Off topic: 8 year old found out Santa doesn't exist

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So I live with my parents and my niece and nephew. Long story short, mother died 4 years ago, so now 8 year old and 6 year old is our responsibility. Father (brother) doesn't care, so he only sees them every weekend.

She came to us saying that she doesn't believe in Santa anymore. My mom automatically looked at me and told me she was disappointed in me to make her not believe, I told her I didn't say anything. We asked her and she said because since the tooth fairy is us (She saw us put money under her pillow one night and that's how it happened), then Santa is us (because the kids in her class say so too) and started to tell us she went online and figured it out. Well we told her fine, but not to tell her brother this and her father because while he doesn't care about the important things, these things he cares deeply about.

I didn't know about Santa being fake until I was 10, so is this a little too young or is this age okay for them not to believe in anything anymore?

One year, think I was 7 or so, I had a really high fever the night before Easter. I swore that I saw the Easter bunny. I believed in the Easter bunny for an embarrassingly long time! Way longer than I believed in Santa!

My SIL told her kids that Santa does get them the present that they open at home, mommy and daddy buy those. Which is fine! However, she then told them that Santa leaves their presents at everyone else's house. I have never bought my nieces or nephew a Christmas gift, apparently Santa left the gifts at my house...so weird...

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I kept telling my kids this until now:

Basically all adults work with Santa in this way, he asks the adults for the budget this year for these presents. He gives us some credit and we go to the store to pick the presents. The presents get sent to the north pole where the elves fix what was broken on the trip over there and to wrap the presents. Then on Christmas he goes around the world using time magic where he stops time when he needs to and uses teleportation magic to get in the houses quickly. And that's how he does it. It seemed to work for the last 4 years, but now... only the 6 year old believes.

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Specializes in School nursing.
I mark the gifts from Santa and deny any knowledge of how they got in our house, despite any eye rolling or blatant "MOM!! We know it's you!!"

IE:

(Xmas morning, 6am)

Me: OMG!!!!! Where did all this stuff come from?? Santa must have come!

Kids: We know it was you mom.

Me: Yep. Santa came.

Kids: Seriously, Mom?

Me: I love that Santa comes every year. Do you think anyone buys Santa a gift for Xmas? ...Oh look! The carrots are gone! The reindeer must have eaten them!

Kids: Quit it.

Me: I'm glad we don't have reindeer. I'd hate to clean up after them. Santa is so patient.

Kids: Will you ever stop?

Me: No.

I am 36 and my mom still gives us gifts from Santa. Tradition.

So does my Mom and my mother-in-law. In fact, at my in-laws there are several gifts under the tree with labels that read "Santa." We all tend to do this, so it's a joyful "secret santa" and I love it.

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I knew by 5 years old Santa wasn't real. My parents never confirmed nor denied his existence. I guess I worked it out by myself. By 8 years old, kids should know Santa is just a construct.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I found out around 8 when I looked at my mom's shopping list and it said "stocking stuffers". My sister figured it out pretty quickly after that- since all three of us older ones knew the truth, it was bound to come out at some point. So, my parents took on a new game: instead of writing To Rose from Santa, each gift now went to a code name. One year, each of us was one of Santa's reindeer. So, it added a new little bit of excitement each year when we'd find out what our Christmas name would be.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

My son held on until 4th grade even though I told him that Santa is not free, he helps parents get the popular gift of the year, but we still have to pay him.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

When my son was 3 he went to an integrated preschool....special needs kids and regular kids. He rode the bus with the 'big kids'...3rd and 4th graders. He came home one day and said "Mommy, the big kids on the bus told me there's no such thing as Santa." I asked him, "What do YOU think?" Without skipping a beat, he said "I think they're STUPID...who else would bring all the presents?!?"

I let him and his little sister believe until they figured it out themselves.

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My parents always told us the truth. We stopped doing presents at a pretty early age too. They asked us "If we are celebrating Christ's birthday, why do you expect to be the one getting gifts?" Our children are still small but there is no satan clause

in our house. They get gifts all the time and are taught about giving to others. It works for us.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Even when I stopped believing in flying reindeer and Santa going down the chimney, I still believed in Santa. All the gifts were just delivered by Santa's helpers in large semi trucks! I still remember the moment when I realized that he was not real. I left out a note and cookies for Santa and the next morning the note had the words "Thank You" written on it.....in my mother's hand writing. :(

My little girl just turned 8 and she still believes, at least she has never led on that she doesn't. We do the whole elf thing too. :) We make it a point to write all notes using different hand writing. Also, all gifts from Santa are wrapped in special gift paper that she does not get to see in advance!

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Every Christmas eve, my kiddos get one present each. It's always a new pair of PJs and a christmas story book. On Christmas morning, their gifts are wrapped in paper that matches their new PJs- no name tags ever. Last year it was Star Wars and Monster High, this year I'm thinking DC heroes and Trolls. Christmas shopping is already done, expect the paper and PJs.

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This is a fun memory I have of trying to keep the "Santa spirit" alive... When I was a teenager, my youngest sister was like 7 or 8 and starting to question Santa Claus. She decided she would leave a tape recorder playing all night to investigate. My parents waited a few hours and then banged around near the tape recorder in a pair of boots and shook some bells, made some rustling noises and then it was silent. It was an awesome moment when my little sister played the tape back and was amazed at what she heard. :)

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This is a fun memory I have of trying to keep the "Santa spirit" alive... When I was a teenager, my youngest sister was like 7 or 8 and starting to question Santa Claus. She decided she would leave a tape recorder playing all night to investigate. My parents waited a few hours and then banged around near the tape recorder in a pair of boots and shook some bells, made some rustling noises and then it was silent. It was an awesome moment when my little sister played the tape back and was amazed at what she heard. :)

We used to vacuum the carpet just before bed on Xmas eve and look for fresh footprints coming in the front door (no fireplace)

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