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My oldest will be 9 in Oct, and she still believes in Santa (kind of). I think deep down she knows he's not real. In fact, she flat out asked me if he was real just this week. If not for the fact that her 5 year old sister was sitting right there next to her, I would have told her the truth. As it was, I mumbled something about Santa bringing her toys and other people (including us, her parents) doing it as well. She dropped it and didn't press the issue further.
I fully expect this question again in the near future, and I will tell her the truth. At least she won't have the experience I did: I'm Jewish, and when I was about 6 or 7, I was sitting in my room on Christmas Eve, looking out the window and waiting for Santa, when my Mom walked by and asked me what I was doing, so I told her. She informed me Santa didn't come to our house and walked off without another word. I was like "What??? Santa doesn't come here?!?!" I was very disappointed.....
My oldest is 30, youngest is 12 & to this day I can keep a straight face & say "What do you mean I am Santa Claus; I'm NOT Santa Claus because there really IS a Santa Claus!"
I must be pretty convincing because it was only 2 years ago that my now 14 yr old twin girls started rolling the eyes & saying "Moooooom ...!"
You got the rest of your life to be a grown-up ... I want my kids to "have" Santa as long as they can.
My oldest is 30, youngest is 12 & to this day I can keep a straight face & say "What do you mean I am Santa Claus; I'm NOT Santa Claus because there really IS a Santa Claus!"
I must be pretty convincing because it was only 2 years ago that my now 14 yr old twin girls started rolling the eyes & saying "Moooooom ...!"
You got the rest of your life to be a grown-up ... I want my kids to "have" Santa as long as they can.
Just so you know, when you're doing that, it's not for the kids; it's for you. They find it embarrassing. My wife was the same way. Kids figured it out sometime around 8-9, early elementary school. They knew, I knew they knew, and they knew that I knew. Mom however would get more and more silly in her wanting the kids to "have Santa." It was quite embarrassing at times.
And mostly parents don't have to tell kids. Mostly they figure it early on and play along like someone up thread said, to get more presents. Bless their mercenary little hearts. Actually most of them seem quite happy to be part of the Santa insiders and play Santa themselves to the little ones.
I have a pretty clear memory (for such a young age) of the moment my older brother told me Santa Claus was not real and our parents put the presents under the tree. I remember thinking, "What the- ... Well, I guess that does make sense..."
I was about six, I think. Within the year I was a total rationalist.
Properly maturing individuals should gradually move from believing in Santa Claus the person to believing in the IDEA of Santa Claus, while still enjoying the holiday season. My daughter is 24 and still loves the concept of Santa, where she is excited to see a well-performed mall Santa at Christmas time, giving happiness to 'children of all ages'.
When this happens, there is never the concept of having STOPPED believing.
believe it or not I was called into the kitchen when I was in the 6th grade and my mom closed the kitchen door I knew something was up that door never gets closed. She explained to me that when you reach a certain age santa stops bringing gifts for you and I busted out crying lol
she told me the easter bunny also stops giving out basket at the same age 6th grade. I was so devastated the their was no santa, easter bunny I cryed and cryed lol My mom said your to younger sisters kindergarden and first grade still believe in santa and easter bunny please don't spoil the magic for them
this was back in the 60s. as we all got bigger we knew at easter the bowls lined with aluminum and grass and all the goodies would be waiting for us in the morning. years later now in the 80s my brother who had moved away came home for easter and was upset my mom didn't make his basket that year my mom said you didn't tell us you would be comin for easter. he was disappointed to say the least.
I was six. As soon as a kid starts to reason it out on how fast Santa would have to go to hit every house in the world or that there's no way he could get down the chimney or that you don't even have a chimney but the doors are always locked, etc. etc. Santa is toast. So whatever age the kid gets to the "concrete operational stage" - kids on average hit this stage around the age of 7 or so.
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