<p>Nope. Two of my children finally learned about Santa when they were around 12-13. Their classmates teased them and they asked me, at which point I told them. (One still believed in the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny as well; the other did not.) They were devastated and sobbed with disappointment. They now tell us that they are very glad that we let them believe for so long, that those years were wonderful ones, and they like to talk about Santa with their younger cousins. The one of my children who figured everything out on her own by 8 wasn’t at all bothered and kind of rolls her eyes at the whole thing.</p>
<p>I like what one of my friends did. She told her children, “Those who believe, receive.” None of them, now adults, has ever questioned her.</p>
<p>Myself, I remember figuring out Santa wasn’t real when watching the parades on TV and realizing that no way was he in the East coast parade and West Coast parade at close to the same time. :)</p>
<p>My kids were believers. My oldest, a D, wow, she did not really ever admit or lead on that she didn’t believe. Finally at one point - probably 5th or 6th grade - I sat her down with this poem I found (still have it) that talked about how Santa is “real” in the magical way - there are “Santas” all around us and may be more noticeable at the holidays -and how parents are believers in magic so we create a magical time of “Santa” at the holidays, and so on. I remember so clearly sitting down with her and reading this together - she just smiled and was like “ok!” - I think he already knew this but is an extremely happy go lucky kid and had no real hurry to end that dream/phase. My other two believed for quite long - probably close to 10 I’d say. </p>
<p>I have always told my kids that I truly “BELIEVE” in extra special someone’s watching over us and spreading goodness - my H was in a very serious accident when oldest D just turned one in early December - there is no real reason that he should have survived - but he did - and THAT has always been my testimony to “believing” this time of year.</p>
<p>My grandson is 7 and told me he believes in Santa because there was a boot print on the rug in front of the fireplace last Christmas morning. His friends don’t believe in Santa. Now if I can remember to go outside in the snow with my boots on Christmas morning he will still believe for one more year.</p>
<p>I am Jewish, and while I never believed in Santa, I did believe in the tooth fairy, who used to leave me notes along with a quarter–although I did think it a little strange that his handwriting looked just like my father’s. I think that one time my dad forgot to leave me money at night, and did a poor job of trying to slip it under my pillow in the morning when I was waking up. My sister and I were repeatedly cautioned not to tell our non-Jewish friends at school that there was no Santa.</p>
<p>I also cautioned my children about this, although the only time they were exposed to a Santa was at our local grocery store when they used to have a Santa walking around during the Christmas season giving candy canes to kids in the store. Because DS was a bit of a bigmouth, I would always head off a comment from him about there being no Santa but saying “Look at that nice man dressed in a Santa suit” if there were other children within earshot.</p>
<p>We did have the Tooth Fairy in our house, and DH would write notes from him. Our kids are 5 years apart, and apparently 4-year-old DD was told by her bigmouth 9 year old brother that there was no Tooth Fairy–but because she was cautioned that if she didn’t believe in the Tooth Fairy there would be no more money under the pillow, she played along for a good long time.</p>
<p>I also went to great lengths to write the gift tags that were from Santa in different pens, colors, type of signature and different types of gift tags than the ones from us.</p>
<p>me, too. Gifts from Santa have different Christmas paper, too!!! </p>
<p>…and I still hide my kids’ Easter Baskets (yes, I still give them baskets even tho they’re in their 20s!!!..less candy, more adult treats & little gifts…but those Cadbury eggs better be in here or I’ll hear complaints!)</p>
<p>Way too old, probably 8 or so. I hated to do it, but I was afraid someone else would. Actually, I think they were relieved; neither was all too comfortable with the idea of someone coming into the house in the middle of the night!</p>
<p>My D was going into 3rd grade and my S was going into 1st grade. He was much too young. It’s a good story though-</p>
<p>Their summer time babysitter didn’t believe in “lying” to kids so the topic of the tooth fairy came up and she told them that I was the tooth fairy. That led them to question Santa and the Easter Bunny and she told them I buy those things for them. I picked them up and they bombard me with this as soon as they are in the car. I was so mad!!! If you don’t want to let your kids have a pretend fantasy, fine, but you don’t get to decide that for me and my kids! Refer them to ME, don’t discuss it with them. In our discussion, I did tell them if they didn’t believe in Santa, the spirit of Christmas, there wouldn’t be presents.</p>
<p>So that night at dinner, my son says “I’m really concerned about something” I say “Yes? What is it?” He says “Do you leave us alone at night when you go to pick up teeth?”</p>
<p>“Your mom is the tooth fairy” to a 6 year old… He thought I was the tooth fairy for the whole world and was leaving them alone at night to pick up teeth! He also wanted to see the house I was building with the teeth (my answer when he had asked what the tooth fairy does with all the teeth). </p>
<p>The next Christmas Eve comes and I’m thinking we don’t have to leave out cookies and milk or put reindeer food on the lawn, right? My son is about to go to bed and asks why we haven’t done these things. My daughter and I exchange glances and I shrug my shoulders and we do it. He told me later he thought if we didn’t, I wouldn’t give them their presents…lol. </p>
<p>It’s so sad when they stop believing. A little bit of the magic goes away, but then it is also easier to say “You know we can’t really afford that…”</p>
<p>I did something like this! I think I was about six or seven. Except I was a complete cynic and never believed in the tooth fairy; I did it to prove a point with my mom. I remember feeling fairly exasperated that my parents staunchly kept ‘lying’ to me about Santa/the tooth fairy/etc., and ‘thinking I was dumb enough to believe stuff like that’. So, the next time my mom and I talked about the tooth fairy, I told her that I put the tooth under the pillow without telling her and didn’t get money, and so there was no point keeping up the charade.</p>
