Santa Claus????

[nun69]

so how old were your kids or even you when you learned that Santa was really mom and dad? My middle son {will be 10 in Feb} is pretty close to not believing, but I am not really sure how to tell him or keep it going.He said something last year and we just kinda blew him off, but I am not sure about this year...I was like 12, I think, when I figured it out {my mom had written my name and my brother's name on some games to tell them apart!~}....

if I tell him this year, it will be easier for him to understand why his little brother and sister {3 and 4} have more things wrapped under the tree then him and his big sister{17}...this is because he usually gets a couple of games that cost like $50 each {and in reality the little kids gifts are just alot cheaper], plus some other things, but it is hard to make sure they all have the same amount of gifts {he is the one that ususally counts them all }.......

so do I tell him or let him keep believing? for me it would be easier to tell him, but I also want him to keep believing

[Paula]

He probably already knows. I would just tell him.

[eranslow]

I wouldn't say anything until he says something to you. Or casually mention - once you stop believing in Santa Claus, he'll stop bringing you gifts. That's basically what happened at my house growing up. I kept on believing (or pretending to believe) long after I figured out it was my parents because I still wanted to get gifts lol! (I have younger siblings - my youngest brother is 12 yrs younger then me). Good luck!

[junebug]

my oldest is almost 8 and she still believes. but when i say that she may not get a lot this year she says "thats okay, Santa will get me what i want". problem is money is tight lol. i dont want to break her heart too early about Santa and i dont want her telling her younger brother and sister yet.

then my MIL says to me "well, christmas isnt' about presents its about jesus' birthday" yes i know. but we are not church goers and my kids really don't know about all that. i didnt grow up going regularly when i was kid other than vacation bible school.

[rachaelsscraps]

What?! Santa isn't real!?!?!?!

[rachaelsscraps]

I have a 5 year old and a baby so mine still believe... but me I was like 8 or 9. I got a Spirograph set from Santa that had a KBToys price tag on it so I figured it out! lol

[nun69]

Originally Posted by junebug

when my MIL says to me "well, christmas isnt' about presents its about jesus' birthday" yes i know. but we are not church goers and my kids really don't know about all that. i didnt grow up going regularly when i was kid other than vacation bible school.

totally the same thing here..

problem is if I don't tell him then he will expect the same amount of gifts as his little brother and sister.if I do tell him , then I think he will be more understanding and actually enjoy xmas instead of worrying about what Abby & Peyton got..when my oldest figured it out, she actaully enjoyed xmas more and was all about making sure her littler siblings still believed

[4noisyboys]

I think that's a tough one Angie. I don't think any of my boys ever believed past a young age. My youngest figured it out like at 3! Seriously...he was no fun.

I'd come up with something creative to tell him, but I wouldn't totally let him in on the secret! Let him figure it out on his own.

[melmos75]

I am sort of in the same predicament. My oldest is 12 and still believes but he is starting to question it. He actually said to me this year that he isn't going to tell me or DH what he wants, only Santa and see what happens. I just don't know whether I should play it out and let him actually figure it out on his own or tell him so as to not risk ruining for the younger ones.

[Julie Billingsley]

In our house Santa only brings 1 toy and the stocking goodies for each kid. Even in my tightest years (being a single mom, etc) my son never felt slighted by Santa. Santa only has room in his sleigh for one toy per child.

My oldest was about 11 before he knew. He had suspected for years. Kids had told him at school. He talked about hiding cameras to take pictures of Santa, setting traps, etc in an effort to see if he was real. So one year he was about 11 and asked about Santa and I told him the truth. He seriously almost got sick. He was just heartbroken. So even though he had suspected for years, he really wasn't read to know. And at almost 19 years old now, he is still a little bitter in a joking way. He says I shouldn't have said anything.

So for my youngest, who is 7, I won't ever say anything. I've already blown it by accidentally telling him that leprechauns aren't real. So he is also suspicious about Santa now. But I'm not telling him!

[ColleenSwerb]

My parents never told me.
To avoid us figuring it out, there were never gift tags on the presents (which is how my mom figured it out when she was a kid). My mom wraps our stocking presents, and that wrapping paper matches the pile of gifts under the tree.
To this DAY (I'm going to be 28, lol) we each unwrap the exact same number of gifts. This means that as I got older and had few gifts, because they were more expensive, my siblings would have larger boxes with multiple presents inside of them. My mom never wanted us to feel slighted, so we each had to open the exact same number of gifts, lol.

Please don't tell him. Even if he already knows, telling him just kind of ruins the whole thing, IMO.

