Technology and Santa

[LenaGardner]

I had the Santa talk with Nathan this weekend. At 11 years old, I highly suspected there was no way he could still believe but it was still weird to broach. I was very delicate with it, and once he realized what I was asking, he was like, "Oh, that. I haven't believed in like 4 years."

I asked him how he knew so young, and he said, "Oh because of Norad tracks Santa website we look at every year." (We started tracking in 2004 when he was 4). He said, "I noticed that year after year it always said the same thing, and I figured it out.



Well, thanks a lot, technology Really it's not a big deal but I thought it was cute.

[mariewilcox]

LOL - Cheyanne is 11 this year too and I've broached the subject with her because I can tell she doesn't believe anymore from things she's said, etc. BUT she steadfastly refuses to admit it outright! She says, "But Mom I still DOOOO believe in Santa! Even though he writes like you and uses your wrapping paper and I know he can't really go around the whole world in one night!"

[LenaGardner]

See that's what I did too! What brought the subject up was I was running into a store to buy 2 dvd's for Naomi and Parker and Nathan was with me, I wasn't sure how to broach the subject. When I was growing up my mom told me if I didn't believe Santa wouldn't come and I pretended to believe until I was like 13.

[NeverendingJen]

I've never stopped pretending I believe. It's the magic of christmas.

[nun69]

I'm with Jen...I never really stopped beleiveing either and I never outright told my oldest {18 now}, but her dad made the mistake of saying something about the Easter Bunny one year and blew it, but then she was totally ok with it and wanted to really help me the wrapping and stuff...but after a year or so, she was done with the whole wrapping thing and goes to bed as early as the other kids do {10, 5 and 4}...my son will be 11 in Feb and I think the "tooth fairy" is what is giving us away

[newfiemountiewife]

My son is 11 too, and he says he still believes. I can't believe that he still does, I think he's too smart to honestly believe it.

[mariewilcox]

Exactly Jamie! I asked Cheyanne if any of her friends still believe and she said yes, but who knows if that's true - LOL. I agree that believing is the magic of Christmas and tried explaining that to her but she is too darned stubborn She stopped believeing in the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy years ago but said santa is real because he's an actual person not a big bunny or a fairy flying around.

[KristinCB]

LOL! funny you mention this.. last night lily came up and said.. so mom how exactly do you make those santa email videos each year?

ermm.. lol i looked at her and tried to play dumb but she obviously is passed the believing stage now She'll be 9 this january.. she had sorta stopped believing last year then believed again (I think a big part of her just wanted to kwim?) anways this year she's def over it but we're going to have a talk and she's going to get to help out and play a role to make it still special for her brother

[ColleenSwerb]

My mom still calls herself the "Head Elf" and asks for lists to send to the North Pole, lol. Since I was the oldest, I just pretended for a billion years until we knew that my younger brother and sister didn't believe anymore. But there was never a conversation about it, and we never talked about not believing either.

[Leah]

I have been thinking about this too. DD's are almost 10 and 8. The 8yo. will probably out Santa before the 10yo. It appears as though both of them still believe in Santa. I haven't had to answer any weird questions and they both still write to him. They were arguing yesterday about whether or not Santa hears everything. And they decided that since he has a naughty list, that Yes, he hears everything. lol

Do I wait for them to approach me first, or do I just sit them down and tell them how it goes??

[lovely1m]

My mom always told me that if we didn't believe, then Santa didn't bring you anything. I still get my stocking stuffed at her house and I admit it, its one of my favorite parts about Christmas. I just love it. I also get my stocking stuffed at my Dad's house. Seriously, one of my favorite parts. So this is the same concept I will adopt with my son. I don't think its something that needs to be 'a talk'. KWIM?

[ColleenSwerb]

I wouldn't even talk about it Leah. Like I said, there was no conversation when I stopped believing. I just kept pretending. Logically, my mom knew I didn't believe anymore once I got to be like 13, lol. But there's no reason to talk about it and spoil it. To me anyways.

ETA: Mari, my mom still waits until we all go to bed to put our stockings outside our door and put the presents under the tree. I'm almost 29! But I love it. It's a cute little tradition and a fun part of the season.

