The Secret of Santa Claus

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If you dont believe, you dont receive :) Santa still comes every year for me, my sisters, my parents and my kids.

My kids are 8 (daughter) and 5 (son).
They still believe in Santa.
My daughter also still believes in Fairies and the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.
Each kid is different.

A Teacher that my daughter had, when kids ask her if Santa is 'real'... her response to them is that "Santa is real at my house and he comes to my house..." She tells this even to the kids that don't believe anymore... so that the other kids that still believe are not discredited in their belief.

Oh, just as a cute tip: every year, from Etsy, www.etsy.com, they have "Santa Letters" for kids. Every Christmas, I order those for my kids. And in the mail, they get a letter from "Santa." They love it. And I keep it for their souvenir box, for when they grow up. Like a memento of their childhood.

Oh and the Santa at the Mall... I tell my kids that those are Santa's "helpers."

Those words never came out of my mouth because, you see, I still believe.
Yes close your mouth, I do. Just because you cannot see him, does not
mean he does not exist.

My children are 31, 26 and 23. To this day, I have never admitted to them there is no Santa. My oldest, being quite a bit older than the other two, factored into that; but as they got older and asked me - point blank - if there is a Santa, I told them that *I* believed in Santa. I have always told them that if they stop believing in Santa, he stops coming. Now (of course) they know that I "help" fill the stockings, etc. And they even contribute to the stocking stuffers. But stockings don't get filled and Santa gifts don't go under the tree until everyone has gone to bed. (Mom and Dad and Santa give separate gifts in my family. Wrapped ones from Mom and Dad and unwrapped gifts - think bicycles - come from Santa.) Clearly they haven't REALLY believed in Santa for some years but they have never told me that they no longer believe. When they started bringing boy/girlfriends home for Christmas and they would say things indicating there is no Santa, they were practically leaped on by all the kids (in a humorous way, of course!)
I happen to really love all holidays and same goes for the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Leprichaun, etc. I think it makes the holidays more fun and special. An added bonus - when grandchildren start arriving, no one will have to watch what they say! :D

I don't believe it's "lying" to them, because I really do believe in Santa - at least in spirit.

I'm going with what my parents did, and that is to just keep the spirit of Christmas alive. My parents never ever told any of us that Santa/Mickey Mouse/Tooth Fairy etc.. was not real. Obviously we all figured it out on our own as kids at school talk. I'm grown and have my own kids now but every Christmas, my mom always packs at least one present in the bunch she mails to us from Santa. My mom taught us to never spoil a good thing, so I'm not:)

My kids are 22, 16, 13 and 10.
I have never told them.
I have gotten toys and food for very poor families at church and said that we needed to help Santa out.
When asked directly I say what do you think? Then I tell them I believe in Santa, because i do. I believe that at Christmas everyone who can becomes Santa.
My sister was having a very hard time one year and someone left a big bag of Christmas on her porch.
I tell my oldest we need to help out because that is the Christian way. My 10 yo knows, but he doesn't say anything. He loves the magic, so do I.
My hubby and I still do stockings for each other and when he was deployed he left little things for my older daughter to wrap. She did it for 3 Christmases.
9 is about the year. Kids start saying things in school in 3rd and 4th grade.

I know alot of people do not do Santa. One of my 22 yo's best Christmases was the one he got to help buy and fill his little brother's stocking. Just the smile on my manboy's face was enough to swell my heart. He was Santa and he brought the little one so much joy.

I'm with Sunny D all the way on this one. I'm sure my kids (12 & 10) realize, especially since the younger of the 2 has been questioning me incessantly for the last year or so about it, but I out & out refuse to come right out & say that there is no such thing as Santa. I honestly cannot think of a single good reason why I ever would.

I decided with my husband that for any Santa/ Easter Bunny/ Toothfairy questions our children present us with our answer is going to be "What do you think?"

I was devastated when my dad decided to sit me down and tell me it was all fake. I have not told my kids 11 and 8. But I have a feeling my 11 yr old just knows. They grow up too fast......... keep the sparkle in their eye. It is hard because so many kids may ruin it for them and it has happened to us but my kids feel in their heart the magic still so I let it be. If they ever directly ask me....... I will say, are you sure you really want to know ? Or would'nt it be magical to never really know the truth..... so far, it works. They ask me, well do I believe ? I just copy what the santa claus movie with Tim Allen.... I love how they explain it..... he says....Seeing is not believing, it is believing is seeing.

My son is 8 and we are still rolling with the "Santa" my teenager even helps I am guessing around 10 or so they just figure it out but I never told my kids it wasn't real I still play with my teenager when he says thanks mom I say " I didn't get it Santa did"

I was in 3rd grade when I figured it out and I never told my parents I knew, I just kept going along with it for their sake! ;) I wouldn't tell him or worry about it. If he askes questions, you should probably talk with his dad about he'd like to handle it, but I'd let it go. He may know and might be testing you or he might be trying to figure things out on his own!

I think that is a little old, but agree you should not tell him. Just ask questions back, like "What do you think?" That's what I always did with my boys. I never told them there was or was not a Santa.
I had figured it out before I was 5, but still enjoyed the fun.

I wouldn't tell him that their is no santa. At his age he probably already knows the truth and is just going along with the idea for his parents. I was about his age when I "found" some christmas items in the trunk of my parents car when I was helping them unload the car one December. Well that Decemeber I received those things from Santa that year. Also my parents still give me gifts saying that they are from SC every year even though I am in my 30's. I think that he is just going along with it because he thinks it will make his parents happy.

Maybe he's of the 'if you don't believe, you don't receive' school of thought?

