What age do kids generally stop believing in Santa?

[Sliver]

So my son is 7 and in Grade 2. One of his monkey friends told him yesterday that Santa is just your mom and dad.

I told my son that parents of bad kids tell them Santa isn't real since he won't go to bad people's houses. My son bought that explanation and it felt really good throwing the other kid under the bus.

I doubt we'll be able to keep the secret much beyond this year, though. When did you guys drop the bomb, or did you just wait for them to find out through their friends? My daughter is 8 and she's still a believer. IDK, it just makes it more fun having that magic around the house this time of year.

[terminator]

You just made a kid who more aware then your son a "bad person"... congrats.

[Vulcan]

Lying to your kid is not a good idea.

[kevman]

Haha lying to your kids about Santa makes you a bad parent? That's a new one.

I don't remember how old I was but when I caught my Dad putting presents under the tree the gig was up.

[Nyah]

I was about 5 or 6 when I read the Calvin & Hobbes comic where Calvin thinks he hears Santa downstairs and goes running to see & it's actually his Dad laying out the presents instead. Busted.

[Hockeyguy15]

Bad call lying to him, you should have just used the opportunity to tell him the truth about Santa. Now he will probably go back to school and call the kid a liar and look silly, possibly get made fun of.

What's the point of lying to him about Santa after the story was outed at school? Sounds like you are making this whole Santa thing more about yourself rather than your kid. Sounds like you aren't ready for your kid to grow up.

[skudr248]

Wait so you're telling me after 23 years i've been on this Earth, that Santa is not real?

[_Q_]

Dude tell your kids. 8 and 7 is way too old to still be believing in Santa Claus.

I remember this girl in my class in grade four that believed in Santa Claus and we totally ruined her for it.

Edit: what's the point of the whole Santa Claus charade anyways? I never understood that. Why not tell your kids that you're buying them gifts instead of some fictional character?

[skudr248]

Agree with Hockeyguy15 though, bullying is going to happen

[rotten42]

There's no Santa?

[codynw]

SANTA IS TOTALLY REAL YOU JERK. Are you calling my parents liars?

[Huntingwhale]

I stopped believing last year, but I still have hope that I'm wrong.

[zukes]

I remember how awesome it felt as a kid to believe in something so magical, and I don't want to ruin it for my kids. My son is 7 and hasn't questioned it yet and my daughter is 5.

I see nothing wrong with keeping it going a little longer. Your son is probably questioning things now, I remember I found out the same way, it actually softens the blow.

I really hope when my son find out he doesn't tell my daughter. I remember once I knew, I kept the secret for my litle sister (also two years younger than me).

Life is hard enough, why not let them enjoy it as long as possible.

[undercoverbrother]

My buddy had the same issue a few years ago.

His boy wanted a Lego set that was disconntinued, so he asked Santa for it. My buddy found it on ebay, and a few more years of Santa belief was bought.

My son is 8, I am sure he knows.

My daughter is 11, she wants to believe.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by _Q_

Dude tell your kids. 8 and 7 is way too old to still be believing in Santa Claus.

I remember this girl in my class in grade four that believed in Santa Claus and we totally ruined her for it.

Edit: what's the point of the whole Santa Claus charade anyways? I never understood that. Why not tell your kids that you're buying them gifts instead of some fictional character?

I have always thought that kids in today's society don't grow up fast enough....

8 and 7 is not "way too old" to still believe in Santa. I detest that society often forces children to frow up too fast.

BTW, congrats on your successful grade four bullying campaign.

[MacDaddy77]

Ucb. I totally agree. 8-9 years old too old for Santa. Ffs give me a break. I want my kids to believe in santa as long as possible. When the time does come however we will have a sit down and explain that santa isn't a real person however represents a magical part of Christmas time.

[Vulcan]

My dad told me when I was 4 that there was no Santa. I think every kid instinctively knows that he's not real, at least the version peddled by our society. I felt good about it. I thought I was respected that I wouldn't fall for the bull.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Bad call lying to him, you should have just used the opportunity to tell him the truth about Santa. Now he will probably go back to school and call the kid a liar and look silly, possibly get made fun of.

What's the point of lying to him about Santa after the story was outed at school? Sounds like you are making this whole Santa thing more about yourself rather than your kid. Sounds like you aren't ready for your kid to grow up.

I appreciate your psychoanalysis of my motivations, but one kid saying Santa isn't real to a class of 28 other kids who believe he is doesn't exactly 'out' Santa. It's not about me not wanting my kid to grow up - naivety has its perks and I don't want to be unnecessarily hasty in taking away some of the wonder of innocence.

My kids are so excited about Santa coming in a couple of weeks. They talk to the elf on the shelf every morning. Why on God's green earth would I want to take that away from them 20 days before Christmas? Just because some other kid's parents aren't good at keeping an age-old Christmas secret? If it becomes a bullying problem for my kid (lol), I'll adjust my approach. I think for now I'll stick with the majority of parents and let my 7-year-old believe in Old Saint Nick for at least this Christmas.

[ernie]

During the past year for my just turned 8 year old daughter. And it was from her reading the Judy Blume "Fudge" series of books where it is spelled out in black and white that Santa isn't real. She read that portion and asked me if that was true. I said yes it is. Her response was that she had thought that maybe he wasn't. In the end I don't think they really care, but it does remove one common crutch parents rely on to get kids to behave.

The nice thing is her little brother still believes and she has done a really good job not ruining it for him.

[MacDaddy77]

This is huge, my kids are 8 and 4 1/2 I really wouldn't want my eldest to "ruin" it for my youngest.

also when the time comes e will sit down with either of them and make sure to stress how important it is to not tell other people he's not real, that is something they should figuire out on thier own