[kscwgirl]

Abby is SUPER smart and I almost lost her on it last year. I went to great lengths last year to make it real for her. So far I'm still pulling it off but we'll see.

Santa here though, only does stockings and 1 gift per child. Everything else is from mom and dad.

Also.. to this day my mom will NOT tell me who writes the Santa tags. It's someone at my dad's work.. but I don't know who.

[nun69]

Col I LOVE the idea of warpping more presents in a bigger box for the littler kids...that is an AWESOME idea...I just think that might be the way to go!!!! the little kids are getting a big Little Tikes kitchen, so in Ben's eyes that will LOOK like a big gift, so I want to make sure he really gets something extra special that he wants!

so if anybody has any ideas for a 9 y/o boy who really doesn't have a XMAS wishlist {other than Little People, Big Planet 2}..I am TOTALLY open.one thing for sure he will get is 2 Peyton Manning posters framed for his room!

[tuneskids]

Cody and Jenna were both around 10 when they stopped believing. I have a rule though - if they ruin it for their brothers, they can expect a lump of coal instead of gifts in their stockings, while their brothers would get more things. And living here ... coal is super easy to come by. lol

In our house, each child has the same amount of gifts. They may not cost the same, but they always have the same amount of gifts to open. One from the siblings to each child, two from Mom & Dad, and the Santa gifts always total up to the same amount. Jenna & Cody will get more clothing items than Xander & Quinten, but their clothes are also brand name ones, and they don't get toys like the boys do.

Oh, and Santa gifts that get wrapped ... I have Des write their names on the labels, and I actually found ones that say from Santa on them, so he only has to write the recipient's name. And I always buy a new roll of "Santa" wrapping paper that is for the current year's Santa gifts.

[nun69]

I do have the tradition of wrapping thier gifts each in their own paper that way they know who's is whos and we don't have to write on them! Last year I had my DD {17} write on them and non of the kids recognize her handwriting! maybe I will take some labels home at Thanksgiving and have my SIL and BIL write on them..will totally throw them off~~~

[jaylensmom]

My little guy is only 5 and he hasn't a clue...I didn't find out until I was in middle school...someone told me when I was in elementary but my parents gave me some explanation and it worked...by the time someone said "oh you know your parents are really Santa Claus" when I was in middle school I just agreed and went directly home to ask my parents and they finally came clean...I say don't tell him until you absolutely have to...

[SmallMoments]

Luke figured it out... I don't know HOW... when he was almost five. Two years ago. I was so sad. He's so good at figuring things out, I really do think he just figured it out on his own.

[lauren grier]

I am no help as I nor ce ever believed in santa..
but honestly.. I bet he knows. There are other little children out there who are meanies like ce and like to tell his classmates (I waited till 3rd grade to break the news to all my friends. He did it in kindy their parents love me i am sure.)

[jessica31876]

I had teenage brothers and sisters so I was pretty young. 5 or 6 maybe. I think he will be fine

[MamaBee]

Hmm... that is a hard one... when I was young, my dad was against the whole Santa thing because of the lying and the religion aspect, we couldn't even have Santa decorations... so he never pushed it. (except I do have photos of when I was like 2 or 3 and he dressed up like Santa ). When I got older, my mom tried to keep Santa alive... she would always be the last person out of the house before we left for Christmas Eve Church (we always opened gifts Christmas Eve). It was in Kindergarden that I learned who Santa was... but it was kind of a mute point... and being an only child, my folks didn't have to worry that I would spill the beans to anyone.

I'm at a crossroad with J... he is 3 and last year he went to see Santa... we haven't really talked much about Santa... I don't think kiddo cares.

[nesser1981]

I think I was like 7, but some kids told me.

My mom always explained to us as we got older that she had to give Santa money to pay his elves to make the toys, that's why we couldn't get super big expensive gifts.

Made sense to me. Keira and Cooper are still too little, although I do have to be careful around Keira because she never forgets a thing. She keeps asking me about an activity table I saw months ago that we talked about getting them.

Don't tell him, I'm sure he knows, but let him figure it out.

[jessica31876]

oh and the way we do presents here which helps them not count is each child gets to open presents as like the center of attention. They sit on the couch and one of the kids gets to hand them the presents which is theirs (so they each get to be the center of attention and each get to hand out presents). When they are all done unwrapping then we all clean up and make sure nothing gets stuck in papers/boxes etc and throw it away then they get to open (to play with/use) one of their presents. The rest go on their bed because we have to go to alot of houses on christmas day and dont want pieces to get lost/throw away/go missing. They bring home all their presents from relatives and we go through and open stuff up one by one and put it together/put in batteries etc and then find a place to put everything and by that time it is usually bedtime. I also make sure to let the kids know that we spend pretty close to the same amount on them all sp they dont think anyone got more then another.

