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At what age do kids generally stop believing in Santa?

posted 17 years ago by DragStrip
49 replies | jump to latest

I ask this only because my cousins (from Belgium) are coming to stay over the New Year period, and my Uncle and Auntie want us to act as if the youngest (who is 9) still believes in Santa. This seems remarkable to me because I distinctly remember when I was 9 my then best friend said he believed in Santa, and I didn't believe him because the concept that anyone our age still believed was ridiculous. At the same time I know some aspects of maturing are encouraged earlier in the UK than most other places. But the thing is I don't think I even had to be told that he didn't exist when I was a kid, I just reached that conclusion when I was 7 or 8, and frankly, it wasn't traumatic at all. My older cousin (11) certainly hasn't believed in it for a long time, even though I don't think he's ever discussed it. I suspect my relatives just can't be bothered to talk to them about it.

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[–] mrs_george_harrison 17 years ago

8 or 9. 10 is too near reaching secondary school - wouldnt want the kid to be bullied !

"Stop dragging things down to your own level, it's immature son." - John Lennon, Help!

[–] Thecoolperson 17 years ago

I stopped believing when I was about 7, but there was a boy in my class who was telling everyone that he didn't exist since we were all about 5.

"Thank goodness for Habitat sofa coffins!" - Christopher Ryan said that!

[–] Westaz316 17 years ago

I was 12.

[–] Jedi2155 16 years ago

As was I.....sorta silly that I believed in him for so long :).

[–] Debsy_Doll 16 years ago

I think I was about 9 when I stopped believing in him.

previously known as cheesecake49

[–] karana_geldar 16 years ago

I was 10, but it more or less confirmed what I suspected already.

I didn't spoil it for my sisters though until I was sure I knew he wasn't real

Obi-Wan is my hero!

[–] ryanty22 12 years ago

Someone shoulda beat that boys tail, kids are asked to give up childhood to early

[–] yessey 17 years ago

I was about 2.

If you are an atheist and are 100% proud of it put this as your signature.

[–] nickriddle1981 17 years ago

Wait... wait a minute, what are yall talking about Santa not being real?

[–] sharkwrestling 16 years ago

I remember a teacher when I was in the last year of Primary school here in the UK (age 10) telling us not to go telling the younger kids that Santa wasn't real etc, and seeing a girl in the class with a look on her face that made it obvious that it was being hammered home for the first time that there really was no Santa. There's a fairly big grey area where kids are being told by peers that it isn't real but they still have some doubt in their mind.

[–] voyager78906 16 years ago

I'm twenty

I BELIEVE

[–] kristie_rainbowgirl 15 years ago

24 years old, 8 months pregnant and I still believe in Santa!!!

lol

Well ok, I was 8 when my friend and I sort of figured it out on our own one day. My mom picked both of us up from school that day and we asked her, "Santa's not real is he?" and she told us that no he wasn't. It wasn't traumatic.

I LOVE Christmas still and this is my all time favorite Christmas movie!!

[–] daleshrimp 15 years ago

well,Kristie my dear I'll tell you a secret.

I know that he exists.

i see him in the mirror at home.

sometimes.

usualy Ill spot him mid november when he arrives at my home.
His boots are left by my sofa, and his red coat is hung where my christmas tree usualy stands.

now this year your going to recieve an early present. may it bring you happieness.
:)

Santa....(sometimes)

[–] theantigaz 15 years ago

When I was 7 I started to suspect, but that year I sent my Christmas list off in the post and Royal Mail (post service here in the UK) sent a Christmas card from Santa with my name on and everything back, so I believed for another year. In fact I nearly got into a fight with another kid at school who said he didn't exist and I threatened to punch him because I had 'proof' he did! I think I officially stopped believing in him the year after when I was 8, but I also seem to remember knowing in my heart it was all a ruse but wanting to believe in him anyway. This has more or less stayed with me through my adult life, obviously the rational side of me know he does not exist, but my inner-child-like dreams can;t help but wish that maybe, just maybe he is real and adults just don't get it because they don't believe anymore. I;ve definately seen too many Christmas specials...

"Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules..."

