How old were your children when they found out Father Christmas wasn't real?

crazyH

I can’t remember about Father Christmas, but I certainly remember that my daughter certainly believed in the tooth fairy, till she was 11 or 12 years old 😂

Earlier this year old L’il Miss’ first wobbly tooth (she was 5 and a half) had her a bit worried. It got REALLY wobbly but she was a bit scared about the impending loss and ‘would it hurt, will there be blood?’ etc.

Then one day she came in from school and told her mum that ‘it came out at lunch time and I didn’t even know about it and swallowed it by mistake!’.

Cue a worried face ... no tooth fairy?

“aw no sweetheart”said her quick thinking mum, “when the tooth fairy comes tonight when you’re asleep the tooth fairy will wave her magic wand over your tummy and still be able to take it away - she will leave a coin under your pillow, you’ll see.”

Happy child, no longer thinking about a tooth sitting in her stomach and what do do about it!
😁

Ha, ha!

Mine started questioning it at around 7/8, but my answer to the question was "can you risk it though?" Kept us going for another couple of years!

Aveline

Sshhh! Don't tell them. I never did.

That really made me laugh!

DD kept up the belief until she was about 8 and then allowed DS to keep believing for a couple of years after that. Just little stockings here with things to keep them amused (an orange, a sugar mouse and a book are essentials) while we recovered from wandering about in the middle of the night.

They both still bring their stockings here by mid-November ready to be refilled - now 35 and 33 years old and they bring their partners' stockings too. They do their own children's!

The thing that bothers me the most is that some children get a £500 x box from santa and some will get some small stocking fillers.

I'm glad my children have all outgrown this now and often wonder of I made a mistake wanting them to have some magic that might be harmful.

I was treated very differently to by brother growing up and he would always have more presents than me. It was a way to make me feel like I wasn't good enough and now I wonder how children talking amongst themselves feel when one gets less than another from santa

I can’t remember what age they were exactly around 7 I think I can’t remember how I knew they knew either but all the pretence fizzled out I think they d known for some time though
I can’t believe any child in this day and age is that naïve at age 11 surely wouldn’t all the other kids be taking the p

Glenco

My third son was 11 and very enthusiastic about FC so I had a "talk" with him. It wasn't a very long talk because he told me, "Oh yes, I've known for years, but I thought I might stop getting presents if you thought I didn't believe!"

I suspect this is the case with lots of children!
I wonder if I’m alone in thinking we should just say from day one that it’s a game everyone plays at Christmas? When I say this, I always get accused of ‘taking the magic away’ from children, but I know I never saw any difference in the enthusiasm of ours when they were the older ones in the family keeping up the story for the smaller ones. Could the ‘magic’ be for the parents’ benefit, and the children don’t really care where the gifts come from, they just enjoy the festivities?

I think my older child worked it out about age 7 and rather annoyingly told his younger brother before he had worked it out himself (4 years age difference between them) when he said "it's not Father Christmas who leaves the presents in your room it's mum and dad, I've seen them they come creeping in with them when we're asleep"

I clearly remember the moment when doubt crept in. I was 4 and queuing for Santa's Grotto at a toy shop. I shared my impatience with a shop assistant. "Calm doon, hen. He's nae real." was the reply.

My two sons went along with it when they were at primary school. It was easy to stuff a pillowcase with big, cheap, plasticky toys. Things changed after they discovered Nintendos and Santa had to cough up £60 for the latest SuperMario game, the size of two Weetabix.

Our eldest was in his 2nd year of Primary (so about 6 1/2) when some older kids went round the playground telling the young ones that Santa didn't exist and all presents were from parents. They upset a lot of small children, and parents. DS was not too upset by it, he just said he had wondered how Santa got in the house as we didn't have a chimney. I asked him not to tell his younger brothers as it would spoil the fun for them. After that we explained that only their stocking presents were from Santa and the other presents were from us. Our younger boys came to realise the truth when they were about 7 or 8.

I don't think any child should still be believing in Santa when they start secondary school. It leaves them vulnerable to ridicule and bullying, secondary school can be a cruel place.

Quite frankly it would amaze me that children that might see drug dealing outside the school gates every day could still believe in Santa Claus. That might seem rather cynical but it's a reality at many schools.

I can’t remember about Father Christmas, but I certainly remember that my daughter certainly believed in the tooth fairy, till she was 11 or 12 years old 😂

My children have never believed in Father Christmas partly because the eldest was a very nervous child and would have been terrified of anyone entering the house but mainly because DH WAS Father Christmas at various school Christmas Fayres and for other organisations. When they became of school age we asked them to keep the secret so as not to upset others. They were happy enough to visit Father Christmas in the local stores and receive their present!

Ours haven't yet worked out FC, we're thinking by the time the eldest is 65 we should explain. They're stubborn women, we've no idea how that happened, FC expectations may always matter more than any explanations.

Our youngest son approaching his fourth birthday, kept on and on with questions and wouldn't be fobbed off. In the end I couldn't lie to him anymore, and admitted it, but banned him from telling his older siblings!

DD2 worked it out at the age of four. This wouldn't have mattered – it didn't spoil things for her – but she went and told her friends!! One or two of their mothers were very cross with me but it was actually nothing to do with me 😬

Glenco a very clever boy.. ha ha

My third son was 11 and very enthusiastic about FC so I had a "talk" with him. It wasn't a very long talk because he told me, "Oh yes, I've known for years, but I thought I might stop getting presents if you thought I didn't believe!"

When my children queried 'the' existence I simply responded that I wasn't going to risk doubting as it might result in me receiving nothing. Seems to have worked. Long live the magic!

Spoiler alert!

What do you mean, not real? 🎅🎅🎅🎅

Probably about 23.

Nandalot

DD and I are at odds about this. DGC (twins), in first year of secondary still believe. (They are generally a bit young for their age). I feel she should tell them now because I don’t want them to be bullied about it at school. She is saying let them keep believing. Her children, her choice but I would do it differently.

I agree. They really should be told if they still believe when they leave primary school.

I was shocked when a close friend said her 14 year old DD stayed in the school library every lunch time because she was being bullied. One of the reasons the other DC teased her was because she believed in FC. The friend really thought the other DC were being very cruel. They were of course but we do have to help our DC fit in and believing in FC at 14 is not cute.

I'm sure mine all believed through infant school but they certainly had doubts in year 3 or 4. They all kept the secret for their younger siblings.

I think it's best if FC brings a stocking with little gifts and the DC know any larger presents are bought by family members.
That way it's easier manage expectations.

My daughter was a very 'why' child and I think she was about 7 when she worked it out - had to bribe her to keep her mouth shut and not tell her little brother, who would have been 3 at the time. I do remember her being in Primary 1 and informing me after their Christmas assembly that 'Santa' had the same boots as 'Janny Pearson', the school janitor, so I think she had her suspicions from then on.

My eldest was in hospital at Christmas and realised that all the presents were at home at about 9. The other I can distinctly hear DH saying I think we are going to have to tell the prospective husband she is a believer so she must have either known and not told us or been that innocent well into her teens.

Think my DD was about 7 or 8 when she asked if Santa existed. I told her the truth, but asked her to keep it from her younger brother for a couple more years, which she did.

I’m afraid I think that if children still believe by the time they go to secondary school, they ought to be enlightened by mum and dad.

Dd1 was coming up to 9 when she told me in very matter of fact tones that she knew Father Christmas was me and Daddy, so I might as well admit it.,

So I did - while of course emphasising that she must never let on to any children who still believed.

When she was in her early 20s she told me she’d been dying for me to deny it, so she could go on believing a little longer!
I so wish I had! 😥