Jacqueline WoolleyPosted on 12/21/2014 8:18:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Earlier this week, a woman wrote in to Slate's Dear Prudence advice chat asking whether it's considered lying to allow her daughter, who is three, to continue to believe in Santa Claus.
Prudie's take: Nah.
"Reality will eventually out," wrote the columnist, Emily Yoffe, "but there’s so much reality in this life, that one of the delights of childhood, and of being a parent, is to spread a little fairy dust occasionally."
Later in the chat, though, another person wrote in saying that his or her parents kept the Santa thing going until the writer was nine, at which point this person found out and felt "incredibly embarrassed" that he or she had been "duped" for so long.
The takeaway is clear: There is no way to not traumatize your children.
So, barring an early reality check from an elementary-school Scrooge, when is a normal age for kids to realize who's actually leaving those presents under the tree?
In studies for which she interviewed children, University of Texas psychologist Jacqueline Woolley noticed a drop-off in belief in Santa after the age of five. That's also when belief in the Tooth Fairy peaked, as well:
Percent Who Believe, by Age
Her findings resembled a 1978 study that found that 85 percent of 4-year-olds believe in Santa, but only 65 percent of 6-year-olds and 25 percent of 8-year-olds do.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
When my kids were 5 and 6, we went so far as to have a townhouse neighbor play Santa Claus while we were away on a family visit, and this impressed them greatly. In fact, I was shocked, many years later, to hear my son say that this “miraculous” event was the one thing that prevented him from abandoning his belief in Santa. I said not a word.
I think it is part of childhood to believe in Santa. My daughter was mad that we had lied to her at first, but she understood when all of sudden Christmas was not as fun for her.
She got over it.
My daughter is six. When I was bringing the Christmas items down from the attic after Thanksgiving, she saw all of the wrapping paper and asked, “How come Santa Claus uses the same wrapping paper that we do?”
Sounds like growing up in your home was a whole lot of fun.
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
I was about 6 years old when it dawned on me that my Mom and Santa had the exact same penmanship. I never said anything and thanked my parents for everything.
You don’t have to explain Santa to children, they figure it out soon enough. In my case, I played the game as long as they wanted to. :^)
Lol. That’s how I found out too.
My daughter gets presents with different wrapping paper now because of this!
</sarc>
“He shoulda said — I know you are MY Santa Claus...”
He didn’t have the articulateness to argue in that way, but he knew it.
He was smart enough to know it was wasn’t really a denial of what he was saying and was a tacit admission he was right.
I am so happy to read your post. Makes me wanna say War Eagle to you! Lol. (Funny thing is that my husband is watching our recording of this year’s Iron Bowl as I type.)
Gee whiz mom, if that's the worst you child ever hears at school count your blessings.
In fact, at that time I didn't even know my daughter no longer believed, she never let on.
My mom told me when I asked that question that she had to provide the wrapping paper for Santa. I believed her, but when I found the scraps of fabric in a bag from the doll clothes she made for my Barbie that I had gotten from Santa, the jig was up. I think that was fourth grade.
Yesterday my daughter who has a son who is 2 suddenly asked me why did I wrap the “Santa presents”. I really had no answer for her. I sort of remembered my own presents as a kid not being wrapped but as I told her I really only remember one Christmas clearly - the one when I got the beautiful doll I wanted so much.
Oh yeah and I also remember the time when my mom said “this year we’re leaving Santa a beer! “
Santa presents were never wrapped growing up for me, and I understood why when I had my own kids.
Also, Santa typically brought things like bikes.
My 3 kids are 18-20 and they still like their stockings and other stuff. It’s hard to do now.
My girls are teenagers who still humor their old man - I like to think its mainly because one of our traditions is to read a number of the same things every year. One of them is the editors response to Virginia on the existence if Santa Claus. What a dreary life it would be indeed...
One of the others is the book of Luke. What a wonderful thing is this life we’ve been given to share with such a gift as this.
I had our Granddaughter believing at 10 years old in Santa!!
I certainly would hope so—you were presumably in the 4th grade!
My son was perhaps 6 - he got up one morning and my wife remembered she hadn’t left money for his tooth. So she rushed into his room then hopped back into bed. A little bit later she hears “Hey - I checked when I got up and my tooth was there. And NOW there’s money!!” My wife told him she was the tooth fairy.
Several weeks later he is trying to fall asleep. Then she hears giggling coming from his room.
“What are you giggling about?”
“You know how you are the Tooth Fairy?”
“Yesssss?”
“I bet you’re really Santa Claus too!”
He was pretty proud of himself figuring that out. And then being in on the secret with his younger sisters.
In fifth grade they (twins) questioned Santa based on conversations with their friends and asked us about it.
“Do you think Mom and I would buy you all of that stuff!!??”
“They both looked at each other and big smiles came over their faces - “No WAY!”
The following year though the one daughter figured it out, and my wife was confronted by the other one just before Christmas. When my wife told her she was pissed. At the age of 17 she still remembers it. Pretty sure she has gotten over the ordeal thought.
I remember when I was 5 my parents trying to get me to believe in Santa. It made me mad that they kept pushing something that didn’t make any sense.
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