[jaylensmom]

so santa wraps gifts in your house? santa just leaves gifts around our tree...no wrapping. i was thinking about wrapping some this year but that means i would have to hide the wrapping paper (in someone else's house)...type out the name tag because my son is just too curious and he would definitely question me...

[melmos75]

Originally Posted by jaylensmom

so santa wraps gifts in your house? santa just leaves gifts around our tree...no wrapping. i was thinking about wrapping some this year but that means i would have to hide the wrapping paper (in someone else's house)...type out the name tag because my son is just too curious and he would definitely question me...

Santa gifts are always wrapped in different wrapping paper than gifts from us and I always try to find a wrapping paper that has Santa on them.

[MommaTrish]

I was like 6 when I learned there wasn't a Santa, but I grew up in a 5 room house and heard my parents bringing stuff out of the attic.

HOWEVER....
(and we will be following this too)
If my mom ever heard that any of us said we didn't believe in Santa (I'm 6 years older than my younger brother and 9 years older than my sister - add two for my older brother - so this rule was very necessary) we did not get the big gifts that Santa brings nor do we get a stocking. My little sister is 14 now and none of us are still allowed to say we don't believe.

[nesser1981]

Santa wraps presents, unless they're too big to be wrapped.

Everything is from Santa at our house on Christmas morning.

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by nun69

When my oldest figured it out, she actaully enjoyed xmas more and was all about making sure her littler siblings still believed

same for us! When the oldest 2 didn't believe anymore it made buying for them sooooo much easier and I think they enjoyed it more. My younger 3 still believe...I think they were maybe 10ish when they stopped..somebody at school told my dd

[AllieP]

In our house, the one big Santa present (per kid) is unwrapped and set up for them to start playing with immediately. The night before, our kids make little name signs and put them in a special spot around the room, and that's where Santa leaves their present.

I would just let him figure things out on his own time.

[KristinCB]

Lily was told this summer that all of it isn't real by her friend next door ( who is a year older than her but a couple years old ).. she stopped believing for a couple months but now is believing again. I'm not sure if she honestly believes or if she wants to believe. I'm just going with it and letting her enjoy it for as long as she wants to

[julifish]

Hannah (8) just told me last week that she knows that my hubby and I are Santa. Even though she is the youngest and I'm really sad, I'm also relieved. Actually, all 4 of us were hanging out after breakfast reading the paper and we were talking about what we might put on our wish lists this year and that's when she broke the news (lol). There was a whole conversation about if we were also the Easter Bunny and I said yes...she was sad about that. Then something amazing happened. Katie (11) piped up and said...but the Leprachaun is real, right mom? (wink, wink) And a huge smile came across Hannah's face and then Hannah asked and the Tooth Fairy? I said yep, she's real too. I just had to keep some magic there and I think it's really sweet that my older daughter really wanted her sister to believe in a little bit of magic. Last year Katie was the Leprachaun.

There was a very intesnse coversation then about keeping the Santa secret and why it's such a special secret that we don't share with ANYONE!!


Anyway, I wouldn't come out and tell him. Let him come to you.

We have always wrapped the Santa gifts in paper that has Santa on it. He always leaves his gifts on either side of the fireplace (all of Hannah's on the left and Katie on the right and one family gift in the center). Last year I actually found paper at Target that had Santas on it and it said From Santa right on the paper. I gave my left over paper to one of my co-workers to use this year and she gave me the paper she used last year. I use large manilla packing tags and sign Santa really big with red marker. I'm still going to do this just to keep the fun alive. My mom still makes a few of our gifts from Ho Ho or Santa and my sis and I are in 30's.

Good luck!

[breakingbrie]

Wow, I can't believe some stop believing as early as Kindie!! I hope no one tells my girls, they only just 'got' the whole santa deal last Christmas... It's fun, and magical, and I love my santa memories from when I was a kid. I knew before my parents admitted it, but it was late in elementary, maybe even 5th grade.

I wouldn't come out and say anything yet. I would wait and see what he does first, if he's going to believe this year, or come out and ask.

[lovely1m]

My mom would never, even as adults admit it to us. She wouldn't flat out tell us that he was real, just say, well, if you don't believe, you don't get anything from him. I like that approach and think I will follow it. She would explain though that with presents, sometimes you get less cause of how much they cost.

[nun69]

i love the idea of having them do up their own little nameplates to put on the floor for Santa to leave their gifts....totally gonna have to do this too!!!!

