Santa Clause

WHAT!? Santa is not real??? I refuse to believe that! Because on Christmas morning, he always leaves me special things like jewelry and quilt kits. Like I told my kids, as long as Santa keeps bringing us gifts, why would we NOT believe in him? Just because some mouthy kid at school doesn't get visited because he doesn't believe? We have discuss the whole reason behind Christmas and keep the religious beliefs separate from the toys, etc. and shop for items to donate to less fortunate families. They put in some of their own money for that to learn that it's important to help others.

I still believe in Santa, I think when they come up to you and ask you about the truth of it. You can honestly say that there are those who don't believe and many more who do. Have them sleep on it and find out how they feel after they have searched themselves. You will know in there responses if they really want to continue believing or if they are past that magic part of their childhood. I cried with my first 3 on that day. But my 5 yr. old still believes, yeah! We all have a little child inside of us that wants to believe. Good luck , T.

I remember NOT believing once I was in first grade and other kids told me. I had older sisters who never told me he wasn't real because they were afraid that once they stopped believing that the gifts would stop! I now have a nephew that's afraid that Santa will stop because he's 18!

My kids aren't old enough in my eyes yet. I figure they will find out about santa not being real at school anyways. Maybe give them a talk just before school starts? I remember finding out about it and it never devestated me any so I'm sure my kids will be fine when they finally do get the news.

Well.. you have a range of kid ages.. I hope that once christmas comes around that the older will not wreck it for the younger...

My sister did not do a good Santa job... OH MY GOSH!!!! I guess it is easer with just 1.. I had special paper that ONLY santa used... Lucky I did not have to use name tags.. but I have a friend who has 3 kids she uses colors.. SO not to use name tags.. See my thing is.. I noticed my mom's handwritting was alot like santas.. but I was convinced that she was a helper... I believed up to 6th grade.. but we still got santa gifts.. Cuz it is the magic that makes it special.... I was heartbroken!!!

I played a good santa.. My oldest son OH MY GOSH!!!! He was 5th grade Heck maybe 6th... He I think sort of knew.. but not sure.... I had to tell him that the toothfairy was not real.. He was going to camp and was worried cuz his tooth was loose.. He cried!!!! He then asked well..what about Santa I think he knew... but needed to know.... OH WOW.. wait... Next was the easter bunny!!! Yes that was a bad day!!!! BUT each year we stilllll do allll the events!!!!

It keeps you young!!!! and makes it special...

Maybe talk to the older ones.. THEY can help make it more real for the youngers.. and everybody gets something from each of the holidays... and that lovly toothfairy!!!

But Being sneekey is good too!!!

I know in 3rd grade alot of people were like starting not to belive.. OH I saw this or that.. So that helped me to be extra sneeky!!!

My sister bought her santa stuff WITH HER KIDS WITH HER!!!!

Good luck!

I tell my kids the truth about Santa because it just doesn't seam right to lie to them and I want trust to be a great value in our lives and relationships. I also feel that it is taking away from the true reason for Christmas and that is the birth of Christ!! When I was little it is was devastating to find out the truth about the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa. And once I found out about them I even had doubts about God being real. Of course not every child is going to have thoughts like that, and I hope that they never will, but for me I just don't want to take that chance! I understand that a lot of people would say that it takes the fun out of Christmas by not "believing" in Santa. But if you think about it your child is going to get excited about whatever you get excited about. My daughter gets more excited about Jesus' birthday than any child I have come across gets over Santa. We also do a lot of fun activities leading up to and on Christmas. On December 1st we do a count down to Jesus' birthday and at some time in the month we get together with a couple of friends and have a party with games and crafts. On Christmas we bake a "birthday" cake, have a pinata, party hats, noise makers, balloons, and everything else that goes along with a birthday party. Not a lot of people would agree with this because it is "different" from what we have all traditionally been taught. And no, I did not grow up this way but it is something that God had laid on my heart to do. And I love celebrating it this way so much more, we have had the best Christmas's these last couple of years. I only hope that my kids will continue to do the same thing when they have children. Take care all and God Bless!!!

I never teach my kids that Santa is any more than a nice story. I don't want to lie to my kids about anything. I do daycare though and I've taught my 6 year old that it's not our place to tell all her friends. It's kind of hard. She's spilled the beans a few times LOL!

Suzi

Well...I think that most children find out themselves..but i personally feel that you should let the children believe what they want to until they stop. You are only a kid once..I wish i could go back to the days when Santa came to our house lol

The majority of my extended family disagrees with me on this but for my immediate family we have always told our kids the truth about Santa. We felt it was more important to build our relationship with our children on 100% truth rather than letting them know we are possibly going to lie about certain things. To most people it doesn't matter, but we even know of someone who stopped believing in God because they assumed that mom and dad would confess to that lie as well. Being a Christian family that was really hard. I would think the longer a non-truth is told the harder it will be to have trust. Good luck and God Bless!

