What age would you tell your kids about Santa?

cynder · 30-12-2011 12:26PM

I think most kids have it sussed by 1st year, some play alone just to make the parents happy.

My lady questioned santa at 8 in 2nd class, it was forced on her till 4th class (age 10) when we told her the truth, she knew anyway...

She was told not to tell any other kids but most kids had copped it by 6th class. Some still pretend to their parents that they believe though. Just to keep their parents happy...

LordSutch · 30-12-2011 12:41PM

fatherted1969 wrote: »

what age would you tell your kids about santa

Nine, ten, eleven (at a push)?

amacca · 30-12-2011 01:08PM

I for one believe this thread would have received more interesting and varied responses if it had been titled

what age would you tell your kids about stalin

ScumLord · 30-12-2011 01:24PM

later10 wrote: »

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.

But it's nonsense, I don't see the point in filling kids heads with useless nonsense, if only we where so enthusiastic about proper education, but no we'd rather live in a fantasy land.

I wouldn't be telling my children about santa in the first place, they#d come home from school one winter saying all the kids in school believe some sort of craziness about a fat man.

I used to always look forward to the present that my father got me on Christmas. It was always some big cool technic lego set that me and him used to spend the day putting together. That's more of a meaning of Christmas to me than any fictional character pushed out by a corporation. Family over fiction.

.

hondasam · 30-12-2011 02:03PM

I would never promote the idea of santa in the first place, I would let them have their little dream but would not encourage it past the age of 6/7yrs.

Pretty Polly · 30-12-2011 05:07PM

If they were starting secondary school and they still believed then i think it would be ok to make them aware. Sure most children would know by 10 wouldn't they?

wandatowell · 30-12-2011 05:30PM

Pretty Polly wrote: »

If they were starting secondary school

In fairness, if kids still believed in Santa when starting secondary school then id have serious reservations regarding their ability to look at the world around them and use logic

Mark200 · 30-12-2011 05:37PM

a-k-47 wrote: »

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

I agree. When I was in secondary school one of our teachers told us about a time that he was talking about the story of Santa and one of the kids in the class started to cry....

You'd wanna make sure you tell them before secondary school.

Dudess · 30-12-2011 05:48PM

The second they're born - and repeatedly until they have no hope left.

Plug · 30-12-2011 05:52PM

Dudess wrote: »

The second they're born - and repeatedly until they have no hope left.

I wouldn't leave it go into secondary school. It is always the hardy lads of primary school who tell them first anyway:rolleyes:

Dudess · 30-12-2011 05:57PM

I'd rather a kid have a bit of supernatural magic to their Christmas than to be ultra cynical for the sake of it, so I'd let them find out for themselves.
There's more to Christmas than crazy commercialism too. Your own Christmas doesn't have to be. Strikes me as unfair to force an ideal on a young child - just to be contrarian.

later12 · 30-12-2011 05:58PM

ScumLord wrote: »

But it's nonsense, I don't see the point in filling kids heads with useless nonsense, if only we where so enthusiastic about proper education, but no we'd rather live in a fantasy land.
.

Do you see no benefit in developing their imagination? In being able to imagine something from what is not apparent? What about reading to your children story-books like Tom Thumb, or Aesop's Fables?

Imagination is one of the most wonderful gifts of childhood, and it is something that can leave an indelible mark on an individual's creativity later in life.

I think we're dealing with a sort of rationality paranoia here, a sort of dull puritanism by people who are afraid that entertaining children with fanciful, absurd, and funny stories is going to 'pollute them'. Do as you wish with your children, but personally I think it's a little short sighted.

robinph · 30-12-2011 06:14PM

later10 wrote: »

Do you see no benefit in developing their imagination? In being able to imagine something from what is not apparent? What about reading to your children story-books like Tom Thumb, or Aesop's Fables?

Imagination is one of the most wonderful gifts of childhood, and it is something that can leave an indelible mark on an individual's creativity later in life.

I think we're dealing with a sort of rationality paranoia here, a sort of dull puritanism by people who are afraid that entertaining children with fanciful, absurd, and funny stories is going to 'pollute them'. Do as you wish with your children, but personally I think it's a little short sighted.

