Up about Santa Claus?

[tiff211]

I will take it to my grave!! DD14 knows the truth but she is sworn to secrecy because of DD5 and DD3. This is the 1st year DD3 really gets it!! I love the month of december where all you have to say is Santa is watching and they straighten right up!!

DD5 told me this weekend that Rudolph is FAKE!!!! She believes in Santa, the tooth fairy, the binky fairy and the easter bunny but not Rudolph. She said deers don't have red noses. I acted completely shocked and asked her who guided Santa's sleigh and she said the other reindeer. She hasn't seen the story of Rudolph yet, we will be watching it this week!! Imagine, no rudolph!!!!!!!

 

[Marseeya]

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.

I've run into quite a few people online who feel that way. I always thought it was crazy, because I've never met a person who was mad at their mom and dad for lying about Santa.

Until my DD!! She came to me about 6 or 7 months ago wanting to know the truth. Up until that point, she'd hemmed and hawed around about it, so I kept up the farce. That day, though, she was dead serious and wanted to know, so I was honest with her. She's still mad at us for lying to her all these years! I've apologized and told her that she might feel differently when she has her own kids one day and understands how magical it all is.

This is kind of a sad Christmas for us. She keeps wanting to know all the logistics of how we handled it -- who puts the stuff under the tree? Who really wraps them? Who buys them? Where do we hide them? (yeah right, I'll tell ya that, kid )

 

[Rex Rules]

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.

I had an uncle who was the same way with his son, my cousin. But it was for selfish reasons - first he wanted to be mean to his ex wife and also he said he didn't want anyone else getting credit for stuff he bought - what a jerk! He ruined it for my little brother and several other of my younger cousins - needless to say this ticked people off in my family royally!!

 

[SpecialK]

My two sons - 8 and 10 - say they believe but I have my doubts about the 10 yr. old. DH and I decided if he comes to us with questions we'll tell him the truth. From the way he's been talking, I think he's keeping up the pretense for his little brother and the neighbor kids.

My MIL told my DH when he was six - on Christmas morning...

 

[WIcruizer]

I must be the scrooge then. Don't you believe there comes a time (probably around 10 or 11) when they need to know the truth? If for no other reason than to avoid being embarrassed at school? We all know how cruel kids can be, and they don't let it drop. Do you really want your kid to be the one who gets picked on for the rest of the year because s/he believes in Santa?

We gradually left more and more hints, until it was obvious. But however kids are told, I just think they need to know.

 

[SC Minnie]

I must be the scrooge then. Don't you believe there comes a time (probably around 10 or 11) when they need to know the truth? If for no other reason than to avoid being embarrassed at school? We all know how cruel kids can be, and they don't let it drop. Do you really want your kid to be the one who gets picked on for the rest of the year because s/he believes in Santa?

We gradually left more and more hints, until it was obvious. But however kids are told, I just think they need to know.

By the time they going into middle school I believe they should know that Santa is not a physical human being that comes down the chimney and has elves making presents but the 'idea' of giving selflessly should not be taken away.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When my mother called me yesterday to wish me a happy 45th birthday, she broke the news to me about Santa. I told her that I didn't want to hear it!

 

[LaLa]

DBIL sat their 7YO son down a few years ago and told him "just because he felt it was time" He felt like he needed to know where his gifts came from so he would appreciate what they (DBIL and DSIL) had been doing for him all these years. How selfish is that?

DH and I somewhat differ on this. He asked his mom when he was about 6 or 7 and she came right out with it. He says that was SO not what he wanted to hear or expected to hear and still talks about it as if she somehow almost wronged him by telling him. Yet he still thinks that is how it should be handled with our kids.

I don't ever want to tell them. Never. DS7 asked me last year after some friends at school told him he wasn't real. I handled it with the old " Well, what do YOU think?" "Oh, I believe he's real allright. " So that is where we are now. Each year I think this could be the last really magical year. But for now, we are holding steady. I think.

I'll never tell.

 

[mickeyboat]

My parents told me when I was 8, at Easter, to encompass tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa Clause. They thought it would be less traumatic to hear it at Easter time rather than at Christmas. I was not traumatized, but I wish they hadn't ever told me. I don't remember hearing it at school, or even asking them about it.

It breaks my heart that DD's might only believe for two more years. I will let them believe as long as they want to.