[–] roger-388 15 years ago

I'm 20 and I still like o believe in him, or at least that he was at one time real.

" I Believe in Santa Claus and everything he does"

from Santa Claus is Comin' to Town special

[–] mike841313 13 years ago

I stumbled upon some presents labled (Santa) when i was 9 (3 months short of 10) and my mom told me the truth becuase she said it was only a very of time before the kids at school would tell me. She would rather tell me herself. The way she went about it was perfect.

~"No Man is a Failure who has Friends"~

[–] m-slovak79 15 years ago

well i can sorta remember when i found out but i don't recall my exact age when i found out (i am 30 years old now), but i do remember i was quite young and found out from my aunt/mom back in the day at my house as i thought i remembered asking them and they where trying to play it off but could not hold it in any longer. so that's pretty much how i found out.

i am 'guessing' i was around 10-ish when i found out. at the most it was 11-12 TOPS. since i can recall i stopped 'trick or treating' @ 13 years old so it had to be before that when i found out Santa did not exist.

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[–] Mr_Pistol 15 years ago

Probably around age 5 when my parents stopped trying to guess what to buy me and just took me to the store to pick out my gifts.

[–] Error_PC_LOAD_LETTER 15 years ago

If children believe he is an ordinary 'man' they see his existence as impossible by around age 6. No man can do the things he does.

Some children recognize him as a supposedly supernatural or miraculous person, place, event -- and may believe until 9, 10, or even 11.

I suspect that comments made in the news, newspapers, media, etc. make skeptics out of children who are old enough to read.

I got living proof, however, when I was eleven. That was the year Santa turned me into doo doo. I've lived in relative isolation ever since.

[–] Maxx_the_Slash 15 years ago

According to most of these posts, I actually lasted a bit longer than most people before finally stopping believing in Santa. I stopped at about 12.

The reason I stopped at 12 and not later is because I snuck out of bed at 9 o'clock when my parents went to the basement to get the presents, and I hid behind the couch while they put them under the tree, then ate the cookies and carved reindeer teeth marks into the carrots to make it look like reindeer ate them. If I didn't catch them, I would have believed for a little longer. I was gullible.
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You **** with The Warriors, you get your ****ing head split.

[–] Wombstar 15 years ago

But reindeer swallow carrots whole.. that was always the dead give away..lol

Anyway i still believe and im 26.
I've even just wrapped a gift to myself from Santa.. it's not under the tree.

[–] Darwinskid 15 years ago

I was about 9-11 when I stopped believing.

"Most movies I like are usually the hated ones..."

[–] am_buglet_82 15 years ago

I was around 10 or 11...I pretty much just figured it out for myself, so it wasn't a traumatic experience.
My brother was the same way.
After we figured it out we pretty much just played along for our parents' sakes :P.

-Amanda

"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits"

[–] Maxx_the_Slash 15 years ago

Quote (Wombstar): "But reindeer swallow carrots whole.. that was always the dead give away..lol

I never knew that. I didn't grow up on a farm. My dad didn't either, and the little time my mom spend on a farm in her life she only had chickens. But don't reindeer have teeth? I assumed teeth were for chewing, not for show.
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You **** with The Warriors, you get your ****ing head split.

[–] NorthOakJR 15 years ago

I'm 27 and still believe. Santa is the spirit of Christmas. Why should anyone have to stop believing in the spirit of Christmas? To stop believing in Santa, is to stop believing in the magic and love that Christmas season brings.

[–] emey 15 years ago

Santa isn't real?
:'(

The title should be changed to stop believing really, i think.

I had my suspisions about 8/9 and ask if he was real at about 9 and got told of course he was. Then by 10/11 i asked again and i was told the truth and i said i would play along for my younger siblings benefit.
My sister still believed at 9, but had her suspisions and still believed until my nanny blurted it out that he wasn't real and we all screamed at her "NANNY!" cause she assumed everyone knew he wasn't real by then just because her friend told her when she was 8.

[–] Alex_H_86 14 years ago

After the last day of grade 6, which I believe made me 11 I had 'that talk' with my mum about Santa, but I guess I had know deep down for 2-3 years before that.

'BEING EVIL IS WRONG'