[LenaGardner]

Our talk was necessary for many reasons that wouldn't plague other families, so it's not just that I was looking to talk about it. One reason is the fact that Nathan will be here from the 16th thru the 26th and he'll be getting a few of his gifts early, on the 16th, so he can enjoy them for the visit. There will still be gifts under the tree on the 25th so that he isn't left out and so the littles don't question it, but I'm not buying him a new Ripstik and then he only gets to use it for one day. Some things he takes back to Ohio with him, like his Kindle. Other things he leaves here.

[rach3975]

My very logical 8 year old DS has been challenging the tooth fairy idea for 2 years now and started in on Santa this month. At first we refused to confirm his suspicions, but him bringing it up over and over was threatening to spoil things for the younger 2. So today I pulled him aside and admitted he was right, but that now he gets to be like the adults (a big draw for him) and play along for the little ones.

[ColleenSwerb]

I totally get that Lena, that makes sense.

[lovely1m]

All families are different. I only have 1 child, its much easier for me.

[HeatherKS]

*sigh* My 6-going-on-36 year old asked me about the tooth fairy several months ago. She came into the bathroom and asked me what we do with all of the teeth we take when we leave them the money. At first I denied it but it became pretty clear that she wasn't going for it at all so I came clean. She had the others figured out too but has promised to not spoil it for her little brother. I'm pretty sure my 9 year old has it figured out too but she won't admit it. I'm fine with that and wish it would have lasted a little while longer for my 6 year old too.

[nun69]

dang Heather 6 is young!

[HeatherKS]

Originally Posted by nun69

dang Heather 6 is young!

I know, right?!? But that really is just her nature. She's very matter-of-fact and honestly, just too smart for her own good sometimes. LOL

[kscwgirl]

JJ still wholeheartedly believes. Abby still does too, although I'm honestly surprised. I thought she figured it out two years ago, when she was 6. When she does, I know I'll have to talk to her about it.

My mom never talked to us about it.. still never has.. I'm 35 and I still get a stocking at their house and my brother is not allowed to say he doesn't believe in santa in her presence.

[Julie Billingsley]

Jacob, who is almost 20, says he is still upset about finding out. His cousin told him about the tooth fairy when he was 8, and of course that led to questions about Santa. That year we just kept saying that Santa is real if you believe, yada yada yada. The next year when he was 9, he started questioning again and we told him that Santa wasn't a real person but instead was the spirit of giving at the holidays. Well, despite his questioning of Santa's validity, he wasn't ready to hear the truth because he was really upset about it. Jacob and I just talked about this topic last weekend and he claims that he always believed and felt blindsided by the truth about Santa. Which as I've said, is NOT the way both my husband and I remember it.

So, this year Logan is 8 and he is questioning about Santa. I've decided to just keep saying that Santa is real if you believe and leave it at that. I don't want another kid that claims to be traumatized by the info! Also, we've never made Santa a big deal. He only brings 1 present per kid and fills the stocking. The rest of the gifts are from us.

What is going to be interesting is not giving Jacob a present from Santa this year. We've had a lot of discussions that Jacob is an adult now. So Logan figured out that Jacob wouldn't get a present from Santa then. It will be interesting on Christmas morning to see how that situation goes down. LOL

[LeeAndra]

DH and I were just discussing Santa the other day!

I don't really want to 'do' Santa at all, but DH does, so we've compromised that Santa will only bring 1-2 presents (and maybe the stocking). We're not going to do the Elf on the Shelf, Norad, etc etc. and will mainly focus on being together, doing good for others, and Jesus.

I stopped believing when I was 7 (or 6?), and Miss Monkey is just like me, so I'm quite sure she will figure it out sooner rather than later. SS, on the other hand, will likely believe until he is 12 or 13, so that should be interesting! *lol*

[maggie965]

I asked my kids the other day and they both said they still believe! LOL! They are 11 AND 18!!! They are too funny! They want their Santa gifts!

[Angie4b1g]

My kids decided that there's no Santa, Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy, but they've agreed that Pilgrims are real.

[kscwgirl]

Santa only brings 1 gift here and puts one special thing in their stockings. The rest is from us. Stockings are my favorite part and admittedly I got a little tired of hearing oh thank you Santa when I'd searched for perfect stocking stuffers LOL

[LenaGardner]

Originally Posted by kscwgirl

Santa only brings 1 gift here and puts one special thing in their stockings. The rest is from us. Stockings are my favorite part and admittedly I got a little tired of hearing oh thank you Santa when I'd searched for perfect stocking stuffers LOL

I wish we had done this! It would make things so much easier.