Santa

[malby]

So my eldest is 11 and i'm pretty sure she doesn't believe anymore but she hasn't said anything and I've no idea how too approach it with her.

[IASocFan]

So my eldest is 11 and i'm pretty sure she doesn't believe anymore but she hasn't said anything and I've no idea how too approach it with her.


Most 11 year olds have it figured out. She's probably playing along for the benefit of the younger ones. I was the oldest of 4 and figured out when I was 6. As a parent of 4 and a sibling, I never brought it up to the younger ones, but let them bring it up. When they start questioning and want answers, I knew it wasn't something worth lying about.

[DoctorD]

dammit! Put an (R) in the thread title for god's sake. You mean there's no Santa! ;)

EDIT: my oldest son, big and athletic, asked my wife when he was in fourth grade. "Mom, is Santa real? Just tell me the truth." "Son", she said, "there is no Santa. Dad and I wrap all the presents."

He burst into tears.

My wife said "you told me to tell you the truth". "I know" he replied, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

[IASocFan]

dammit! Put an (R) in the thread title for god's sake. You mean there's no Santa! ;)


too bad I'm out of REP!

[Ian Lozada]

too bad I'm out of REP!

I'm not.

[malby]

dammit! Put an (R) in the thread title for god's sake. You mean there's no Santa! ;)

EDIT: my oldest son, big and athletic, asked my wife when he was in fourth grade. "Mom, is Santa real? Just tell me the truth." "Son", she said, "there is no Santa. Dad and I wrap all the presents."

He burst into tears.

My wife said "you told me to tell you the truth". "I know" he replied, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

LOL!! Sorry bout that!!

Fourth grade is how old??

[voyager]

LOL!! Sorry bout that!!

Fourth grade is how old??

Hmmmm, lessee. My oldest is 8 and in second grade. So I guess around 10 would be 4th grade.

[royalstilton]

My wife said "you told me to tell you the truth". "I know" he replied, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
i like this kid! he probably won't need therapy when he grows up. i hope he got a hug from his mom and some validation of his grief.

losses are losses, no matter what shape and size.

[malby]

Apparently she still believes :rolleyes:

[Dills]

Apparently she still believes :rolleyes:
as do i, even though i know he's not real. ;)

[Nacional Tijuana]

OK, I'm not sure how to explain this, but here goes: I was pointedly NOT brought up with belief in Santa. I have no clue why my parents did this. I'm glad for my sake, but I also do think I'd do the Santa game with my kid, just because it's the typical way to parent. Yup, folks: "Just because".

So, yes...I was brought up to eschew the normal kid belief in Santa with all my might. Meanwhile, Buffum's had my father as a Santa.

[Iceblink]

Apparently she still believes :rolleyes:

Good for her! How'd you find out? I hope she believes forever. I wish I still believed.

[Felixx219]

I figured it out when I was six. Nothing sparked my finding out other than just giving it thought and coming to the conclusion that it wasnt possible. So, I just asked my mom and she told me the truth.

I am going to try to keep the truth from my kids as long as possible but my six year old is really smart and I am kind of surprised she has questioned it yet.

[Ian Lozada]

We have never told Caroline that any of her gifts were from Santa. She likes the stories, but we've never tried to differentiate Santa from say, Curious George or Clifford.

[Crimson Ace]

I'm a 35 year old man with a wife and a mortgage. Every year on Christmas morning, there are still several presents under the tree for me and my grown siblings that read, From: Santa

I think my mother kicks ass. ;)



BTW, my mother has no grandchildren!

[fatbastard]

One year my daughter came out and said that she knew there was no Santa and that it was all just parents - and that since she knew that, she wanted to stay up and help us put out all the Santa stuff for the younger kids (her step-siblings). I think she was 10 (that was a long time ago). She hated it and said that grown-up xmas was boring and a lot of work, and she wished she had never said anything. The next two years, she "believed" with the other 2 kids :D


edit: If I buy a gift for "the house" or both me and my girlfriend, I will put it under the tree "to both - from Santa" - heck sometimes I put an extra gift just to my GF under the tree from Santa :) It's fun and it makes her smile.

[IASocFan]

I always put from Santa on my gifts to my wife and the kids (20s and 30s).

Growing up as the oldest of 4, I never admitted not believing in Santa - except to my siblings when they were old enough to seriously question his existence. I always played along for the younger ones and got up early to see what he brought me - even when I was home from college!

When my youngest was 1 or 2, his older brother's friend dressed up as Santa and came in the back door with a bag of toys. The poor kid was absolutely frightened and cried clinging to me, so Santa had to disappear. A little later, Randy came around to the front door and joined us for some egg nog, and all was well!

[billreeves]

I'm a 35 year old man with a wife and a mortgage. Every year on Christmas morning, there are still several presents under the tree for me and my grown siblings that read, From: Santa

I think my mother kicks ass. ;)

Change 35 to 38 and this post is true for me.

My two year old (technically, 2 yrs 9 months, so closer to 3 than 2) knows who Santa is, but does not yet associate Santa with presents under the three. He got a few presents yesterday (since we are traveling for the holiday itself), but he was more interested at ripping off the wrapping than looking at the card to see who the present is from.

[royalstilton]

My wife's older son told the younger -- they're two years apart -- when they were 8 and 6, that Santa was Mom and Dad. The younger one has never gotten over it. He's coming for dinner in a couple of hours.

He's 34.