There is nothing in the idea of not using Santa as the present giver that goes against them "believing" in other stories that you may read to them, or the characters that they see in cartoons on telly, or in mickey mouse and his Disney friends. They will quite happily "believe" in those other characters, but the Santa myth is portrayed as a different level of mystical being when he starts putting presents beneath the tree at Christmas and adult try and make out that he really is real.

Kid are quite capable of distinguishing between real and fake in other things they encounter, but adult ever tried to tell them that the Telly Tubbies were actually real. They will happily imagine stories about those characters though.

Dudess · 30-12-2011 06:17PM

later10 wrote: »

ScumLord wrote: »

But it's nonsense, I don't see the point in filling kids heads with useless nonsense, if only we where so enthusiastic about proper education, but no we'd rather live in a fantasy land.
.

Do you see no benefit in developing their imagination? In being able to imagine something from what is not apparent? What about reading to your children story-books like Tom Thumb, or Aesop's Fables?

Imagination is one of the most wonderful gifts of childhood, and it is something that can leave an indelible mark on an individual's creativity later in life.

I think we're dealing with a sort of rationality paranoia here, a sort of dull puritanism by people who are afraid that entertaining children with fanciful, absurd, and funny stories is going to 'pollute them'. Do as you wish with your children, but personally I think it's a little short sighted.

If I've kids I'll be in close proximity to BBC News 24 throughout my entire pregnancy, and from the moment they're born, they'll watch/listen to nothing else. :-/
Teaching them to read? Well it wouldn't be fair to expect them to start with The Economist, but they'll look at the pictures in-depth so they will!

nlgbbbblth · 30-12-2011 06:22PM

Tell them when they ask "is Santa real?"

Worked for me and my Dad.

Capt'n Midnight · 30-12-2011 06:28PM

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Tell them when they ask "is Santa real?"

Worked for me and my Dad.

You were around when your dad asked :eek:

later12 · 30-12-2011 06:41PM

robinph wrote: »

They will quite happily "believe" in those other characters, but the Santa myth is portrayed as a different level of mystical being when he starts putting presents beneath the tree at Christmas

Why the separation? Why the sudden line in the sand there?

Lots of children believe in myths like Cu Chulainn, and Oisin and Tir na n-Og, I know I certainly did, and if anything it made me more curious about the world around me and what *might* lie beyond our comprehension; and definitely fired my imagination. Creative inspiration such as this is important, as it has always been.

I don't see why stories of Santa Clause must be any less inspiring, and certainly not more dangerous or harmful to a child than many other children's stories out there which children perceive to be real.

Noo · 30-12-2011 06:45PM

Do people not remember what it was like believing in Santa or something? It was the most amazing thing as a child. Those magical memories of getting excited and seeing that Santa had been still makes me happy. I'll never take that experience away from any child for my own cynical reasons.

robinph · 30-12-2011 06:47PM

later10 wrote: »

robinph wrote: »

They will quite happily "believe" in those other characters, but the Santa myth is portrayed as a different level of mystical being when he starts putting presents beneath the tree at Christmas

Why the separation? Why the sudden line in the sand there?

Lots of children believe in myths like Cu Chulainn, and Oisin and Tir na n-Og, I know I certainly did, and if anything it made me more curious about the world around me and what *might* lie beyond our comprehension; and definitely fired my imagination. Creative inspiration such as this is important, as it has always been.

I don't see why stories of Santa Clause must be any less inspiring, and certainly not more dangerous or harmful to a child than many other children's stories out there which children perceive to be real.

But if you had ever asked if those things were real then you would have been told that it was a legend / myth /story. Why not say the same about Santa?

later12 · 30-12-2011 07:02PM

robinph wrote: »

But if you had ever asked if those things were real then you would have been told that it was a legend / myth /story. Why not say the same about Santa?

Not really as a matter of fact. We were taught Cu Chulainn as though it were ancient history, but that's irrelevant.

Santa is nothing more than a fun myth which can engage a child's imagination; why don't you just list your problems with it because I'm not sure what we're supposed to be defending here?

Pretty Polly · 30-12-2011 07:29PM

later10 wrote: »

Do you see no benefit in developing their imagination? In being able to imagine something from what is not apparent? What about reading to your children story-books like Tom Thumb, or Aesop's Fables?

Imagination is one of the most wonderful gifts of childhood, and it is something that can leave an indelible mark on an individual's creativity later in life.

