When did you stop believing in Santa?

TriciaChick

Just curious;)  My neice is 11 and still believes (even does the whole elf on the shelf thing..)...  I guess I am surprised no one at school has ruined it for her.  I feel like I was maybe 9 or 10?  I am just hoping my boys believe for as long as possible!  It makes Christmas so much more exciting/magical. 

kimmarie1105

11 is surprising as most 11 year old girls already shave their legs and wear makeup. I was about 8 or 9. I got a Barbies Dream House from Santa. After opening it I overheard my mother tell my grandmother she got it on sale at Modells. 

JSS1002

I dont' really remember - I think first grade?  But I WANTED so badly to believe that even after I found out about santa, I still kinda believed in the tooth fairy and the easter bunny. :-)

When I asked about Santa, my dad was so cute, I still remember - he sat me down in his lap and said that Santa didn't really exist the way we think of him, but it was something grown-ups talked about to explain the spirit of Christmas, and how at this time of year we should all love each other and be grateful and give gifts to people less fortunate than us.

~sob~

brevans02

I don't really remember - but I was the oldest of four, so I also knew that if I didn't "believe" Santa wouldn't come for me. I would say i was probably between 10-12, because I remember at least once three of us kids getting "matching" Santa gifts - and that would make me about that age.  

We still got Santa gifts up until the grandkids started showing up - and even then got a little something. I think this was the first year that none of the adults got Santa gifts.

Mommymorticia

I wasn't allowed to believe in Santa. Raised in a very strict Jehovah's Witness church so absolutely no holidays. I was told that my friend's parents lied to them about a man bringing them presents and watched my friend's sit on his lap at the mall. It was very confusing to me, I just felt like I was being left out or punished for some reason. I got in trouble a few times for spilling the beans when I was 4. My new older step brother was raised to believe and I called him a baby. Aaahhh the holidays. I am planning on doing the Santa thing with my kids though, should be fun.

JSS1002

Mommymorticia:

I wasn't allowed to believe in Santa. Raised in a very strict Jehovah's Witness church so absolutely no holidays. I was told that my friend's parents lied to them about a man bringing them presents and watched my friend's sit on his lap at the mall. It was very confusing to me, I just felt like I was being left out or punished for some reason. I got in trouble a few times for spilling the beans when I was 4. My new older step brother was raised to believe and I called him a baby. Aaahhh the holidays. I am planning on doing the Santa thing with my kids though, should be fun.

that had to be hard since your friends were all doing it, but honestly, as an adult I think it is pretty weird that we invented this santa dude and although we teach our chidlren not to talk to strangers or take candy from them, we encourage them to go sit on this big dude's lap and tell him what they want and take candy... seems a little confusing for a child. Haha.

that said, I'll probably be perpetuating the myth. :-)

emeraudecephiro

What? Santa isn't real? Pfffft, craziness.

Mommymorticia

JSS1002:

Mommymorticia:

I wasn't allowed to believe in Santa. Raised in a very strict Jehovah's Witness church so absolutely no holidays. I was told that my friend's parents lied to them about a man bringing them presents and watched my friend's sit on his lap at the mall. It was very confusing to me, I just felt like I was being left out or punished for some reason. I got in trouble a few times for spilling the beans when I was 4. My new older step brother was raised to believe and I called him a baby. Aaahhh the holidays. I am planning on doing the Santa thing with my kids though, should be fun.

that had to be hard since your friends were all doing it, but honestly, as an adult I think it is pretty weird that we invented this santa dude and although we teach our chidlren not to talk to strangers or take candy from them, we encourage them to go sit on this big dude's lap and tell him what they want and take candy... seems a little confusing for a child. Haha.

that said, I'll probably be perpetuating the myth. :-)

LOL I completely agree, it IS really weird. This big fat guy is breaking into houses to bring stuff to little children. But I just can't resist. My bf says he actually even believed in the tooth fairy and the easter bunny as well and I think that is even more odd. I have no desire to uphold those traditions. Well an egg hunt I suppose is fun but I never thought kids actually believed in the easter bunny....?

FrecklesInside

I see a lot of people say their children still believe at fairly old ages and I insist that they probably don't. I remember pretending I still believed for quite some time after I actually stopped believing. I think a lot of kids do this. They might seem 100% to believe to adults, but they probably don't. 

heddy79

My 2nd grade art teacher announced to the class that there was no Santa.

OhSewCrafty

I was 10. I was the oldest of 4 kids (my youngest brother was born that year) and my Mom finally broke it to me so I could help get Christmas stuff ready for the other three with her. I have absolutely no idea how I made it that long! lol

sherina825

heddy79:

My 2nd grade art teacher announced to the class that there was no Santa.

She's an effing B!  I mean if you choose not to teach your child that then I have no problem with it but to have a teacher steal that from an entire class of kids not knowing what their situations were or how they would react is unbelievable.  I have students who believe with all of their hearts that Santa exists and I would NEVER tell them that he doesn't.  I would say that I believed until I was in maybe 1st grade. 

Poochie22

My step son is 8 years old and everyone kept coming up and asking us if he still believed in Santa. I said yes he still does but who knows how much longer he will with all the kids at school and everything. We will see for next year what he thinks. As for me, I still get stuff from Santa

old_time_girl

I don't really remember when I stopped believing and started pretending. I think I was worried I would get fewer gifts if I stopped. Haha.
I do remember my mom cried when I told her it was ok not to get me gifts from Santa anymore, cause i knew the truth.

AMJ6511

I'm glad she still believes!!!! It got ruined for me when I was 9. The neighbor boy told me and I had to play along like I knew to avoid being made fun of.

NicoleSB80

heddy79:

My 2nd grade art teacher announced to the class that there was no Santa.

Freaky, do I know you? EXACT same
thing happened to me. My mom, along with several others, were livid.

JuneBugsMommy

I don't remember exactly what age I was but I was pretty young, 6? 7? I have three older brothers who told me, but I pretended I believed till I was probably 10.. I didn't want to ruin it for my presents lol.

WorkinWeezel

I still do!!

But really,I refused to give Santa up for a very, very long time.  I was so sad and distraught with it that I just kept believing, despite what my friends said. Maybe that's where she is coming from, KWIM?

allonsyalonso

I think I was 7 or 8... definitely second grade. My parents were seperating at the time so I think I didn't believe in much because of it, sadly. I played along for awhile because I have two younger brothers and I didn't want to ruin it for them.

I remember a girl in my 5th grade class still believed. We were having a discussion about myths or something and Santa came up and she cried when someone said Santa wasn't real. I still feel bad for her because I think a kid should be able to hold on to that for as long as they can.

My kids will know about Santa. We look forward to being that for them.

Raven01

What is the elf on the shelf mean? I've never heard of that. Oh and I think I was about 6 or 7 when I asked my Mum about Santa. She tried to bluff, but I remember being very insistent and asking her not to lie to me lol.

arteri

I was young, 6 or 7 - my sister and her friend decided to ruin it for me.  Funny, we still have that type of relationship except on a much more serious scale and now I don't speak to her...sorry to get side-tracked - it sucked finding that out so darn young!