Telling the truth about Santa

With my niece getting older, and with Christmas now over and done with, I'm beginning to wonder when would be the best time for parents to tell the truth about Santa.

I know I was young when I was told the truth, but I can't remember how young, maybe 16 years old. Just kidding. I know I knew the truth when I was 7, as I was told that I couldn't talk about it with some friends who stilled believed in Santa.

Any thoughts on this matter?

 

i think I found out when I was 7 or 8

its one of life's greatest disappointments. Such a sensitive topic...I'll proably tell my son whenever he starts questioning it

hopefully he won't wait until he's 15 lol

 

Children should never be informed of the lie that Santa exists.

 

I don't recall being disappointed.

 

I don't tell my kids, I wait until they ask, and then we talk about it. She'll figure it out.

There is nothing wrong with Santa, Maelstrom. There are a lot worse things in the world than having a little magic at Christmas.

 

the truth is to complicated, and probably illegal in many states..

 

What if the chimney gave consent?

 

I just found out the truth this year!

 

Why allow them to believe in him in the first place? I believe that Santa Claus was created for the wrong reasons, to give a fat jolly face to consumerism, the idea that the more things you have the happier you will be, so I don't think I will even introduce the idea of Santa to my kids. I don't remember when I found out Santa wasn't real, I'm sure I always had an idea that he wasn't and I definitely was not broken up about it. Like the tooth fairy and easter bunny, Santa is just a way for parents to give things to their kids. Why let some fictitious character who never has to go through the trials of parenting get all the credit for everything?

 

i don't think my parents ever told me. it really wasn't hard to figure out on my own.

 

I found out at an early age too.

But it didn't break my heart because I found out that my family were the Santas all along.

And I appreciated them for that.

 

because its fun for kids. Christmas means a lot more as a kid for a reason. I don't really remember any of my presents that I got at Christmas when I was little but I remember reading the story The Night Before Christmas and watching the old claymation Rudolph and being too excited to sleep because I was listening out for Santa. And marveling that a big fat man could fit down such a tiny chimney! I remember leaving him cookies and being so excited in the morning that he ate them all.

Santa is only about consumerism if you allow him to be. otherwise he's about imagination and magic.

 

I was told randomly by my brother when I was 5 that Santa was dead, he was chopped up with a chainsaw. I didn't ask by whom or why, and I didn't fully believe him, but part of me was worried. That year, I remembered when I got my presents; but I didn't think about it again before then.

After that year, I never fully believed. I figured it was just stories, like on the TV. I don't think there was any real reason, except maybe all the conflicting reports in the Christmas specials.. I actually think I believed more and longer in the Easter bunny...


I have a heard time deciding whether I should tell my (future) children these tall tales. Doesn't seem good for a person..

 

Santa on the weather radar, really got me good.. that's genius. at least for one more year..

 

It was genius. This year my local news station put out a Santa Tracking App for kids.

 

Why does a present have to be from some strange cookie-eating guy you don't know?

 

I think kids are more technically advanced now.. kid be like "oh that CGI santa dont fool me."..

 

I still believe in santa clause. I still leave out milk & cookies. I'll never tell my kids he doesn't exist, well, because I believe he Does exist. Let kids hold onto the belief of santa, it goes hand in hand with innocence. My older brothers told me that santa clause isn't real when I was about 5 years old. They were so wrong to do that. Older brothers are the worst. They crushed me. I was devastated...I didn't stop believing though. Just because you can't or havn't seen something, doesn't mean it Doesn't exist, right?

...
there was a real saint nicholas, right? so maybe he exists more in the spirit sense
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_nicholas

 

False. Ad Ignorantiam.

 

I believe in the spirit and magic of Santa Clause. Just look at how a young kid's face lights up when he or she unwraps that one gift they wanted that year, and knew that it was Santa that got it for them. That's real magic if you ask me.