Re: Santa-if you believed...

[nicechicken]

How old were you when you were either told, or figured out Santa wasn't real?

[mainelyfoolish]

I believe I was in fourth grade, so nine years old, when I was positive I knew my parents were doing the work, although they never confirmed nor denied.

My DD is eight and she still believes in Santa, although I know some of her peers do not any more.

[steph96]

Some classmates told me in 2nd grade. I didn't believe them so I stayed awake so I could see if they were right. I pretended to believe for a few more years because I thought it meant that I would get more gifts.

[alleinesein]

Probably about 6 years old. Santa always wrote me letters in Spanish and had the same handwriting as my dad. It was pretty easy to figure out!

[mbcdefg]

I think I was in fourth grade. A classmate told me "Our parents wait until fourth grade to tell us he isn't real" and I was devastated and refused to believe it. I don't remember when I stopped believing, but I remember being really upset by that. 

I was a very sheltered kid.

[ECB]

I have no idea! I'm assuming the 9-10 age range.

[Wanderista]

I think on some level I figured it out around age 5 but I was an imaginative child so I kept on believing anyway as long as I could. Even as teens, we got gifts from Santa. 

I think my mom's love language is gifts/gift-giving & receiving. She might have others but I think that's her dominant one. Gifts are a big deal for her.

[turkletsmom]

I think the Christmas I was 9 (turned 10 in January). I remember asking my mom, but I don't remember what made me doubt. I hope to get to at least 8 with my kids. I feel like it's so much easier for kids to find out nowadays but maybe I was just oblivious in the 80s lol.

[simpsongal]

Like 11? Very old, at some point I think I wanted to believe, ya know?

[mcsangel2]

I was suspicious at 6, and I definitely didn't believe at 8. I think I figured it out at 7. Santa's handwriting on the present name tags was the same as my mom's.

ETA: My parents still tried to keep up the pretense when I was 8 and 9. I'm the youngest of three kids, btw.

[nicechicken]

My mom told me when I as five. We were about to go see Santa at the mall. I remember being so excited and then holding back tears. I didn't want to see Santa anymore. I was devastated.

I was discussing it with her and she doesn't remember.
She claimed that it was because of my sisters and/or because of church and Santa taking away the reason of the season.

[niq]

I have no idea, somewhere between 2nd and 4th grade.

My younger sister figured it out/was told earlier.

[fernweh]

I was 8 and still whole heartedly believed--which I think is impressive considering I have two older siblings who could have blown it. My dad told me that year, about a week before Christmas. My mom was soooo mad that he didn't wait until after Christmas and let me have one more year.

[bostonmichelle]

I want to say 4th grade. I remember realizing that the card/nametags were in my dad's handwriting. I never said anything for years though because I had a little sister.

[Deleted]

Fascinating. I didn't grow up with Santa. Why is it so painful to realize Santa doesn't exist?

[starlily]

4.

I was sleeping on the sofa after midnight mass, woke up briefly, and saw my parents wrapping gifts. The next morning I pointed out that my dad's writing was on Santa's gift tag. They tried to spin as "we were helping a very busy Santa!" but I really didn't care about the whole reveal.

[stephm0188]

I was a really pragmatic kid and figured it out pretty early on. I remember hunting for gifts and receipts in second and third grade.

[mslhb]

I have a much older brother and older sister so I don't feel like I ever truly believed. My DD is 8 and definitely still believes. Last Friday we got out the Christmas totes and I forgot the elf was in there and she found it. Forget how I explained it away but she somehow still believes that it magically appeared today and has the Christmas power... Or she could just be playing me!

[momof2]

I have zero recollection of when I stopped believing, so I assume it was very young. Right now, my 4 year old believes, but I expect this not to last long. We did a Polar Express thing a couple of weeks ago, and she was all "Mom, this is NOT the real North Pole!"

I am not there yet, but I am surprised when I hear kids still believe after 1st grade in this day and age. I just expect my kid to google for the answer. Does this not happen?