Denae

 

[clarabelle]

We have kind of a "don't ask don't tell " policy -but as soon as someone asks me out right -in a serious way - I will tell the truth.
We stress that it is a religious holiday and do more religious celebrating than Santa type stuff anyway

 

[Kirby]

I've never told my kids there was no Santa. When asked if there was one, my reply was always that Santa was the spirit of Christmas.

 

[icebrat001]

My parents never told me, I don't remember when I stopped believing, maybe 11 or 12, but I know, I didn't let on that I knew anything until I was 14.

 

[psmomma]

My Baby Brother (25) is the smart one. He is the only one of us three kids that never had the nerve to tell our parents... "I KNOW WHO SANTA IS..." and he still gets presents from Santa!!!! When ever we ask him about Santa, he replies that he still believes. He is the lucky one of us all, not for the gifts, but to still have that piece christmas magic every christmas. Darn me for being the oldest and wanting my mommy to know... that I KNEW! ;-)

 

[kydisneyfans]

I put 2 and 2 together in the 2nd grade when mom woke us up and Santa was placing gifts under the tree. I was insistant that the event should be seen by my father but was nowhere to be found at the time.

Our 6 year old has no idea except last year he recognized the wrapping paper on his gifts as the same paper we used to wrap family gifts. oops.

 

[dwbakerjr]

My Baby Brother (25) is the smart one. He is the only one of us three kids that never had the nerve to tell our parents... "I KNOW WHO SANTA IS..." and he still gets presents from Santa!!!! When ever we ask him about Santa, he replies that he still believes. He is the lucky one of us all, not for the gifts, but to still have that piece christmas magic every christmas. Darn me for being the oldest and wanting my mommy to know... that I KNEW! ;-)

>>>>>

There is so much wisdom in that post, I can hardly begin to describe it.

Yes Virginia, I still (and will always) believe.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My mom was the master at explaining what ever we had to question.

One year, i was about 8, my 18 yo brother moved out of the house, not sure if he was kicked out, or left, but I do know it was not on friendly terms. he moved in with a 30-something yo woman, She lived on the same street, so I still saw him all the time.

The Christmas after he moved out, I was down in our basement, and came acroos a HUGE box, full of wrapped gifts. So, being the curious 8yo I was, I snooped. Nothing major, just gifts from sibling to sibling. except ONE. It said TO: Jimmy FROM: Santa

I immediately ran up to ask my mom WHY there was a present to Jimmy from Santa downstairs. (nevermind that I was just blabbing on myself for snooping). Without missing a beat, my mom said that Santa did not know where Jimmy moved to, and he brought his gift early, so we can give it to Jimmy when we see him again. OK, worked for me, and off I went. LOL

 

[laurie31]

I figured it out when I was in 2nd grade. We had apparently learned enough about geography that I knew NO ONE lived at the North Pole, and the world was just too big for him to get to all in one night. So I asked Mom and she told me the truth and asked me not to spoil things for my brother, because "it's fun to believe." I felt very grown-up being in on this secret and yet also envied him that he still believed.

I was sure DD1 had it figured out last year, as she was asking all those same questions I did. She also claimed some kid a school said it was just your parents. So I said, "Well, do you think your Dad and I would buy you all that stuff?" She exclaimed, "NO WAY!" and so she still believes. I fear this will be our last year, though.

I would have no problem telling her the truth is she comes out and askes, but I would never tell her just for the sake of telling and the people who told just so THEY could get the "credit" for the gifts, well sorry, but IMHO that's just pathetic! My kids know their birthday presents all come from us, and they are grateful for them, but there's nothing like the magic of Christmas morning when they see what "santa" has brought. Seeing their eyes light up with excitement and wonder warms my heart more than all the "thanks, moms" I get on other gift occasions My kids ARE grateful for what they get from Santa. I think it kind of goes against the spirit of giving for me to have to have the credit for it. I wonder if those people (who want the credit) adopt "angel tree" children. Do they know the joy of anonomous giving?


Laurie

 

[Stitchfans]

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

I hate when someone ruins it for a child. Let them believe for as long as they need to or want to

 

[SqueakyMouse]

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?

What?!!! You mean Santa doesn't deliver all those glittery goodies under the tree? No way!! I'm 38, and he still visits me. I get an overflowing stocking every year, too.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

My son was about 8 when he stopped believing. My daughter was 10-1/2, and she found out by accident. I just confirmed when they asked.