What age did you?

[Momma-2boys]

My DS is now 7 and some of his friends/classmates tell him Santa/ toothfairy isn't real(he just started loosing he teeth last year). Now this makes me mad cause I feel he should enjoy childhood and believe in all the fun stuff still while he can.I understand not everyone is blessed enough to have a good Christmas and my son knows that too so we count all of our blessings and on his Christmas list to Santa he has to help out one person that he knows. We sat down and I told him its just like the movies we watch as long as you really believe then Santa/toothfairy is real and just to tell the kids we believe in our house then stop talking about it. Now here is my question at what age do you think kids should really learn the truth? I was thinking 10 then we would just continue the part of helping out someone in need.

[amazzonia]

Depends on the kid I guess, but I think that if the parent should have a nice talk and tell their kids not to spoil the news with other kids

[Janet]

 I remember growing up. I was about 8. I told this much older kid there was no Easter bunny and he cried and went running to his mom. She told him I wasn't telling the truth. I thought to myself at the time he was too old to believe in the Easter bunny.

[miss_AP]

We did Santa all the way through, even once we knew, my parents still did Santa presents. My nephew is almost 12...and he either really believes or is REALLY good at pretending for his little cousins/brothers...because I've never gotten any indication that he doesn't believe anymore. I love it. They have their whole lives to by doubty-mu-stoffers. :)

[jessi2girls]

actually around 7 is about normal for some kids to stop believing..

But it's completely up to you and your family how you want to deal with it..

You can also back up some of these legands with fact.. make it educational..

[KeimUNCmomof3]

I was told Santa wasn't real in the 5th grade at school, I still didn't believe my classmates.  My dad finally told me on my 12th Christmas, he was mad at me for some reason and out of anger, he yelled out, "Santa isn't real" he said more but I can't remember.  Probably like it is stupid that I thought Santa was real this long.  Yeah, my dad ruined my 12th Christmas, but oh-well, what are you going to do.    

I do not know when I will tell my kids that Santa isn't real.  Part of me, didn't even want to start that lying tradition and wanted to tell the kids Santa is made up from the beginning...because of how I found out it was all a lie.  But, my kids are young and my husband and I had already decided to make Santa a big thing on Christmas to keep that "tradition" of fun youth going.  I don't know at what age they should find out.  

[STVUstudent]

This may not be a particularly popular position, but I never did want my kids to believe in the tooth fairy or Santa (or the Easter Bunny or any of that stuff).  They picked up the whole Santa thing from school, and now that they are getting ready to lose teeth, the Tooth Fairy has become an issue.  Last week, my daughter was in hysterics because her brother opened and started to eat the candy she was leaving under her pillow for the "Candy Fairy."  Seems one of her classmates is visited by the "Candy Fairy" who exchanges Halloween Candy for toys.  GRRRRR.

My son is pretty analytical, and he will figure out probably the soonest that these beings are not real.  Santa and the tooth fairy get some parental support in this house, but we do not make it a huge deal.  I would think that 6, maybe 7 are the outside age range for this stuff.  Tooth fairy?  Maybe first tooth, that's it...

[STVUstudent]

Quoting delanna6two:

Mine know but we still have fun with it...

I agree... it can be fun without believing in some fat guy in a red suit taking the credit for the overtime hours.

[STVUstudent]

Quoting jett286:

We were always careful about Santa Claus...My husband didn't want to take away from the celebration of Jesus' birth and I wanted to enjoy the traditions of my childhood...So we compromised and always talked about St. Nikolous..bringing the stuff in the stockings... We didn't want to give credit for the best gifts to Santa Claus either.  When my son was 4 he started asking questions about is Santa real?  We just kept telling the story of St. Nikolous..then when he was 7 he asked about Santa again and I started in with the story...We were driving and I remember specifically where we were ....he said "No MOM!  IS THERE A FAT MAN IN A RED SUIT THAT COMES DOWN OUR CHIMMNEY AND LEAVES PRESENTS?"  Couldn't get out of that one.  So we had to talk about the 'magic' of Christmas and traditions and what his friends might believe...etc.  My MIL was destroyed, thought I had ruined my son's childhood.  Well he was NOT satisfied with my explanation.  This happened a lot when he was little.  I think he should be a lawyer....He's 18 now..

I expect this will be my son as well.  He is 5, and we just moved into our first house with a fireplace...

[Pammi86]

Thats the thing! Even the school I work at has these issues! And its k-2nd graders! You always have the kid that ruins it for everyone bc they either know the truth or they have never been taught to believe! I will tell my kid they do not matter and I guess when it really comes down to it she will stop believing when she wants to!

[ambermario4ever]

Yes. We still do gifts for Christmas they are just all from mommy and daddy. We also decorate as a family and do lots of crafts and baking together. For Easter we still do baskets they are just from mommy and daddy and we do dye eggs and do an egg hunt.

Quoting NoraDun:

 WOW really?? Do your kids do anything fun for those holidays??

Quoting ambermario4ever:

We have never and will never do Santa in our house. And they haven't lost any teeth yet but we won't be doing the tooth fairy either. We also don't do the Easter bunny.