I can see in my mind's eye the moment when my cousin told me about Santa. I wasn't shocked, and was ready to hear the news, I guess. I can't remember how old I was, but think I was around 6 or 7?

But.....the big news is that I just finished reading Santa's autobiography, and he is alive and well! I would definitely recommend the book!

I remember one of my older sisters telling me but don't remember how old I was.

When I told my daughter, she was around 7 and completely devastated. I think I really played him up for her, even to the point of having my boyfriend dress up for her, bellowing "Ho Ho Ho" in the middle of the night while she was asleep (and woke her up), and having her leave cookies & milk for Santa on Christmas Eve that were mostly gone the next morning. Looking at the plate was the first thing she did in the morning. She was so disappointed that she decided not to let her children believe in Santa. I hate they missed out on the magical part of Christmas that is so much fun for kids, but that was her decision and they are just fine.

My oldest is in second grade (7 yo). He still believes. THat could all change before Christmas, but I'm trying to enjoy the magic while it lasts.

I think my oldest son was around 8 or 9...and of course I'm sure he told the younger one lots earlier then that...I was probably 8 or 9...

We still do Santa gifts...he'll always be in our hearts!!

I need help!!! My 12 yr old DGD told me last wk that I promised her last yr that this yr I could prove to her that there still is a Santa!

Does anyone remember the story about a mom taking her DD to the store to buy a present for a little boy & they dropped it off at his hse, rang the doorbell & ran? Think it went something like that! (Senior brain here)

Donna (^_^)

I don't remember ever actually believing there was a real Santa. My parents always put presents "From Santa" under the tree and we did the cookies and milk thing, but I think it was always done in a way that my sister and I knew it was pretend. Christmas was still an absolutely wonderful, magical time for us (still is).

As for my kids, we do the Santa thing to an extent - never confirmed or denied his existence - we always put santa presents under the tree, take the kids to see him at the mall, have them write lists, go to the parade, put out milk and cookies (and carrots for the reindeer) etc. However, I suspect Sophie's never entirely believed Santa was real (she's 5). The other day after having her picture taken with Santa she said to me "Maybe Daddy could be Santa sometime"! I said "How could Daddy be Santa?" She said "He could dress up - Santa Claus isn't real, Silly". To which I replied "Well, sometimes it's fun to pretend that some make-believe things ARE real" and she agreed.

So that's how it is here.

When my girls were little and questioned the existence of Santa, I would merely tell them that if they didn't believe in Santa, then he wouldn't bring them anything. They are 38 and 32 now, and they still believe. LOL

My daughter is 6 1/2 and believes whole heartedly. We do things every year to encourage it. Sometimes we jingle some bells while she's in bed and that would be Santa flying by to check on her. He has lost some sleigh bells in our yard. He phones us. He has lost his boot on his way out the fireplace! I have peppermint hand lotion that I sometimes wear...I've told her that whenever she smells peppermint it's a sure sign that Santa has been nearby. As for how different Santa looks from place to place...well, he's got quite a wardrobe and his weight varies with the amount of cookies he eats...his beard grows accordingly. THis year he's going to accidentally drop a gift on the roof! As for the Santa's that don't look so real, they are people dressed as Santa who are helping him out and posing for pictures, etc. We never visit those ones...just see them in passing. THe more we work on keeping her belief strong, the more giddy and excited I get about Santa myself!

I never believed Santa was real. My mother had been so devastated as a child when she learned Santa wasn't real, that she vowed that her children would never go through that!

So I always told my own kids that Santa was make-believe.

Somehow, it seems really wrong to hear of a nine or ten year old that still believes in Santa, but that's just me, I guess.

I figured it out myself but I'm not sure at what age. I remember trying to get my parents to confirm that there was no Santa but they kept lying and I was hurt. I wanted validation that I had figured out this 'riddle' of sorts and no one would admit it but I just KNEW. I realize they had good intentions but lies are lies. It's one thing to make things magical for small children but it bothers me when adults try to keep up the charade when kids start questioning Santa's existence. Even if you're not ready, it's time at that point to be honest.

I told my son when he seriously questioned it this past year (He had just turned 9). I'm surpised that he is one of the few in his class that don't believe. I was talking to a friend who said her almost 12 yr old still believes - and so do many of the kids in his class; I'm like, What? What makes it sort of sad is that her boy will be learning sex ed soon. So, we have kids learning about sex (and sadly some maybe even practicing) while they are still believing in Santa. That just seems so off to me.