I keep dreading the day my 8 year old finds out none of this is real. I LOVE the magic of the holidays with Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, St. Patrick's Day, etc...it just makes things more fun. This may be the last year we get out of our daughter, but I love it and will tell her the truth when she asks. I don't want to lie to her at this age, but if she believes the "how could M. and daddy afford all of that" thing for another year or two...I'm good :).

Get the book, A Special Place for Santa:
http://www.amazon.com/Special-Place-Santa-Legend-Time/dp/...

It ties in Santa with the true Christmas story, as well as how he historically came to be. Your son will love the spirit of Santa and will be able to draw his own conclusions without feeling let down. I would certainly say he will probably hear about it this year from his peers. I think we were about 7/8 when we figured it out.

We never told our girls there was no Santa Claus. We know they figured it out somewhere along the way, but there was never a big discussion about it. As they got older and knew, they kept the secret and fun going for all of us!

I wouldn't tell him. My step daughter found out this past Christmas (she had just turned 12). She wasn't upset and did promised not to tell my daughter (now 5). I think its OK for kids to believe in Santa or at least the sprit of Christmas.

My son is still 8 for this Christmas...but he's getting suspicious. The end is 'nigh. Hate to see it go. :(

Probably depends on the child. I remember realizing Santa was fake around 6 or 7 years old.

I'm sure he has an inkling that Santa (etc) is not real but kids still love the illusion. My oldest are 10,11 and 12 and like to go along with it. They asked the same thing as we do not have a fireplace and we just told them that if he doesn't have his easy access (via the fireplace) he uses that same magic to appear to drop off the gifts. And don't forget that Santa won't come if anyone is awake!
What's funny is that my Dad never let us believe in Santa and I thought I would do the same (never bothered me), but as soon as I had my son, I was all about the tradition of Santa. It's just too much fun.

Our society expects kids to grow up too fast! Let him be a kid as long as he can :-) All too soon he will have to grow up.

My husband's ex told our oldest two when they were 7 and 8...we had just taken custody away and it was a very vengeful reaction on her part. Anyway, it was devastating on the kids. After all they had been through and then to have those joyful characters yanked out of their lives too. You could see the child in them start to die. Luckily we explained it this way: "Yes, for those that do not believe, they no longer exist. Why should they waste their time on someone that doesn't believe in them anyway? However, as long as you believe, they will exist for you."

Now our oldest two are 22 and 21 and we still have our youngest at home who will be 8 this month. Kids at school are already starting to nay say Santa and such.... I hear my oldest tell her the other day: "As long as YOU believe they will be around. Hey, why should they waist their time on people that don't believe in them?! You have to feel sad for those that don't believe. They have given up and lost a little bit of joy and wonder from their lives."

** it was a very proud Momma moment!**

It's rather unusual for a child of nine to still believe in Santa. My three were entering kindergarten when each one came to me with the question, "Is Santa Claus real?" I always answered with a question, "What do you think?" At first they said they did believe, but the question obviously lingered in their minds because they would come to me and ask it again. Then one day the light bulb went on and they reasoned there's no free lunch, so toys under the tree probably don't come free, either. When I asked "What do you think?" They each one came to the conclusion that it had to be mom and dad. I never lied to my children, thus I never actually said Santa was a real man in a red suit living at the North Pole! Now they are mothers and they did the same thing with their children. Kids are smart. Sometimes it's a cousin or a close friend that shares that knowledge with the still-believing child. For me it was my cousin.

hmmm.. tough question. I don't think I will start the Santa is real even... I will tell it like a fairy tale.. like a movie you watch, say Nemo, and then see the characters in the stores etc.

I want to be honest with my son, as he grows up, without spoiling the fun. I will keep the spirit of christmas alive, by reading books and going to see the Character Santa that is in the book/movie. when he does find out.. he will not be so devastated. My mom (single mom) always told us lies and to this day I don't believe a word she says.

Nope... not going that route.

My kids aren't old enough yet for this to be an issue, but I remember I was in 2nd grade when I found out. I got in an argument with a girl at school about whether Santa was real or not. She was telling me it was our parents, and I staunchly argued against her. That night before bed, I was proud of myself and was telling my mom what had happened. At that ponit, she felt like she needed to let me know that Santa wasn't real and neither were any of the others. However, I had younger brothers, so at that point it was like I got to be in on the secret. Either that year or the year after (don't specifically remember), she even let me help be the Easter Bunny. :) To this day, we still get presents from "Santa."

For one of my kids, I waited until he asked and pressed and pressed and was not happy with my vague answers about the "spirit of Chistmas". For my other 2 kids I have never told them. They know, but we all smile and keep up the game. -- My friend had a son who pressed and pressed her, and so she told him...and then he was so mad at her for telling him...for ruining it. -- SO I like the no tell game. -- I have another mom friend that says that as long as you believe, Santa comes. SHe STILL gets gifts from Santa. What fun!

My daughters are 8 and 10. I think they have individual ideas about who the real Santa, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy is, but they aren't letting on. Our kids are kids for such a short time, and it is such a magical time. What I wouldn't give for an afternoon where I could play with my toys and they would come 'alive'. Just to have my mind be free of the worry of the day to day nonsense that we worry about.
He is probably a little worried that even though he is growing up, and he might know 'the secret', will he still get his toys? The best you can do for him is assure him that Christmas will always be the same, no matter where you are. It is special as long as he is with you.

I was 7 when my parents told me. They told me because all the kids at school (who were a year older...I was one of the youngest in my class) told me there was no santa. I took it so hard (not because santa wasn't real but because my parents lied to me for weeks when I asked if santa was real) that they waited till my siblings were 8 or 9. I am not telling my son about santa because I don't want him to go through what I did (he is 2) and I want him to know that mommy and daddy buy the presents and work very hard to do so.

We always called it "the spirit of Santa" and were never really told it was true but that it was just like a gift of giving. Good luck!