What age would you tell your kids about Santa?

fatherted1969 · 25-12-2011 07:34AM #1

As the title suggests what age do you think you should tell your kids about santa. Mine are 11 and 12 and i'm just back upstairs and i get the impression that they still believe. Kinda surprised if i'm honest.

amacachi · 25-12-2011 07:42AM

If they're 11 and 12 I would hope that they've made sure there's presents there for their parents from Santa.

Patri · 25-12-2011 07:54AM

Roll with it, christmas is way more fun when Santa is in the house!

a-k-47 · 25-12-2011 08:03AM

believing in Santa going into secondary school could have disasterous consequences!

Micky Dolenz · 25-12-2011 08:09AM

Just like the wife, they are faking it. Presents are crappier when not from Santa.

Jesus Wept · 25-12-2011 08:12AM

a-k-47 wrote: »

believing in Santa going into secondary school could have disasterous consequences!

There are people in Secondary school and beyond who believe in far crazier things.

amacachi · 25-12-2011 08:14AM

The-Rigger wrote: »

There are people in Secondary school and beyond who believe in far crazier things.

If I serve the Flying Spaghetti Monster to you on a plate will you then believe!?

Doesn't matter, that would be sacrilegious so I wouldn't do it, you'll just have to take my word for now.

Hobbes · 25-12-2011 08:25AM

I could care less about Santa. While it is a handy threatening device ("Clean your room or Santa won't come"), it doesn't really add anything.

Some stranger broke into my house to leave a present because I followed some arbitrary rules throughout the year, and why did Sean down the road get an XBox and an iPad and a bike when I only got a board game? Does Santa hate poor people?

But what pisses me off is the "Must have Santa" mentality. For example, my mother got into an argument with me because I marked the cheapest present from Santa and only one present for my son from him. If it was up to her he would 2-3 from Santa and one ****ty present from me and the wife.

Your kids are probably faking it because they know they will get less presents.

amacachi · 25-12-2011 08:27AM

Hobbes wrote: »

I could care less about Santa.

Well it's good to know that you care at least a nominal amount about him.

Hobbes · 25-12-2011 08:29AM

amacachi wrote: »

Well it's good to know that you care at least a nominal amount about him.

I'd still rank him above prescriptive grammar nazis though.

stoneill · 25-12-2011 08:29AM

A couple of years ago the bedroom door burst open on Christmas Morning at half past four, SANTA'S BEEN! - about two hours after going to bed from a night quietly hammering and bolting some devious Santa designed doo-dah.
We wearily peered over the duvet - for feck sake son, go back to bed, your 16.

amacachi · 25-12-2011 08:30AM

Hobbes wrote: »

I'd still rank him above prescriptive grammar nazis though.

I wouldn't, last thing you'd want is him bringing your 8 year old daughter a Dildo album.

later12 · 25-12-2011 08:39AM

Hobbes wrote: »

But what pisses me off is the "Must have Santa" mentality. For example, my mother got into an argument with me because I marked the cheapest present from Santa and only one present for my son from him. If it was up to her he would 2-3 from Santa and one ****ty present from me and the wife.

Whilst it's not the place of any of us to dictate a parenting style to you, I can see your Mum's point.

Christmas isn't its best when it's a mere tribute to your kindness as a father.

I worry sometimes that all of this preoccupation with being doggedly honest with young children is depriving them of innocent reverie, a wonderful, day long daydream about flying sleds and talking reindeer.

And as far as I can see, the greatest thing about Christmas is not only engaging the young child's imagination, but in teaching him a lesson about selfless acts of kindness between total strangers.

You have 364 days per year to show your kid what a great Dad you are.

Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to fuel a child's imagination and to introduce him to the better nature of mankind.

James T Kirk · 25-12-2011 08:41AM

I'm sharing a bottle of whiskey with Santa right now.

He landed on my roof about two hours ago.

He's starting to piss me off at this stage. Getting a bit "lairy". Like a fat, beardy Liam Gallagher.

I WILL punch him shortly. :mad:

Hobbes · 25-12-2011 08:53AM

later10 wrote: »

And as far as I can see, the greatest thing about Christmas is not only engaging the young child's imagination, but in teaching him a lesson about selfless acts of kindness between total strangers.

You can engage a childs imagination without making them believe something fictional is true.

And Christmas has nothing to do with kindness between total strangers, it is about selling end of year stock at a marked up price. It is just a commercialized holiday and has been for as long as I can remember.

If it was what you say it is, then there should be no issue telling your child that Santa is coming January because it is cheaper to do so.

Hobbes · 25-12-2011 08:54AM

amacachi wrote: »

I wouldn't, last thing you'd want is him bringing your 8 year old daughter a Dildo album.

I said Grammar nazi. Not spell checker.

Ronin247 · 25-12-2011 09:07AM

Hobbes wrote: »

You can engage a childs imagination without making them believe something fictional is true.

And Christmas has nothing to do with kindness between total strangers, it is about selling end of year stock at a marked up price. It is just a commercialized holiday and has been for as long as I can remember.

If it was what you say it is, then there should be no issue telling your child that Santa is coming January because it is cheaper to do so.

You sir are a bundle of laughs.Who p*ssed on your cornflakes this morning.

.

amacachi · 25-12-2011 09:09AM

Hobbes wrote: »

I said Grammar nazi. Not spell checker.

*Czecher.

Buceph · 25-12-2011 09:50AM

I agree with hobbes on certain things.

My parents told me that the presents from Santa had to be paid for (from the age of about six or seven.)

And why should some mythical being get the credit for doing something nice for your child? Because everyone else perpetuates the sham?

