Question about Santa (if you read this he won't come to your house ever again)

[Moiraine]

How old were you when you found out

Santa isn't real

How did you find out?

How about your kids? Do they know? Are they getting too old? How will you tell them if they never ask the question and they're old enough you're starting to wonder what's wrong with them?

[I AM FOOT FOOT]

I had 2 older sisters who's only purpose was to antagonize my little brother and I ,I think we were  5 or 6 when they told us. b!^@hes .I spent all those hours going through the Sears catalog and making and remaking my list for nothing!

My oldest daughter who was 5 at the time caught me setting up a doll house from Santa , she was mad for a week and made sure her sister knew what was up as well as her brothers when they got older.

My grandkids are spoiled  little hellions so Santa is an afterthought ,if mom and dad say no the  grandma and grandmas always say yes.

[funhusker]

My kids will be 11 this Christmas and they still believe.  My wife loves it, and she doesn't like the idea of me breaking the news to them after this year.  But, I really don't feel like sending my kids to middle school believing in Santa.  That just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

[Crusader Husker]

I think 6 or 7

 

A couple of things related:

 

I teach at a Christian school.  About 20 years ago I was giving a chapel talk about truth.  I brought up Santa and truth form you parents.  The youngest kids in the chapel were 6th grade.  I thought I was safe, I got a few calls, parents weren't made, just wanted to tell the kids themselves.

 

Several years later, our pastor was giving a sermon and told the story about the original St. Nick.  I couldn't be mad, I did the same thing.  We went home and talked about it.  The kids said they had known for years.  They found our hiding place.  They decided not to say anything because they figured it would cut down on the number of gifts...they were right.  My oldest was 10 or 11 at the time.  My youngest was 5 or 6.

[JJ Husker]

14 minutes ago, funhusker said:

My kids will be 11 this Christmas and they still believe.  My wife loves it, and she doesn't like the idea of me breaking the news to them after this year.  But, I really don't feel like sending my kids to middle school believing in Santa.  That just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

 

Of course I don't know your kids but I'd bet they know by now. They're just smart enough to make you think they don't know because they know those Santa presents will stop once they let on. At least that's how our kids were, they played us for a couple years after they really knew. But yeah, I don't think I'd send them off to middle school really believing in Santa....unless they know karate or something.

[Mavric]

I don't remember how old I was.  But I do remember when I was probably 10 I got a new stereo from "Santa".  That night my mom asked me how I liked it, I said good and she said that's good because my dad spent a lot of time picking it out.  I already knew before that but it was kind of funny.

[Moiraine]

12 hours ago, funhusker said:

My kids will be 11 this Christmas and they still believe.  My wife loves it, and she doesn't like the idea of me breaking the news to them after this year.  But, I really don't feel like sending my kids to middle school believing in Santa.  That just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

 

12 hours ago, JJ Husker said:

 

Of course I don't know your kids but I'd bet they know by now. They're just smart enough to make you think they don't know because they know those Santa presents will stop once they let on. At least that's how our kids were, they played us for a couple years after they really knew. But yeah, I don't think I'd send them off to middle school really believing in Santa....unless they know karate or something.

 

 

My niece is 11, so kind of why I made this. I think she really still believes based on what she has asked me. My sister-in-law wrote her a letter trying to hint at it. I don't think it worked though. Maybe they'll tell her after this Christmas. I feel like her brother is going to know before her and he's 7. The niece is super into following all of the rules to a T, so I think it just hasn't occurred to her that her parents would ever lie about this.

[Moiraine]

15 hours ago, man eating mastodon said:

I had 2 older sisters who's only purpose was to antagonize my little brother and I ,I think we were  5 or 6 when they told us. b!^@hes .I spent all those hours going through the Sears catalog and making and remaking my list for nothing!

My oldest daughter who was 5 at the time caught me setting up a doll house from Santa , she was mad for a week and made sure her sister knew what was up as well as her brothers when they got older.

