What age do you think is appropriate to tell a kid about Santa?

[Tonya]

What age do you think is appropriate to tell a kid about Santa? How old were you?

[Kfamr]

I don't remember how old I was so it was probably years and years ago.

Personally, i've always STILL liked "Santa" no matter if he's real or not, it's fun to pretend. But, I don't believe when/if I have children i'll tell them that Santa is "real", but something that's fun to play pretend.

[slleipnir]

I was told before I started grade one. I didn't really care, so I was told. My mom said she wanted me to know so kids wouldn't say stuff in school about it. I guess my brother was really upset when he found out about it

[Laura's Babies]

I selected 12 or older but that is because by then, they have it figured out anyway. My kids had it figured out on their own but I forget what age they were. When one knows, they tell the rest so it happens at all ages. It is the "fun" of it all that is important and as long as it can be drug out, the better... In my opinion...

[christa]

I know you all will think this is lame, but I NEVER believed in Santa! My parents just never told me either way, whether he was real or not. I knew my presents came from my parents & that is that.

I don't feel as though I missed out on anything. I LOVE Christmas still . . . it's my absolute favorite holiday! I love the whole spirit of the season, the music, the way it brings families together . . . and I love giving!

The only damage that this did to me . . . well, I'm 23 years old right now and to this day, I am scared of the mall Santas!!! I guess I always knew that they were just strange men dressed up in a costume . . . so I never ever wanted to sit on their laps. I still find myself taking the long way through the mall just to avoid passing them . . . just in case he tries to hug me or something.

Same thing with the Easter Bunny. Last Easter, I was walking through the mall and the Easter Bunny was walking around hugging little kids . . . I actually started panicking & thinking about an escape plan! Then I realized what I was doing and cracked up! I called my mom right away & told her!

If your kid does "believe", I think it's all up to their personality when you should tell him/her. Kids are all different . . . but once they get into school, SOMEONE is gonna break it to them . . . so I'd definitely do it before then!

[Samantha Puppy]

I was in 5th grade when I asked my parents if he was real or not. We were at dinner and I said, "I have a very important question to ask and you have to be honest. I need to know if Santa is real so I know if have to stay up late and spend my own money getting my kids toys or if I can take it easy and sleep all night."

After my parents laughter died down, they told me that he wasn't really a real person but that it was the spirit of Santa Claus that was important that is what should always be remembered and passed through the generations.

I plan on allowing my kids as many years of magical Christmases as possible.

[Amber]

I was about 6 when my brother told me he wasn't real. I really didn't care either way, lol as long as presents still came.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I was never told. I figured it out when I was about 10 or so by myself.

[Cincy'sMom]

I don't know at what age I figured it out. Proabally fairly young, cause I liked to snoop!

We were disussing Santa at work on Friday. My one friend and his wife just had a their first baby in early November. He does not want to ever tell her Santa is real. We were all telling him he couldn't do that...it would ruin it for all his daughter's friends too.

Another person said there parents told them from the beginning Santa wasn't real...they didn't believe their parents until they were ready and other kids were starting to figure it out.

One other friend said he and his wife are taking a little different approach this year...they are giving their kids (11, 7, and 2) one present from Santa. All the rest will be from "mommy and daddy". He feels they work too hard to let some "fat guy in a red suit" take all the credit. Knowing he works with us full time, is taking a full load of college classes ( in engineering), coach's his son's wrestling team,and baby #4 is on the way...I sure can't agrue with his feelings!! Even without all that, I think parents deserve more credit then they deserve...at Christmas time and all year!!

[popcornbird]

This thread made me laugh...because it brought back certain memories from 2nd grade. While I'm not Christian and never celebrated Christmas, I still grew up in the US, and during holiday season, 'Santa' was all around me...in the malls, stores, school, neighborhood,...EVERYWHERE.

I remember back when I was in 2nd grade, our teacher gave us a piece of paper and an envelope. We were supposed to write our own personal letters to 'Santa', and she told us Santa would reply to our letters when he got time. Now I had never believed Santa was real, and here I was being told to write 'Santa' a letter. I knew in my heart that the letter was going to no Santa...and that whoever would respond was not Santa at all, sooooooo..........I ended up writing a letter to Santa, saying I didn't believe he existed, and that the kids all get Christmas presents from their parents...not him. I don't know why I wrote that, but being a kid, I thought it would be funny to write something 'different'. After all, the teacher DID tell us to write whatever we wanted to...just that it had to be a secret from the other students. Basically, I told 'Santa' that he was a 'myth' and that I knew he wasn't coming to give me any presents cause he never did!!! I mean...my family never celebrated Christmas, so I never got presents on that day. When I saw stuff about Santa bringing presents to all children, and he never had presents for me, I knew he really didn't exist. I wrote the letter in the most polite way, put it in the envelope, and handed it to my teacher.

1 week later, I got a reply. I was young....just 7, but I still remember his words. He said, "Not all children believe in Santa, and they just might be right, but it is a joy to believe in Santa and get all those goodies on Christmas day, thinking it is all true. I hope you will learn to enjoy Santa while you are still a child. Remember, Santa loves you!"

LOL! I *bet* it was my teacher who wrote that response. I couldn't stop laughing. It was hilarious.

Anyway, with all that being said, while Santa might be 'fun'...I don't think children should ever be lied to. I personally believe they should be told the truth from the beginning. They are going to know eventually, and then they will think, "Why were our parents lying to us?" Maybe it should be introduced to children as a 'fun' tradition, and not something that's reality (which it is not) instead?

[catnapper]

I was in second grade... and I figured it out on my own. Santa used a blue pen on his name tags that looked an awful lot like the blue pen my mom used! Even back then I was highly aware of colors and the different line qualities you'd get from different pens I asked my mom, and she had to fess up based on the "evidence" - but she told me not to tell my brother... who figured it out on his own about the same time because he lost a tooth, and caught mom leaving money under his pillow. He reasoned that if the tooth fairy was fake, then so was Santa. No pulling the wool over our eyes!

[chocolatepuppy]

What? Santa isn't real?

[lynnestankard]

Originally posted by chocolatepuppy
What? Santa isn't real?

Of course he is!!!!

Lynne

[Karen]

Of course Santa is real. He's as real as kindness, and real as the joy of making someone happy, and as beautiful as the wonder in a child's eyes when he sees the Christmas lights and hears bells that reindeer might have on their harnesses ...

I don't remember how old I was, but I suspected pretty early, and played along so my younger brother could "believe" a bit longer. My parents never told me either way, my older siblings told me about Santa!

[LKPike]

eh, personally I don't want to work extra hours just so some fat jolly man can get all the credit for those gifts! But I love the excitement and joy my neice and younger cousins get on Christmas day, they still believe in him From my understanding it was a REAL man a long long time ago, as long as his spirit and kindness still lives on, then he still exists