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?

Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I already got her list, so I'll just pick from her list and give her something or get her something from build-a-bear. We bought them a surprise gift for her and her brother, so I'm sure she'll enjoy it.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

I think I always just knew Santa was a "tradition" and not a real guy. "Santa" still gave all the kids presents every year, even as the kids became adults.

The best was when "santa" gave my mom a present one year and she was SO confused. At first, she thought she must have mixed something up when she was putting the gift tags on things. Then she REALLY thought she had lost her mind when she opened it and couldn't remember having purchased that item at all.......maybe santa IS real!

Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

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

Love it! My mom still marks my gifts from Santa and I'm 27.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

We were talking about this subject at lunch today and some of the people there were adamant about their kids continuing to fully believe at ages 10, 11, etc.

Personally, I hope those kids are just pretending to completely believe. I worry about the gullibility and lack of intellectual development of kids that old who haven't begun to even doubt and question at that point. But their parents insist that they have no doubts.

Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
We were talking about this subject at lunch today and some of the people there were adamant about their kids continuing to fully believe at ages 10, 11, etc.

Personally, I hope those kids are just pretending to completely believe. I worry about the gullibility and lack of intellectual development of kids that old who haven't begun to even doubt and question at that point. But their parents insist that they have no doubts.

Honestly,

If my *future* kids stop believing at 4 I'm okay with that. It's not just about believing in Santa, it's about teaching them the spirit and purpose of Santa Claus. It's not just about gifts. Teach your kids why they should still be good and give even if they don't believe anymore. Christmas is bigger than believing in Santa.

Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I told my niece that Santa is real, as the spirit of Christmas that lives inside all of us. And also asked her to keep that quiet from her 6 year old brother unless he figures it out by himself.

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