My grandkids are spoiled  little hellions so Santa is an afterthought ,if mom and dad say no the  grandma and grandmas always say yes.

 

 

Wow your family has a tragic Santa story arc.

[JJ Husker]

9 minutes ago, Moiraine said:

 

 

 

My niece is 11, so kind of why I made this. I think she really still believes based on what she has asked me. My sister-in-law wrote her a letter trying to hint at it. I don't think it worked though. Maybe they'll tell her after this Christmas. I feel like her brother is going to know before her and he's 7. The niece is super into following all of the rules to a T, so I think it just hasn't occurred to her that her parents would ever lie about this.

If it helps, I’ve never heard a single story of a kid believing in Santa causing any problem. I figure it’s best to let them believe as long as possible. It’s fun for everyone involved. TBH, it starts to become a little annoying for the parents having to give credit to Santa for their efforts and money. But it seems to always come to light, one way or the other, at about the right time. When the kids start asking a lot of questions, they have their suspicions already.

 

I always felt sorry for our neighbor’s kids. I’ll never forget when my daughter was on the verge of figuring it out (prob 10 or 11ish) the 5 year neighbor girl matter of factly told her there was no Santa. It was Jesus’ birthday and Santa was made up. They were pretty devout evangelicals and just never entertained the Santa fantasy with their kids. What fun is that?

[Toe]

My parents told me around fifth grade, but I pretty much already knew by that point. My (much) younger brothers, though, I remember them asking me if I believed, and I said "I'll believe in anyone who brings me presents!"

[Moiraine]

1 hour ago, JJ Husker said:

If it helps, I’ve never heard a single story of a kid believing in Santa causing any problem. I figure it’s best to let them believe as long as possible. It’s fun for everyone involved. TBH, it starts to become a little annoying for the parents having to give credit to Santa for their efforts and money. But it seems to always come to light, one way or the other, at about the right time. When the kids start asking a lot of questions, they have their suspicions already.

 

I always felt sorry for our neighbor’s kids. I’ll never forget when my daughter was on the verge of figuring it out (prob 10 or 11ish) the 5 year neighbor girl matter of factly told her there was no Santa. It was Jesus’ birthday and Santa was made up. They were pretty devout evangelicals and just never entertained the Santa fantasy with their kids. What fun is that?

 

 

Ya I wasn't worried about it. Just curious.

[The Dude]

I just assumed everyone always kinda knew.  Everyone in my kindergarten class just kinda knew.

[knapplc]

My dad was super sneaky about it. I don't know how he pulled this off, but we'd go to the Christmas Eve pageant at church every year, and while we were gone Santa had visited and we could open our presents that night.

 

We knew he'd come because there were no gifts under the tree when we left, but they were there when we got back. The fireplace screen was moved aside and there was a trail of ashes out to the floor. 

 

Never figured out how he did it. He got into the car with the rest of us. There were a few presents so it would have taken him a long time to put them out. The fireplace was clean when we left, but the ashes were moved around when we got home, so it had to have been done when we were at church.

 

Either he had the neighbor do it, or grandpa came from three towns away to do it, or... I don't know. 

[The Dude]

1 hour ago, knapplc said:

My dad was super sneaky about it. I don't know how he pulled this off, but we'd go to the Christmas Eve pageant at church every year, and while we were gone Santa had visited and we could open our presents that night.

 

We knew he'd come because there were no gifts under the tree when we left, but they were there when we got back. The fireplace screen was moved aside and there was a trail of ashes out to the floor. 

 

Never figured out how he did it. He got into the car with the rest of us. There were a few presents so it would have taken him a long time to put them out. The fireplace was clean when we left, but the ashes were moved around when we got home, so it had to have been done when we were at church.

 

Either he had the neighbor do it, or grandpa came from three towns away to do it, or... I don't know. 

 

Maybe it was Santa? 

[dubsker]

I woke up at 5am, saw Santa had not yet come, and asked my dad (who was still in bed) why not.  He pointed me to his closet and told me to put the gifts under the tree.