For me the penny had dropped when I was about 7, but I don't recall being upset or traumatised or anything. I even helped maintain the pretence for my younger brother who still believed.
When my DD was about 9, she came home and announced that another child at school had tried to convince her that Santa wasn't "real". We asked what she thought. "I told my friend, Of course Santa's real, your parents wouldn't get you all that stuff!" Maybe she wanted to prolong the fun.
I don't recall how old she was when presents wrapped in Santa's "special paper" stopped appearing under the tree, but obviously it was a non-traumatic progression as none of us was upset.
I think it depends on how you treat it. I also think Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are a natural part of childhood, and they are "real" insofar as people behave as if they are. There are other things people believe in though they can't see them, so why not Santa?

i always loved dr lee salk's answer if kids asked...he said to tell the kids he's a real pretend person, lol...

We never believed at our house when I was growing up and I think that is sad.

I think my nephew, a year older than me, told me when I was about 5, but I pretended to believe until I was about 8 or 9, just so my parents wouldn't be disappointed.

As for my daughter...when she was little, she hated Santa Claus. I couldn't get her to sit on his lap for a Christmas picture but twice...when she was 2 mo. old and when she was 14 mo. old, and that was a struggle. Never could get her close to him after that. I don't think she ever believed in Santa. I don't think it has traumatized her though. We had a Christmas tree and presents but she knew they were from us. Same thing about the Easter bunny.

Hey I'm 53 and I still BELIEVE!

I think my DD was about nine when the 12 year old girl across the street told her there was no Santa. Oddly, I don't remember her reaction, but I still haven't forgiven that 12 year old!

Sue

I don't remember finding out "the truth" as a child. I have childhood Christmas memories that include believing, though.

I don't really play up Santa to my kids. When they are young enough to believe, they are afraid of "the man in the suit" in public places. By the time they aren't afraid anymore, they don't believe anyway. I have never taken any of them to actually sit with a mall Santa. They would not get that close anyway! It was not important to me. If I had a picture of it, I would still see an overpriced picture of my kids with a stranger. I admit that I'm a cynic. The year DS#1 was 3 my dad dressed up as Santa and came to our house about a week before Christmas. He hid in the yard and changed then came to the front door. DS was still skeptical, but not as scared. However, within minutes our doorbell was ringing with neighbor kids asking "Did Santa come to your house? Is he here? Can we see him?" So Dad got a little more than he bargained for that year! What could he do? He had to play it up for all the kids.

I don't discourage Santa, but I don't play it up either. If they're done, I'm done. Of course 14 and 11 are way past it. (I'm also surprised there are 12 y/o still believing. Frankly, I think it's more likely many of those are doing a really good job of playing it up for their parents in hopes of cashing in on better presents.) My 8 y/o does not believe anymore, either. They all just sort of stopped, no big moment of truth or disappointment.

My 5 y/o is on the fence. Last year my friend's mother was in town, I took DS over to play with friend's DS and visit. The visiting grandmother asked my DS what he wanted Santa to bring to him. DS looked at her and said with the tone and expression of Someone needs to clue this lady in, "You know, Santa isn't real." That was the first I'd heard him say that, and it was without doubt. But just last week we saw and man in the suit and DS asked me if it was the real Santa. So, who knows.

I disagree that Santa, tooth fairy and Easter Bunny (the last two my kids have never believed in) are natural parts of childhood. That implies that NOT believing is UNnatural. They are a commonly accepted creation in our culture, but that's not the same thing as natural. Trust is natural; kids trust that the stories they are told are true.

I am not saddened by my kids' outgrowing the game, or if they never believed at all. The world is full of real mysteries, real natural wonders: the moon, the tides, dinosaur fossils, the bottom of the ocean, stars and planets and other galaxies... I would be sad if my kids lost their awe of those things.

I believed until I was about nine. I found a set of encyclopedias in the coat closet, and then got them as a Christmas gift. When I was younger I heard a noise on the roof and I was certain it was Santa's sleigh.

I was probably around 8 or 9 when I woke up one Christmas Eve and heard my parents scurrying around downstairs setting everything up.

