Having a conversation with a colleague about my brother telling my daughter (11) that Santa is his brother - of course she then thought hang on that means he would be mums so he got caught out LOL - but my colleague was surprised to hear she still believed - p.s. I still believe myself!

I like it she still believes but wondered if maybe she was too old too???  Am I being silly encouraging it?  She has a younger sister age 9 who believes but think this will be the last year as she was very suspicious last year!

I don't think she is 'faking' it to make me happy at all as she isn't like that at all!

I think it's sweet she still believes, my daughter is only 7 but I reckon she will believe when she's 11 too! She actually wants to believe and wouldn't listen to any opinions otherwise (eg all the different Santas in shops etc are just helpers for the REAL one!) I reckon it's nice to have a bit of magic and if she is happy that's lovely.

I think it's lovely for them to still believe, these days they seem to grow up far too quickly so anything that can maintain the innocence of childhood should be encouraged.

Christmas is so much more fun when you have the pleasure of happy little squeals and the looks of wonderment.

When my daughter was going to secondary school - 11 years old - she still believed in Father Christmas but we then decided to tell her he wasn't real. As most other children at her new school would no longer believe in him we thought she would end up having the mickey taken so decided to be cruel to be kind. She was really upset and it took a lot to convince her.

I thought it was lovely that she still believed at that age and was very impressed with her older brother for not having let the cat out of the bag for all those years. He stopped believing at around 9 years old.

When my daughter actually asked me if the Tooth Fairy was real, I just said 'she is if you want her to be'! (and she did want her to be real) I think sometimes it's nice to have mystery and magic whatever age you are, sooner or later common sense might prevail but it's just nice to suspend disbelief. (so I believe in Santa too....)

Aw Rach, it's hard isn't it :( 

I remember being gutted when I found out - probably at around 10.  Someone at school was taking the micky and I brought my 'autograph' book in at lunch time to 'prove' Santa was the real deal.  After a miserable afternoon of taunts and tears I went home to have the truth revealed.  I wasn't annoyed at not being better informed, but really disappointed that the magic had gone.

My own daughter had friends and cousins setting her straight by around 8 - that was really disappointing for me but she didn't seem to mind too much :)  I think we have to judge how they're going to react if teased at school etc.   In the current financial crisis it may be that more parents are breaking the spell earlier than normal so that the children realise that it's not Santa with a bottomless bag delivering the goodies but cash strapped mum and dad doing their best.

Tough call - but then every one is for parents!

Teri x

Thanks all - feel better now!

They believe in the tooth fairy too!

Ems started secondary school this year and she is much younger than alot of her peers - not really into fashion/boys etc. yet - again I like it that way as they are growing up so quickly!

I thought that she would have been 'told' by now too but as yet doesn't seem to have?

I love the magic of Santa and him coming - leaving the mince pie and sherry and carrot for Rudolph its part of Xmas!

I still believe and refused to think otherwise :-)  (fingers in ears and hand over eyes hmm that was hard to do :-D )

what utter Tosh!!!

I cant believe the posts on here! (where are your facts [wiki-links!!] and what exactly are your qualifications!!?? ;) :P ;) )

During my dim and distant past with British Airways I took many children to Santa's house at Rovenomie Lapland!!! The most memorable was when a Flight ops officer  from Airworld arranged an aircraft and crew (all volunteers) to fly Children from Chenobyl to Father Christmas.
Ive met him and he does exist!

Further more back home in Norway Father Christmas (Julenissen) does not sneak down the chimbley and leave presents he knocks on your door and asks "are there any good children in here???" so I met him back then as well!!!!

For shammmmme! of course he exists!
;)

what exactly are your qualifications!!??  :P  )
  EXACTLY :-D :-D cheeky beggars have they seen Miracle on 34th St :-)

My son is 10 (youngest in his class) and in Year 6.  We decided to tell him this year that you know who wasn't real as I thought most of the kids in his class knew the truth and I didn't want him to get teased.  He took it very well and had a few tears but was ok.  Found out shortly afterwards that most of the kids in his class still believe and I hadn't needed to tell him anything :(

Christmas this year isn't the same (he is my youngest).  He doesn't want to go and see Father Xmas this year and although he is excited it isn't the same excitement.  I wish I had never said anything :(

I was never 'told', nor did we ever 'tell' my son anything about it - realisation sort of drifts in by osmosis! We never said 'he' existed or not - but in Boy's late teens we did say that Father Christmas wouldn't leave him anything if he was still in the pub!

Plus, of course, you can Track Santa ...

My OH is a delivery driver for a certain large company, and written in the mud and crud on the back of his van is :-

Santa's little helper. :)

They have track and trace so that Santa knows where they all are!!

When i found out about Santa i was not upset at the time, i found it great i had one over on my parents. Now i look back i have never really enjoyed Xmas so much as i did when i was young and believed in Santa. Just wish now that i didn't know and that it lasted that bit longer. Maybe the sparkle will come back if and when i ever have children myself.

Two years ago my daughter was in year 6 at school. She decided that as so many kids in her class didn't believe in Father Christmas she would research and prove to them all that of course he was real.
She got on the net and started her research............
She came back to me and said she was having trouble as all the evidence made it look as if she was wrong and they were right, in a bit of a tizz she asked me to please tell the truth was it all made up?
I told all and she managed to make me feel so small!
She sort of said I had let her down as she had trusted me all this time.
I dont know who was the saddest me or her :(

Karen

When my niece was about 7 or 8 she asked me if I believed in Santa, (I am only a couple of years older than her), I asked her if she did or not,and we had this big discussion, then she said " Mum and Dad still believe in him so please don't tell them and spoil it will you?"