I couldn't agree with this more. Thats the great thing about being young, you believe anything can happen.

robinph · 30-12-2011 07:38PM

later10 wrote: »

Not really as a matter of fact. We were taught Cu Chulainn as though it were ancient history, but that's irrelevant.

Santa is nothing more than a fun myth which can engage a child's imagination; why don't you just list your problems with it because I'm not sure what we're supposed to be defending here?

Have no problem at all with Santa being a fun myth. It's just your talking about Santa being real.

cgpg5 · 30-12-2011 07:45PM

I must say that there seems to be always something missing around Christmas time ever since there is no Santa.

I can't wait for the day that I myself have kids and when they start believing as I feel it'll make it that bit more special once again.

later12 · 30-12-2011 07:52PM

robinph wrote: »

Have no problem at all with Santa being a fun myth. It's just your talking about Santa being real.

Yeah, for about 9 or 10 years of the kid's life.

Like I said, what's your problem with this? We can't know what to defend unless we know what the criticism is.

What's your opinion on children's tea parties?

Real refreshments or air slurping?

MungBean · 30-12-2011 08:16PM

later10 wrote: »

Yeah, for about 9 or 10 years of the kid's life.

Like I said, what's your problem with this? We can't know what to defend unless we know what the criticism is.

What's your opinion on children's tea parties?

Real refreshments or air slurping?

Thats roleplay and acting. The child knows theres no tea in the cup and that she cant actually eat her morla cakes. You dont encourage a child to believe in nonsense you encourage them to play and learn using fun stories that are never given as facts only as a framework in which they can learn. They know from an early age (even if they cant quite understand it perfectly) that they are only stories and the wicked witch wont actually get them and Bambi didnt actually die.

Backing up Santa as fact to a child and creating physical evidence that he exists is not the same as tea time or tomb thumb. You are lying and deceiving a child into believing something that isnt true. Then when they hit the age where you think they shouldnt be believing in nonsense you tell them it was all a hoax and everything they have been taught about it was lies and break their hearts and cause them a lot of mental anguish.

Each person will have a different view but personally I wont be lying to my kids and deceiving them into believing cock and bull stories because its whats done or because it did me no harm. I'll be telling them the truth when they ask for it and they will still get their presents and they will still be excited and they will still have very fond memories of Christmas. With the added bonus of not having their reality crushed at 11 when daddy decides to fess up to years of lies and deception.

Noo · 30-12-2011 08:26PM

Wow believing in Santa must have really fooked you up!

I for one never felt deceived or lied to, i am grateful for the magical Christmases i had and i turned out fine.

Azureus · 30-12-2011 08:43PM

I love the myth of Santa and the magic that it creates, but I'll never forget the guilt I felt as the youngest child letting on I no longer believed. I kept it up for about two years after I knew it wasnt real purely because I overheard my mam saying to her friends that Christmas isnt the same without kids/Santa etc and I didnt wanna be the one to ruin that. Plus my older brothers wanted Santa pressies aswell as parents ones for as long as possible :P

I would still always play up to the Santa myth if I ever had kids though-Ill never forget the magic of the sooty handprints on my bedroom door, the colours that were put in the fire as 'magic fairydust' (actually methylated spirits and sweet wrappers)...its part of the beauty of Christmas time, and having spent my first Christmas as an adult with young children around this year it really does add to the spirit of the season seeing kids faces with all the magic and wonderment.

To answer the question in the OP though, Id say 10 is as old as kids should get still believing.

Posy · 30-12-2011 08:48PM

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.

When I was a child, all my Christmas presents were from Santa. He brought the Christmas presents and I never questioned otherwise.
Ah, the memories. Believing in Santa was brilliant!

MungBean · 30-12-2011 09:06PM

Noo wrote: »

Wow believing in Santa must have really fooked you up!

I for one never felt deceived or lied to, i am grateful for the magical Christmases i had and i turned out fine.

You never felt deceived or lied to when your parents confessed to deceiving and lying to you ? Yeah ok.

Glad to see you were raised to be an intelligent and rational human being. :rolleyes:

saa · 30-12-2011 09:11PM

They will figure it out, I just got to an age where I noticed all the zillions of "but Santa is real" kind of things on TV and I knew something was up!

What age would you tell your kids about Santa?

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