When did you find out Santa isn't real?

victoria+james

The other thread got me thinking... how many years of *magic* are we likely to get with LO...

When did you find out? Were you devistated? Let's hear it!

victoria+james

I originally was told when I was 6 or so and my parents played it off that my friend was crazy.

Me: Kelly said Santa isn't real

Mom: Then who puts the presents under the tree?

Me: Daddy

Mom: Your father is Santa!?

Me: No! Kelly's dad does it for her.

Mom: Your friends father is Santa!?

I gave up on the fight and a few days later on Christmas I woke up to new switch plates in my room (clearly my dad could neeevvver have done that) and I ran down the hall yelling for my sister to wake up because Santa was REAL!

At some point I knew he wasn't but could never catch my parents and we never talked about it so I always had a glimmer of hope in the back of my mind.

I was 12 years old when my science teacher asked one day when we all found out Santa wasn't real. I played along, but it was the first time I'd ever heard a grown up say it and I was so bummed!

ashie0610

I was older too, I think probably around 10. We didn't have much money growing up, but my mom always made a big deal with lots of presents she had saved all year for and she was always so so careful. Logically, I didn't believe my parents could be Santa since there was no way they'd buy all that stuff for us.

A friend's older sister tried telling me Santa wasn't real when I was younger and I argued with her about it and told her she wouldn't be getting presents if she didn't believe.

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DreadGamerWife

I can't remember but probably around the time my parents seperated and I started having two Christmases - with presents from Santa at both.

windwithfingers

I was 10. It was a "hey, mom and santa have the same handwriting" situation. I cried but I don't think it had any lasting effect on me. I look forward to playing santa with DS.

AppleGrapeMSTK

When I was 8 I found a bike in the back of my mom's suburban and then got it for Christmas. I convinced myself that Santa needed my mom's help. When I was 12, my brother leaned over in church and just said, "Santa's not real," and I burst into tears. He got in troooouble!

DD is nearly 11 and I think she is doubting, but I'm not going to say anything because she has two little brothers who haven't even enjoyed Santa yet.

Wino411

windwithfingers said:

I was 10. It was a "hey, mom and santa have the same handwriting" situation. I cried but I don't think it had any lasting effect on me. I look forward to playing santa with DS.

That's how my DH figured it out. Santa and his dad both wrote in all caps lol.

Unfortunately I never got the chance to believe in Santa. My dad didn't want some fat white guy getting all the credit. I was on the fence about the whole Santa thing with my lo figuring what's the point, he'll be more disappointed when he finds out the truth than I probably ever was not believing but my mom was all "No! You have to give him some magic" to which I seriously gave her the side eye since she wasn't all that concerned about my magic lol. She's also on my case about the next lo because it's not fair to make Nolan an only child... I am an only child! :-q

victoria+james

FamousEa said:

There was a neighborhood girl that ruined it for me, I told my mom what she said and my mom said "if you don't believe you don't receive" I told her I still believed but I think I knew. Now that I'm a mom the magic that I felt as a kid has come back, sneaking around to put presents out, that feeling in the morning waiing for my kids to see their gifts. I was devastated when my oldest found out.

You could always make them a part of it! Every Christmas (except this one, but hopefully next year will be back to normal) everyone sleeps at our house and since we all know "the truth" we go to bed on Christmas Eve talking about how Santa will come visit. Then we are all trying to sneak into the living room to put out our Santa gifts without getting caught by each other. One year I hid in a cabinet because someone else started coming downstairs and getting caught is not an option.

I guess the only change now with M is that we'll all have to start using the same "Santa paper" and maybe a stamp so Santa's hand writing doesn't vary.

Klavanga74

My sweet DS is 10 and he still believes.  He wrote the cutest letter for Santa this year.  I always photocopy them before the kids send them so they can remember them later.  So cute.  I hate for his bubble to be burst someday.

KelliRR

I started to doubt at about 8, but that year, my parents both got gifts from Santa. Then I was sure he must be real because my parents wouldn't buy gifts for themselves. Like others, we didn't have a lot of money growing up, and a lot of our biggest gifts came from Santa, so I was sure they couldn't be from my parents. I was the oldest, And my youngest brother told us he wasn't real when he was probably five and I was 10, and I promptly informed him if you stop believing in Santa none of us were getting gifts. We all still get gifts from Santa!
My parents never wrapped gifts from Santa, thus avoiding the Santa paper and Santa's handwriting dilemma. They would put our stocking with our names on it next to our pile of gifts from Santa in the middle of the living room floor on Christmas morning. And of course the contents of the stocking were from Santa too.

TheFutureMrs.O

A school friend ruined it for me in 5th grade so I was probably around 10. I remember asking my mom but I don't remember what she said. I am the oldest and didn't ruin it for my younger siblings.

I am super excited for the next few years of Christmas. Both LO's are still too young this year but maybe next year DS will understand little more. He'll be 2.5.

MuffinMom14

I was embarrassingly old. Like, I knew...but I didn't want to know. I finally asked my nana. I was in 5th or 6th grade I think. Christmas was ruined.

victoria+james

SPurp13 said:

I was embarrassingly old. Like, I knew...but I didn't want to know. I finally asked my nana. I was in 5th or 6th grade I think. Christmas was ruined.

I was in 7th - you're just fine