She sort of said I had let her down as she had trusted me all this time.
I dont know who was the saddest me or her

Oh Karen that is so sad....

> I think it's lovely for them to still believe, these days they seem to grow up far too quickly so anything that can maintain the innocence of childhood should be encouraged.
>

I agree with that statement 100%!! Sums it up in one! :)

All 4 of mine firmly believe!  I too worried about whether I should tell my eldest daughters (who are almost 10, in year 5) as I didnt want them to get laughed at (the other two are 8 and 5).  They have never asked me any questions about him at all.  They believe in the magic of it all and all of them absolutely love Christmas.  We even go to the huge shopping centres just to walk around and look at all the decorations etc and soak up the atmosphere!

I actually got told off by one of the twins in one shop as she picked up a santa hat that had bells on it, but when she shook it I mentioned that the bells didnt ring so she promptly replied "thats because you dont believe anymore, I can hear them!!" (anyone who has seen "The Polar Express" will know what I am on about!!).  She really brought a smile to my face.

I didn't 'tell' any of my 3.

When and if they ever had doubts and asked me questions due to comments made by school friends I used to tell them that they had to have a lot of patience and sympathy for the poor children at school that didn't believe, because if you don't believe then the magic goes away.

My daughter got to the age of 11 and both boys were nearly 12 when the realisation hit them and I think it was the Argos catalogue that finally did it :(

> I like it she still believes but wondered if maybe she was too old too???  Am I being silly encouraging it?  She has a younger sister age 9 who believes but think this will be the last year as she was very suspicious last year!
>
>

better to old than to wee, my 6 year old nephew went into my sis and BIL's wardrobe...

oh dear :(

> told all and she managed to make me feel so small!
> She sort of said I had let her down as she had trusted me all this time.
> I dont know who was the saddest me or her :-(
>

aw, karen! how horrible! that must have been very unpleasent for you

> my 6 year old nephew went into my sis and BIL's wardrobe...

oh dear 

We got round that one by saying santa had asked us to keep them for a night or 2 until he could get round to collecting them to take them back up to the north pole ;-) He wanted people to actually see what was on offer and to see if the parents wanted their kids to have these items :-) It worked for another year :-)

lol my mum and dad tried that with me after i watched them taking the presents downstairs.

i was not convinced.

Hi,
While standing in a card shop on Monday, a teenage boy was on his mobile saying to someone on the other end he did not beleve,
I turned round and said "you do not beleve in Santa" I looked at the old Gentleman behind him and said I do, do you?
None belevers don't get presents! I beleve said the older Gentleman, the Boy piped up "I beleve as well" I just smiled.

Denese

The traditional Christmas notion of parents bringing the presents for their little children is considered to be completely unworkable by most modern children, a survey has revealed.

'It's just not plausible' said Sean Currie, aged seven. 'My parents can't even get it together to get dressed in the morning, to find a job or cook a meal that isn't microwaved pizza. So they idea that they could have possibly been organized enough to buy and wrap all those presents that appeared last Christmas - well it just isn't possible. It's actually more likely to be man from the North Pole with flying reindeer or something...'

'It's all over the playground,' agreed Jenny Poole, aged six. 'Everyone knows that Father Christmas does exist, and lives at a place called Amazon.co.uk. My friend Molly even says she's seen the big red van they use to deliver the presents.'

:D:D:D:D

> 'My parents can't even get it together to get dressed in the morning, to find a job or cook a meal that isn't microwaved pizza. So they idea that they could have possibly been organized enough to buy and wrap all those presents that appeared last Christmas - well it just isn't possible. It's actually more likely to be man from the North Pole with flying reindeer or something...'
>

The sign of the modern day parent hey!!!

I think it will be a sad day for me when my girls say they don't believe - me I'll keep on believing forever :)

My kids range from 1 through to 13 & i merely say to the 2 older ones ...... if you dont believe ..................., you dont get ;-)

My oldest is 11 and has gone to high school this time - she still believes , although i think that this will be her last year .

Margot :-D :-D
I'm sure nobody told me and it was a case of awareness just growing and as it did I think I just cottoned on to the fact that this was something nice that parents did for the little ones and as I had a sister 7 years younger happily joined in the game for her.

I never got told ever, we (me and my 2 sisters) just found out when we saw dad literally falling down the stairs with a big blue bag ha ha :-D

I have two daughters and the older one believed until she was about 10 or 11 the younger one was told by a school friend when she was about 6 so she had to keep the secret from her 'big sister' who when we told there wasn't a Santa was devastated!  She is now 34 with a son of her own and still recalls the day she was told the truth.  She is hoping her son believes for a while yet (he is only 3 1/2) but I doubt it as he was telling me all the things he wanted for Christmas and I asked 'From Santa' he replied 'No, Tesco'  :)

> and I asked 'From Santa' he replied 'No, Tesco'  :-)

Ha ha ha ha, that made me smile!! :)

It does Sue we used to put the pillow cases out on the beds, my OH dress up always mince pies and milk for Santa (he does not drink & drive!!) and something for Rudolph he likes sprouts you know.
Now its Great Nieces and Nephews that believe.
I also have the letters in my jewell box to Ben & Sam to prove it... its just when you get to a certain age he expects your Mum & Dad to help out because he is needed for younger children that need the extra magic..........
Ive been to the ice hotel and I saw where his raindeer were kept and I walked around with a big grin for three days and I believe as well.