I just found out form a co worker who is Indianapolis, that she got him a Manning Jersey, Manning, T-shirt, Colts Hat, Manning poster and got me 6 yeards of Colts fabric to make stuff for his bed for xmas~~~ He will be TOTALLY surprised because he knows we haven't been able to find anything Colts related here in WA!

[KyRainbow]

My dd found out that Santa wasn't "real" when she was 8. Her Odyssey of the Mind team did a skit that used holiday icons as the characters (tooth fairy, santa, easter bunny, etc) and they had to research them, so that was that. But, I still encourage her to believe in the Magic of Christmas, and I've told her that as long as she holds that belief in her heart, that's what's important. As long as she holds that belief in her heart, then Christmas and the season will always be "magical." It's more about the feeling of the holiday, than whether Santa brings the gifts or they come from me. That being said though, Santa does still leave gifts and fill her stocking. It's part of the Magic, lol.

[Jengerbread88]

Jeffrey knows... he's 10. We still do the stocking thing.

For me, I don't remember when I stopped believing. It wasn't just a snap moment where someone told me and spoiled it for me, and there wasn't a real "moment" that things happened. So... Idk. It's like I eventually just... realized.

[ColleenSwerb]

I should also add that my mom is WAY into Christmas, and it's adorable. She calls herself the "Head Elf" and asks for wishlists to "send to Santa". Santa has always done all presents, and they are still not put under the tree until after we all "go to bed" on Christmas Eve (when my brother and I come home from midnight mass, we're not supposed to look into the living room, lol). The stockings are laid outside our door, also after we go to bed. When we were little we had to bring our stockings into my parents room to open first, while my parents were still in bed and my mom got the coffee going for my Dad, lol.

My mom still refers to Santa, and up until I was like 25 we read the Polar Express every Christmas Eve before bed.

[gypsystar]

I would let him figure it out on his own if possible.

I did when I was 10 and I'm honestly not sure why. I remember the moment very clearly though. I was walking back into my 4th grade classroom after lunch and I walked by the Christmas tree our classroom had set up. It had all kinds of crafty Christmas ornaments on it. One of them was made out of construction paper and yarn, it was like a Christmas tree with a spot for a photo in the center, the photo was a kid (who I didn't recognize) sitting in Santa's lap and I just remember thinking, he's not real. I don't know why but in that moment I just knew.

I am loving having kids and reliving the magic of Santa and Christmas. They have made me love Christmas again. It's such a special time! So far we have always had all our presents come from Santa, I'm not sure how much longer we'll do it this way. Nearly everything gets wrapped unless it's too large or too impossible to wrap (or if waiting for assembly would be too torturous for the kids LOL)

[nun69]

We don't put presents or fill stockings until the kids go to bed!! Getting up XMAS mornign and seeing my stocking FULL to the rim has ALWAYS been one of my FAVORITE things about XMAS!

[newfiemountiewife]

My son is 10, and he is extremely smart. But he still believes in Santa, the tooth fairy...everything.

I don't want to ruin it for him, so I continue to go through great lengths to make it happen for them. I buy different paper and tags for their Santa gifts, and I use a different color pen and disguise my writing on them.

I don't put out any presents or stuff any stockings until I'm positive the little mobsters are all asleep, even the gifts from us.

I didn't stop believing until I was 9-10. I remember there being a year or two in there where I sorta thought it had to be impossible, but I wanted to keep believing so I would keep getting presents LOL. But my mom gave it away with the gift wrap and tags, which is why I work so hard to keep it seperate. Tony and I discuss what will be from whom, to make sure I wrap it properly LOL

[kscwgirl]

Originally Posted by julifish

There was a very intesnse coversation then about keeping the Santa secret and why it's such a special secret that we don't share with ANYONE!!

This is precisely why I dont' like sending Abby to daycare the week before Christmas. There are 3 sisters at her daycare that told her last year Santa wasn't real b/c their parents told the 2 year old that she was bad and she killed Santa so she wasn't getting a present that year. So now they all ruin it for all the other kids. Annoys me to no end. Also I want to smack her parents. not sure who does that to a little baby. Sigh.

[pewtertm]

LOL that's a touchy issue in our house. DH is all for Santa...personally, I don't see the point. For me, the 'magic' of Christmas is about the birth of Christ, and while I don't mind Santa, I don't see that aspect of the holiday as being anything important. I'll read Santa, Are You for Real? to Rachel...it talks about Saint Nicholas (the real person).
She just turned 5 and still believes, although we really do not do much other than see him at the mall.
I myself found out when I was 3...he terrified me at the mall...I would scream and throw fits...I guess that bushy old beard freaked me out at that point...so mom told me he was just a guy in a costume. After that, I was fine. Dad's family was MAD at my mom...my uncle (then a Sunday school teacher) said, "Who is she going to think brings her Christmas presents?" Mom's response..."People who love her." And LOL, I'd much rather have gifts from loved ones than from some fat man who breaks into my house once a year.