B. :)

That is not a silly question. I told my youngest son that santa only comes to houses that really believe in him. He said that his friend does not believe but he still gets presents and I told him that he will still gets presents cause mom and dad have to do all of the work. So when he gets something really expensive for Christmas he thinks that Santa brought it since we are on a very limited income and can never really splurge. Thank goodness for Christmas accounts. So he says that he still believes a little so that must be why his brother and he get the really good stuff. Collin is 10 and his brother is 14. Of course my oldest does not believe but he would not spoil it for him.

I figured it out when I noticed Santa and Mom used the same wrapping paper.....Hello!!!!

I don't focus on Santa with my kids because it is more about the birth of CHRIST(mas)! They do get Santa gifts and I will not spoil the fun, but when they do start to ask I'll tell them!!

You are young only once!

I think that believing in Santa is part of the magic of xmas. What I found with my daughter is that when she started school the older kids told her he wasn't real and then she asked me. I didn't want to lie to her so I told her the truth.

I found out on my own. Santa is a part of the Magic of Christmas just like the Easter Bunny and so on! I don't think you should never tell them! Let them believe as long as they want! It wouldn't be Christmas without Santa!

I'm a mom of 6. I never had the guts to "tell" my kids the truth. They all actually figured it out on their own. One year they believed and the next they didn't. Of course if they ever asked, I would answer their question with a question, "what do you think?" Depending on their answer, is your answer I guess. The older kids have fun w/santa all over again because of the younger siblings. My two youngest still believed when they were 10 and 11. The next year, there were a lot of questions from them. And then the next year, they were excited to be able to help with our grandchildren's belief in Santa. I think it's a wonderful cycle that you let them work ____@____.com P. Baker PS: my kids are 26, 24, 24, 22, 14, 13 now....

It depends, really. In kindergarten, my daughter was told by a classmate that Santa was not real. She is now almost 8, and is starting to lose her belief in him. She wouldn't say anything in front of her younger siblings though. A close (very religious) friend of mine was raised knowing that there was no Santa because her mom didn't like the idea of "false idols", I believe was the way she worded it. I can understand all points, whether to believe or not, a parent's choice of how long to let them believe. My nephew was about 8 or 9 when he stopped believing. You don't necessarily have to lose the fun in it though. My mom has 4 kids between the ages of 25 and 30, and we still like her to put "From Santa" on gift tags.

I believe that I found out on my own. I never remember my mom telling me otherwise. However, unlike many of the other responses, Santa NEVER wrapped any of our presents. That's what made his stand out. My husbands mom didn't start wrapping his until he figured it out. Up until I moved out of my mom's house Santa's always left stuff in my stocking an an unwrapped present.

My girls are 13, 11, 9, 8 and 7 months. The older girls know that Santa isn't "real" but I waited until they asked me about it. Once they did, I replied "what do you think"...the kid in all of us wants to believe that he is real, LOL. We also have a policy at our house that there are only THREE presents left under the tree on Christmas Eve (3 for each kid). The reason for this is that Jesus received three gifts from the wise men and if 3 was enough for Jesus, it is enough for our family. That is not to say that the boxes aren't pretty full, LOL But Santa leaves the "most wanted" gift and mom and dad bring the rest.

hehehe My daughter caught me wrapping gifts late one night and asked why I was doing it. I told her I was Santas helper that year. At the age of 4 my daughter looked at me and said 'yeah Right Mommy" We still do the same things and she has her dad fooled into thinking she still beleives in Santa and she is now 10. Has for the tooth Fairy well that one got blown out of the water when I didn't have the money to put under her pillow so I snuck in with an I.O.U. from the tooth fairy and silly me thought she was asleep. She was awake waiting for the tooth fairy. That wasn't a good night. The Easter Bunny? Well she kows he's not real but we still do all the same things.
It's never cease to amaze me how kids come to their own conculsions on these things.
P.

In this day and age, I feel that kids need something to believe in even if it is make believe. Let them be kids while they are still young. I'm still trying to figure out how my parents kept the spirit of St. Nick alive for so many years. I think I was 12 or 13 before someone at school told me there was no Santa Claus. I WAS DEVASTATED!!! But, I remember every Christmas morning waking up and feeling the magic that one imaginary man could bring. We never had much growing up poor but we could always count on Santa to bring some holiday cheer!

I say let them believe. You'll know when they don't anymore. I am the oldest of three, and my sister is 11 years younger. Santa continued to leave me gifts until I got married, and I played along. Santa is so awesome for kids. There's no sense ruining it for them.

Eventually kids figure that out on their own. I eventually figured it out b/c I started looking at the handwriting on the tags.

i thank about 9 thne tell him about santa clause

Santa is as real as you choose to make him. He lives in our hearts. I for one will never stop believing in him. (Unless he stops leaving my yearly trashy tabloid newspaper in my stocking....)
I will leave a present under the tree labeled "From Santa" every year, and tell my kids they shouldn't believe everything they hear from their school friends. :)

J.

I always went by when they were old enough to ask and when the older one asked, I let her share in the secret and we kept it fun for little brother until he was ready...she like that idea as she wasn't quite ready to let go yet. :)