I think Santa is a cool dude. And has a place in our lives. I just think that letting kids know that their family is important (and I would only imagine loving parents would do so) is important too.

There comes a point, and I think it's fairly early in a childs life, where the need to know that Santa can't make everything true for everyone. They're are a lot of children who don't get much, if anything for Christmas. And it's far easier to let your children know that that's because someone had to provide, rather than because some fantasy they believe in is actually going to let them down. Imagine a child talking about the wonders of Santa, only to hear from another child that Santa was a geebag who left him a clementine and last year's damaged action man. That's an awful lot of philosophical torment to put on either child. The lucky one whose dreams are fulfilled and can understand why such a lovely Santa would hurt his friend (or worse: thinks his friend was bad throughout the year) and the unfortunate one who ends up jealous or angry.

Like I said, my parents told me that Santa had to be paid for his presents, because he had to pay for the Elfs work (and later my aul fella started going on about unionised elfs when I was in on the joke.) And some people can't afford to pay Santa that much for presents. This lead to a lot of juvenile philosophical thoughts about how life was unfair, and how things shouldn't be that way. But I would prefer my own juvenile dilemma to making another child feel miserable during a time which should be of whatever little joy can be scraped together.

Also, Merry Christmas folks. I've been up drinking all night and had some family issues otherwise I wouldn't be this much of a downer. Christmas is about love, and if you can manage that I'm sure that's anyone will ever care about.

Joe10000 · 25-12-2011 09:54AM

Hobbes wrote: »

I could care less about Santa. While it is a handy threatening device ("Clean your room or Santa won't come"), it doesn't really add anything.
But what pisses me off is the "Must have Santa" mentality. For example, my mother got into an argument with me because I marked the cheapest present from Santa and only one present for my son from him. If it was up to her he would 2-3 from Santa and one ****ty present from me and the wife.

Your kids are probably faking it because they know they will get less presents.

Wow you're full of Christmas cheer.

robinph · 25-12-2011 10:07AM

It was never suggested to us that Santa was real. They did continue to push their version of the spaghetti monster on us for a while though.

slarkin123 · 25-12-2011 05:40PM

I wouldn't tell them outright. They tend to find these things out themselves. My 10 year old announced last week that there was no such thing as Santa and we buy her presents. She's not devastated about the news so we're all happy.

Diabhal Beag · 25-12-2011 07:05PM

If they don't figure it out by 10 I'd worry for them

later12 · 25-12-2011 09:02PM

Hobbes wrote: »

You can engage a childs imagination without making them believe something fictional is true.

Of course.

But you have already decided to make your son believe that something fictional is true anyway.

And since you have chosen to go down the Santa route at all, why not use it for some positive effect - fodder for the imagination, being one.

If it was what you say it is, then there should be no issue telling your child that Santa is coming January because it is cheaper to do so.

Not exactly; Christmas day is a unique window of opportunity when human interaction (in our society, at least) is mainly concerned with goodwill. As such, one might argue that children - and indeed adults too - are more receptive to lessons in kindness on this particular day.

If it were my child, I should think that dismissing Santa Claus and goodwill to one's fellow man as some sort of afterthought would be a sadly missed opportunity in teaching my son about some of the most gentle and benevolent traits that can, and ought to, characterise our society.

Dionysus · 25-12-2011 09:10PM

fatherted1969 wrote: »

As the title suggests what age do you think you should tell your kids about santa. Mine are 11 and 12 and i'm just back upstairs and i get the impression that they still believe. Kinda surprised if i'm honest.

I'd never allow them to believe any of this superstitious nonsense about a superhuman being flying in the sky with reindeers every Christmas. It would be unfair to let them believe in it, and then tell them it's silly to believe in a God.

Let's have consistency in atheist land, everybody!

MungBean · 25-12-2011 09:29PM

I wouldnt have them believing bullshít to begin with.

Joe10000 · 30-12-2011 09:55AM

Dionysus wrote: »

I'd never allow them to believe any of this superstitious nonsense about a superhuman being flying in the sky with reindeers every Christmas. It would be unfair to let them believe in it, and then tell them it's silly to believe in a God.

Let's have consistency in atheist land, everybody!

Are your kids allowed to watch the superman movies or do you protect them from that silly nonsense too ?

endacl · 30-12-2011 09:59AM

I'd definitely wait till I was well into me 30's.

fungun · 30-12-2011 10:36AM

id tell them going into secondary school to prevent them being laughed at i reckon. Up to that would be great if we could make it.

If it was up to her he would 2-3 from Santa and one ****ty present from me and the wife.

This is exactly what we do, we buy a boardgame for the family and for now everything else is a santa present....much more magical that way.
I cant believe that you would prefer your kids to know the present comes from you (for what, thanks???) rather than have your kids get that amazing smile that santa not only got what they wanted, but a little extra something too. Magical!

oh and...

If it was what you say it is, then there should be no issue telling your child that Santa is coming January because it is cheaper to do so.

i think you would find that if christmas moved to jan, the sales would move to feb!!!

robinph · 30-12-2011 10:56AM

fungun wrote: »

I cant believe that you would prefer your kids to know the present comes from you (for what, thanks???) rather than have your kids get that amazing smile that santa not only got what they wanted, but a little extra something too. Magical!

I can't believe that you would prefer your kids to think the present comes from santa (for what, them to get upset when they learn the truth???) rather than have your kids give you that amazing smile that you got what they wanted. Magical!

Mike 1972 · 30-12-2011 11:31AM

About tree fiddy ?

What age would you tell your kids about Santa?

Comments