One of my main issues with the jolly fat man is the entire 'good' and 'naughty' lists. We are buying gifts for children who will not otherwise have any Christmas gifts...and I want Rachel participating in this...I want her to realize that the holiday is not about gimme gimme gimme. And if Santa is real and brings gifts to all the good kids...is she going to think that all of the underpriviledged kids that we are helping are naughty, since Santa doesn't bring them gifts?

[KateD]

We have a very similar approach in our house, Stacy. We emphasize the birth of Christ and not Santa, although we watch the classic Christmas movies featuring Santa and used to visit Santa at the mall when the boys were younger because Santa is fun.

Last year was the first year the boys (now 9 and 11) admitted to not believing in Santa. I think they stopped believing earlier, but claimed to still believe because they thought they'd get more presents that way

[Julie Billingsley]

To us, the season is about Christ's birth, but we do have Santa in our lives too. The gifts are to celebrate Jesus' birth and we've always explained that Santa is like the mailman delivering them.

[Jengerbread88]

I had a teacher once who was more interested in Christ being the center than Santa Claus, and raised her daughter saying that "Santa" is a spirit that comes inside a person at Christmas, and that he fills you up with something that makes you give things to people... and that every parent gets filled with the spirit of Santa.

While in theory it sounds REALLY a great thing to tell a kid... it actually TERRIFIED her little girl. She thought this spirit was taking over her mommy's body every Christmas... like some sort of scary movie where someone is possessed by something! Oops!

[KyRainbow]

One thing we are always careful of is that the focus of Christmas not be about Santa, but the Magic or Spirit of Christmas, the giving, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. Our Christmas Eve tradition includes reading both Luke 2 and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

[ColleenSwerb]

Originally Posted by kscwgirl

This is precisely why I dont' like sending Abby to daycare the week before Christmas. There are 3 sisters at her daycare that told her last year Santa wasn't real b/c their parents told the 2 year old that she was bad and she killed Santa so she wasn't getting a present that year. So now they all ruin it for all the other kids. Annoys me to no end. Also I want to smack her parents. not sure who does that to a little baby. Sigh.

WHO TELLS THEIR KIDS THEY KILLED SANTA?!?!?!

Wtf is wrong with people.

Growing up, all presents were from Santa. But I like the way some of you do it, with just 1 present and or the stockings being from Santa and everything else from Mom and Dad. Not sure how we'll decide to tackle that when we have kids.

[Shawna]

At our house, Santa brings one special gift for each of the kids that is left unwrapped under the tree and then he fills the kids stockings and leaves a little something (usually a music CD or a movie & new B&BW stuff) in Mommy & Daddy's stockings since we don't exchange gifts and only buy for the kids. All other wrapped presents left under the tree are from Mommy & Daddy. We also have a family gift this year (Band Hero and Guitar Hero) and I haven't decided if those will be left by Santa or if they'll be wrapped. I'm thinking it would be easier to just set them up and have them be from Santa.

Our kids are almost 9, 6.5 and 3.5 and so far they all still believe in Santa. My oldest is in third grade and she hasn't said anything yet about other kids saying stuff about Santa not being real. But I'm sure as we get closer to Christmas it may come up!

And that is just wrong that those parents told their little girl that she killed Santa by being bad I admit we sometimes tell the kids that Santa is watching and making his naughty and nice lists and that if they aren't nice to each other, don't keep their bedrooms clean or don't do what Mommy and Daddy tells them they may end up on the naughty list until they correct their behavior but we would never tell them they killed Santa! Those poor little girls and poor Abby for having to be around those girls at Christmastime

[kscwgirl]

Originally Posted by ColleenSwerb

WHO TELLS THEIR KIDS THEY KILLED SANTA?!?!?!

Wtf is wrong with people.

Growing up, all presents were from Santa. But I like the way some of you do it, with just 1 present and or the stockings being from Santa and everything else from Mom and Dad. Not sure how we'll decide to tackle that when we have kids.

trust me girlfriend, i know. I wanted to seriously yell at this woman but i chose not to.

[ColleenSwerb]

Further proof that you should have to take a test before being allowed to procreate. Goodness gracious.

[newfiemountiewife]

OMG..what? People are insane!