At what age do you tell your kids the truth about?

Question

Santa?

My oldest daughter is eleven and she still believes in Santa. I overheard her tell one of her friends that she knows Santa is real cause mama and daddy would never buy her that many toys!

Also, I don't want kids at school to make fun of her for believing.

Answer 1

Well my answer is sure to be unpopular...

I never believed in Santa because I just didn't and my parents never pushed the matter.

I will tell my daughter from the beginning that Santa is made up because I am a born again Christian and feel Santa is overrated and overshadows the true meaning of Christmas which is not to get presents for no reason... Christ has given the ultimate gift to all of us already and any presents my kids get are from my hard earned money, not some fat jolly guy! I don't feel this will hinder their childhood in anyway.

Sorry to rant, its a soap box for me I guess :)

Answer 2

My friends son received a letter from Santa( as she was worried he would get bullied at school for still believing), it said that he (Santa) was very pleased that he(the child) still believed but unfortunately some children dint believe in the magic anymore, which made Santa sad but it was special children like him that kept Christmas special for everyone else. Santa asked that to save the magic dying he had to keep it a secret that Santa was real. I think it mentioned that this boys mum still believed as well.

I still believe and I know I buy all the damn presents! When you lose the magic then theres much sadness.... Good luck x

Answer 3

I told my kids when they came and asked me. It's always been a really big deal to me to NEVER lie to my children. My son and daughter were 3 and 4 when we were discussing the existence of fairies and elves and witches. This turned into a discussion on Santa and my son flat out asked me if Santa was real. I told them that St. Nicholas was a real person and I think Santa is the spirit of giving. (An idea, not a ghost.) That same year, as Christmas came closer, my son very seriously told me that he and his sister didn't want to know whether Santa was real. I laughed and told him that Santa would visit him this year too. He's 24 now and Santa still visits him. ;)

Answer 4

I don't I let them tell me. The people who say it's Jesus' birthday may be wrong. The celebration of Christmas was originally the celebration of the winter solace. It had nothing to do with Jesus. The church likes to tell you it's Jesus's birthday but there's no way to know for sure. It's nice to have a day to celebrate Jesus but that really should be done all the time, not just one day.

I say tell your child the truth when she comes to you and says Santa's not real. My friend always told her kids that when they stop believing in Santa then Santa stops believing in them and they won't get presents.

Answer 5

I'm not a parent, but I remember figuring it out on my own when I was a kid, and then I asked my mom... she eventually told me. As the kids get older, their friends will tell them about it - and then the child may or may not choose to believe, and may come to you about it. I would say that a good time to tell them is around the age where they start middle school. But don't stop the whole 'Santa' thing, its still fun to wake up to a stocking full of gifts in the morning. I'm 19 and our family still does it! =)

Also joke around about it for a while! Thats always fun =)

Answer 6

My son is 7 and that is the final 12 months I'm giving him a reward from Santa. Next 12 months we will be able to see if he indicates curiosity or grows extra skeptical. He has older cousins who've already began telling him there's no santa. At this factor I'm now not going to assume him to feel for for much longer.

Answer 7

You don't, eventually they start questioning it and kinda find out on their own. I was weird and naive, I always believed cuz I had no reason not to. Like your daughter, I knew Santa brought tons of stuff that our parents would never get, plus it was just so magical I never imagined my parents were behind it all. I was seriously 16 before I knew the truth, only cuz I had to help wrap stuff since my mom had my younger sister just 3 days before Christmas, came home Christmas Eve, and hadn't had a chance to get everything done.

Answer 8

What makes you think YOU know the truth about Santa? You think there's no Santa, but there is. "Santa" is just our way of explaining a very difficult concept, that people worldwide agree that it is so important that children have at least one gift a year that they have created an international day to do this, and "Santa" is the shorthand way of explaining that. It's easier to say Santa did it than to explain to a kid what really happens. I mean, can you imagine explaining time zones to a kid? Same thing. Santa's an easier story. But most adults don't get it. The real story of Santa is that altruism exists, but altruism is a hard concept to explain, too.

Answer 9

I figured it out on my own. On the other hand, my sister was told by her classmates and asked my mum. My mum kept putting the question off, and eventually told my sister. I think that you should let them decide. But just tell them, when they do find out that there is still magic every Christmas for you and that there is still a bit of Santa left.

Answer 10

I am sad to say my daughter of 8 years old asked me this year if he was real or not as her friends at school have been talking a lot about it. I asked her if it was somehting she really had to know. She replied she did so I finally fessed up.

She said she had been unsure for two years but thought it best that she know so her friends would not make fun of her as they don't believe.

I think you will know from verbal cues from your kids as to when is the right time.