<p>Later, my mom told me that she just wanted to bring some magic into my childhood years because that’s what her parents did and she really liked it. However, it REALLY annoyed me because I don’t remember ever believing in stuff like that, even when I was super young (it was just so outlandish to me), and I felt like all the adults thought I was gullible and were lying to me for no reason (just to be clear, this has not made me distrust my parents about anything else). </p>
<p>I had no idea that so many people believed in Santa, though. I guess I kind of always assumed that many kids were just playing along with their parents.</p>
<p>Sure Santa can be fun when they are quite small, but when the questions start to come up and explanations have to made, then it does become lying, IMO. Telling them the parents have to send Santa a check, or that elves can’t make electronics, when friends get those electronics and much bigger presents from Santa, it’s time to come clean. At church we buy gifts for kids who otherwise wouldn’t get any presents, what, Santa doesn’t like poor kids?</p>
<p>I agree. When they’re at the age that they are going to wonder why poor kids don’t get good presents, it’s time for the kids to know.</p>
<p>Many/most little ones aren’t savvy enough for all of that. I believed in Santa til I was in the first grade. Prior to that I’m sure I never questioned “what about poor kids, doesn’t Santa like them” and things like that…even when my mom would donate something. I know that my kids always helped with the gift-giving for “giving trees”. They never said, “why do we have to do that if Santa will bring presents.” </p>
<p>I’m not sure at what point it becomes “lying”. If you’re planning a surprise birthday or anniversary party for someone, and they suspect something or something odd happens and you have to scramble to keep things a secret…is it “lying” when you have to avoid “revealing” the surprise???</p>
Oh @Martsian, your kids really had you bamboozled! I’m sure they enjoyed the whole charade and loved telling their friends that managed to convinced their parents that they still believed in Santa. Unless your kids were homeschooled and deprived of access to all media and social contact, there’s no way they believed in Santa at age 12 or 13. On the other hand, if they’re really that gullible, I can offer them a great deal on a big bridge…</p>
<p>My “cousin” believed last year when she was 11. She’s not allowed access to social media and they don’t have cable. Her sister was 16 and she would’ve told her sister who would’ve told me. </p>
<p>Some children choose to believe in the face of contradictory evidence. Bless em. A lot of adults believe in much more ridiculous things that clearly have evidence against them. People believe what they want to believe ;)</p>
<p>Wow, MommaJ, that was so hurtful. No, my children really, honestly believed and were crushed to find out. One of the two is a son who has Asperger’s Syndrome. He is grown now but is quite innocent and still doesn’t know how to lie or participate in a charade of any kind. The other is a child who just really, truly wanted to believe and, as romani said, held fast despite conflicting evidence. Our children went to public school, but they didn’t have access to social media, didn’t have cell phones, and we didn’t watch any TV except for some sports (no pay TV at all).</p>
<p>I myself believed until the age of 13, so I know from personal experience that this is possible – and I am far from gullible. In a world where so many people are cynical about everything, it is wonderful that there are still some children who believe in magical things.</p>
<p>I apologize, Marsiuan–I didn’t mean to be hurtful. A child with Aspergers is obviously a whole different story, as is a child who has been sheltered from much of the world, neither of which circumstance you specified in your post. I’ll amend my thoughts to say that any neurotypical child who is exposed to normal input will not still believe in Santa Claus at age 12. And perhaps your second child held onto his belief as away to be supportive of the first.</p>
<p>I’m with you, Niquii–my D was 10, maybe 11; no, she wasn’t snickering behind people’s backs. She had, has, a highly developed feeling for wonder.</p>
<p>Scrooge indeed to anyone who can’t understand that even if they’re not that way, others are.</p>
<p>In our case , it wasn’t necessarily that she still believed in Santa at age 12 , but that she believed and relished the magic of Santa , the traditions and the routine of finding the gifts under the tree in the morning, etc. we played along from day one -why shouldn’t they have the pleasure of believing in their own way for as long as they wish ?? </p>
<p>And on Christmas Eve, my kids 25,21 and 16 will still insist on making some reindeer food and tossing it around in the yard. They will each sit down in the evening and still write a letter to leave for Santa (they are priceless and remind me each year of the great sense of humor and prose my kids have). The spirit of Santa lives!</p>
<p>Without meaning to be Scroogey at all, I accidentally informed my oldest d and two of her friends that there was no Santa Claus as I was driving them to a Brownie meeting. This was during spring of second grade, I remember, so they were maybe 8 years old? They agreed amongst themselves that the Easter Bunny was actually Mom and Dad. One added, “Yeah, and the Tooth Fairy - she’s really your parents, too.” At which point I weighed in with something like, “Well, little kids love to believe in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus even if they really are their parents …” and came to a dead stop when I realized they had gone silent with shock. They were ready to give up the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, but Santa Claus? Are you kidding, lady?</p>
<p>My little sister stopped believing in Santa this year. She’s 10 and in the fifth grade. I remember when our cousin’s father was in the ICU for over two months, she would spend the nights at our house (about 4 years ago). She is 10 months older than my sister. I had them write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox. The next day, I wrote letters back as if I were Santa and it was just so cool to see their innocent reactions. I think Santa was a big deal for her because we (the older siblings) made a big deal out of him, not my parents. </p>
<p>I never believed in Santa Clause. He just never was a big deal in our home for some reason. For Easter, we would go to Mass and never did the Easter Egg Hunt, ever. It was weird to think about, the whole Easter Bunny thing.</p>
<p>As for the Tooth Fairy, I think that was the one I mostly believed in, if at all because my parents (from Mexico) called him/her El Ratoncito and would tell me to leave my window open so he could fly in and take my teeth. I was also skeptical of the whole thing as a child and never really truly believed.</p>