But -- Santa still came every year until I was 18 and left home. My senior year in high school, my folks made my sister and I go drive around for an hour on Christmas Eve so "Santa could come."

:-)

"i always loved dr lee salk's answer if kids asked...he said to tell the kids he's a real pretend person, lol... "

I didn't know he said it but that is about the way it was at my house with my boys we still give from Santa gifts.

I'm almost 63 and I also still believe. My girls are 40, 38, and 30 and they still believe. My grandkids are 21,12, 10, and 9 and they all still believe.... When my girls were little and they started their questions, I gave them the simple answer that as long as they believed in Santa, he would come....Needless to say, they still believe and even though we know the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus, the Santa myth is enjoyed by all of us and I'm sure it will continue to my great-grandchildren....Once you say the words "there is no Santa", what has been gained. Kids know when they truly want to know, then will continue the tradition and enjoy it with the ones that do believe. Jeanie

When I was little, I was terrified at the thought that a big strange man would be breaking into our house to leave presents. haha! I was a worry wart child. I think I figured it out myself (and after I learned the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny weren't real) when I was about 5 or 6, but always pretended because of my little sisters.

Can't remember what age, but with 2 or more kids, they seem to find out. They would ask us and our answer to them is no Santa no Gifts!! Even to this day they "believe". Don't know about the Grand Kids.

Children are innocent, naive and open-minded. Santa Claus, one symbol of Christmas, is the epitome of every that is good and right about the world; Love, charity, kindness & righteousness. It is a beautiful time of year when people are nice to each other, differences are set aside, forgiveness is offered and accepted and people are more genteel. What is wrong with encouraging your kids to believe in that?

In truth, it is the spirit of the holiday that we wish to encourage, and Santa Claus is someone that kids can understand and relate to. Much easier than the Holy Spirit (who does not bring presents- he he he)

Some kids/adults feel that the encouragement to believe in Santa Claus is wrong because he is not real and that they were lied to. But what we are trying to encourage is the belief in the virtues of the holiday and to carry on the wonder and good cheer of the holidays that we felt as kids.

They grow up so fast-why rush kids into loosing innocence, magic and wonder.

I still believe.

As Nanny Fine once said..."I believe in anyone who delivers !"

I'm 68 and I believe! I believe Santa is the spirit of fun and of giving, giving of yourselves to put a smile on someone's face, or giving an unexpected little surprise, not just at Christmas, but all year long.

I was about 8 when I was told. I felt deceived by my parents, felt they lied to me. They explained it was like a game and I was old enough to share the truth with them while my little brothers still believed in Santa. After that I felt I was one of the "grownups". My kids figured it out on their own, they were smarter than I was!

Okay, there is a big difference is including the myth of Santa Claus as part of your Christmas celebration than actually trying to make your child believe that he is flesh and blood and actually coming into your home Christmas night. When they are picking up clues that this is really not possible, and friends are taunting them with the 'truth', that is when it's time to explain what Santa is really all about. It's not the time to start jingling bells on the roof in a desperate attempt to prolong the charade. It's not like Christmas is really about Santa anyway and as many people have said, it's still fun to use Santa as part of the celebration, even knowing he isn't 'real'.

So I don't think the original question was really asking if Santa is still part of Christmas for you, but when did you figure out that he wasn't supplying the material gifts?

I drive a school bus with k-2nd graders and even at that age there is always one or two on the bus that wants to tell everyone that Santa isn't real and I tell the offender what I told my own two.

My youngest is 10 and he knows that Santa doesn't actually come to our house. He told us a couple of weeks back when he lost a tooth that he knew we were the tooth fairy and Santa. My oldest was about 13 and I finally told her.

But everyone on here is wrong when they say their is no such thing as Santa. Santa Claus is very real and no he doesn't come to our house on Christmas Eve, but he is a flesh and blood person..
Go to the mall and stand and watch regular everyday folks pick a name off the Angel tree..THAT person is Santa Claus to someone. Around here we have a Chimes for Charity auction every Nov. The local Jaycees buy toys, clothes, and food for over 900 of our county's underprivileged children. Every time a name is called out...That person is Santa to someone..I have been Santa, and my children were surprised to realize that they too had been Santa, when they donated their money to the Jaycees during that week. The majority of my bus kids get to go to the Jaycees Christmas party, so they understand what I am trying to tell them.

There is a Santa..He is inside all of us!!

littlebit