[nicechicken]

Dec 1, 2016 17:50:19 GMT -5 mslhb said:

I have a much older brother and older sister so I don't feel like I ever truly believed. My DD is 8 and definitely still believes. Last Friday we got out the Christmas totes and I forgot the elf was in there and she found it. Forget how I explained it away but she somehow still believes that it magically appeared today and has the Christmas power... Or she could just be playing me!

I did this too. "Mommy! I FOUND ELFIE"
"erm....he must have been spying on you!"

[looksgood]

2nd grade. A boy told me on the bus.

[AAM2012]

Funny story, I believed until a friend/neighbor kid told me otherwise when I was in 4th grade.

My dad said this was the year to put out reindeer food (likely bird food) and the next day there was (swear!!!!!) reindeer hoof prints across our front yard where the food was.

I believed again until like 9th grade...but still have no idea how the prints were created. Every year I ask my dad what it was that made the prints and he refuses to tell me.

[sarapocalypse]

I started to question in 2nd grade but that year my dad got coal in his stocking after bad-mouthing Santa for months and that made me believe one more year. I thought "Surely, my parents wouldn't have gotten themselves coal! Santa must have been watching!"

The next year I had it pretty much figured out and was a bit disappointed but had fun when I realized that I could help be part of the magic for my younger sister and then my young cousins.

[saywhatnow]

Dec 1, 2016 21:26:16 GMT -5 @domerjen said:

My mom is one of those people who refuse to discuss santa being fictional, so no one "told me", which is why I wasn't sure for so long.

Ha...same here. To this day, if I were to ask my mom if Santa is real she would look me right in the eye and say, "well, of course!". That is one of the many reasons I love her  She made Christmas so magical when I was a kid. I hope I'm doing the same for my children.

[saywhatnow]

Dec 1, 2016 21:54:00 GMT -5 @domerjen said:

Dec 1, 2016 21:50:14 GMT -5 saywhatnow said:

Ha...same here. To this day, if I were to ask my mom if Santa is real she would look me right in the eye and say, "well, of course!". That is one of the many reasons I love her  She made Christmas so magical when I was a kid. I hope I'm doing the same for my children.

See, I'm totally going to have a sit-down w/ my kids.  My hope is that we can have one of those lovely "santa is about making people happy and giving without thought of what you gain from it" types of talks.  It'll probably fall flat. My mom would not discuss santa as a fictional character even today, either.  heheSaveSave

I guess I just don't see the need for a sit-down. I don't see any harm in them coming to terms with that in their own way, on their own time. If they really want to discuss it, that's one thing, but the world is tough enough...I want them to have every last piece of magic they can pull from their childhood.

[ellipses84]

I don't remember believing, but I always played along because you have to believe to get gifts. I was definitely a skeptic by age 4 and thought my older sister was lying when she said she woke up in the middle of the night and saw santa. My parents didn't emphasize santa too much though.

[froggy76]

I was in 3rd grade. I remember arguing with a kid at school that he was real. Then I overheard my parents talking about filling the stockings (the only think Santa did in our house), and I was devastated.

[UnderProtest]

Yeah, so my just turned 5 kindergartener asked me if Santa was real because a kid in his class said Santa wasn't real. I'm not ready for this. I think I was 8 or 9 when I stopped believing.

[nextbigthing]

Dec 1, 2016 14:06:56 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Probably about 6 years old. Santa always wrote me letters in Spanish and had the same handwriting as my dad. It was pretty easy to figure out!

This is how I found out about the tooth fairy, I wrote her a nice note and she wrote back in my mom's handwriting!  haha!

I will not make the same mistake.

I also must have been a bit of a dumb kid, I didn't figure out the whole Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy at the same time

[notsopicky]

I was about 8. I remember finding the presents that were wrapped in Santa paper and signed Love,
Santa.

On a side note--I just typed Satan twice in the above sentence. Coincidence? LOL.