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

Specialties School

Published

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?

I figured out at 3 that the presents from "Santa" had the same handwriting on the tags as the presents from Mom. That's what I get for learning to read at 2. That and as further proof I heard my mom and aunt putting my tricycle together in the middle of the night (also at 3) so I knew it was from family and not some creepy old man in a red suit. I still got my picture taken with the mall Santa until I was 6 (that year Santa smelled like booze and slurred like he just came off a 3 day drinking binge). I wouldn't go near the Santa after that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I figured out at 3 that the presents from "Santa" had the same handwriting on the tags as the presents from Mom. That's what I get for learning to read at 2. That and as further proof I heard my mom and aunt putting my tricycle together in the middle of the night (also at 3) so I knew it was from family and not some creepy old man in a red suit. I still got my picture taken with the mall Santa until I was 6 (that year Santa smelled like booze and slurred like he just came off a 3 day drinking binge). I wouldn't go near the Santa after that.

I would never sit on Santa's lap or anything. I always thought that part of it was creepy. One of my earliest Christmas memories (3 yrs old) is of a Santa at our church and I wouldn't sit on his lap. Mom thought telling me that it was really just Mr. __ in a Santa suit would make me more comfortable with it. It didn't. I didn't want to sit on HIS lap either! I probably embarrassed her by not wanting to do it -- and she never tried to force me again.

:nono:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm unsure why people lie to children and think it's "cute."

Teaching children irrational nonsense and then being sad when they catch you is just weird.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in kids.

Yeah, well in MY house, if you don't believe , you get underwear!!

FWIW, my son is 35... :roflmao:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would never sit on Santa's lap or anything. I always thought that part of it was creepy. One of my earliest Christmas memories (3 yrs old) is of a Santa at our church and I wouldn't sit on his lap. Mom thought telling me that it was really just Mr. __ in a Santa suit would make me more comfortable with it. It didn't. I didn't want to sit on HIS lap either! I probably embarrassed her by not wanting to do it -- and she never tried to force me again.

:nono:

I was never the parent who forced that either . . . it really bugged me when I would be in the mall and there would be a child screaming in fear of poor old Santa and the parents were forcing the child to sit on Santa's lap so they could get that cherished photo. :arghh:

In our small community, when my older kids were young, there was a nice couple who would have a Christmas Soup in their beautiful old building that used to be the local post office (they had turned it into an antiques store). The husband would dress as Santa and we would go out and try different soups and eat all kinds of Christmas goodies. I did have photos of them standing with this Santa but by this time my kids had already figured out he was a guy in a red suit that they knew. It was just fun and not scary.

I still throw in a few presents from "Santa" and we still leave out milk and cookies . . . just for fun. And my youngest is 15 and his siblings are 27, 31, and 33.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, School Nurse.

I told my kids if they didn't believe in Santa he wouldn't bring them any presents. :blink:

My oldest is 20 and my youngest is almost 15. They still get presents from Santa, but they all figured out he wasn't real by age 10 or so. My son (youngest) probably held out the longest.

Thank GOD the Elf on the Shelf thing happened after my kids were too old for that stuff. I had a hard enough time remembering the tooth fairy, let alone moving that ******* Elf around every night.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank GOD the Elf on the Shelf thing happened after my kids were too old for that stuff. I had a hard enough time remembering the tooth fairy, let alone moving that ******* Elf around every night.

Oh, that stupid Elf. I got one a couple years ago and I consistently forget to move it. More than once I've popped up in my bed at 2am, cursing and then having to get up and put it somewhere new. My oldest daughter enjoys thinking of new and interesting positions for it so she does the planning and implementing for him most nights.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Oh, that stupid Elf. I got one a couple years ago and I consistently forget to move it. More than once I've popped up in my bed at 2am, cursing and then having to get up and put it somewhere new. My oldest daughter enjoys thinking of new and interesting positions for it so she does the planning and implementing for him most nights.

Last year a Kinder teacher brought her elf to my office because her students, being very rowdy and not listening, knocked him off of a book shelf. I returned him in a tissue box bed with a gauze leg cast and arm sling and written orders for strict bed rest x 1 week. Best idea ever, no moving the creepy thing for a whole week!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Last year a Kinder teacher brought her elf to my office because her students, being very rowdy and not listening, knocked him off of a book shelf. I returned him in a tissue box bed with a gauze leg cast and arm sling and written orders for strict bed rest x 1 week. Best idea ever, no moving the creepy thing for a whole week!

My kids have built an elf house for ours. Complete with Xmas wrapping paper for wallpaper and a cotton ball bed. I suppose there are worse ways they could spend their time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My children grew up knowing the gifts came from my husband and myself, with our hard earned money and because we loved them. They also knew we were not going to pile the tree high with things they will use for a short period of time. We still tracked Santa's flight and went outside and put out reindeer food, but that was fun. There was no Easter Bunny. Period. All that being said, I think the 18-year-old is having a hard time letting go of the Kuka Cobra stealing children.

With children's internet access and all the other kids they associate with, children are not as oblivious as you think they are. Also, what kind of Santa brings gifts to well-off children and very little, including food, to poor children?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi Cocoa_puff , did you stay in the nursing field? Also, how did you get a full ride scholarship? thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Just don't tell them that Fluffy didn't really go to live in Florida.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment