When do kids stop believing in Santa?

[SurreyGuy]

As I'm now too old to remember when I myself stopped, is there a "rule of thumb" for what age kids are when they stop believing in

a) Santa Claus?
b) the Christmas Fairy (who puts the tree up)?
c) the Tooth Fairy?

[CAJ1]

I think I believed in them all including the easter bunny until I was about 10 (apart from the Christmas Fairy who I've never heard of)! But I think its different now, kids grow up too fast and don't look cool if they don't think the same as their mates so maybe it depends on who they hang about with. I'd say kids would work it out now long before they were 10 but I might be wrong!

[johnny.5]

when do kids stop being kids ?

[LoftyLottie]

I think they stop believing long before they admit they don't believe just because they enjoy it so much. They keep their parents fooled!!

[whiskeysheri]

What's a Christmas Fairy? :o\ I've never heard of a child thinking a fairy puts up the tree.

I stopped believing when I was 12. Shocking, but true. :)

[LoftyLottie]

I think kids actually stop believing as soon as they reach the age where they think things out logically, usually about 7 or 8 (or in Whiskey's case 12 ;o).

I have never heard of the Christmas Fairy putting the tree up, unless I am the Christmas Fairy (some fairy!!!!) The kids always helped with the tree.

[whiskeysheri]

LMAO! And I'm usually considered fairly intelligent, Lottie. :))

[SurreyGuy]

Thanks guys!

whiskeysheri and LoftyLottie - the Christmas Fairy is who my girlfriend's eight and a half year old thinks puts up the tree. I admit, I'd never heard of said fairy either! :o)

[Lakitu]

I was around 11 or 12 too, though I think it's much less these days. I kept getting presents from Santa for a few years though as my bro is 5 years younger than me and we had to keep up the pretence for him. Yay LOL.

I've never heard of the Christmas fairy either.

[ChuckFickens]

are you trying to tell me they are not real!!!

:(

[horselady]

I was 10, I woke up and saw my mum filling my stocking up. I asked her what she doing and she jumped about 6 ft in the air and told me to go back to sleep. That did it for me.

[missnemesis]

Santa?

HUMBUG!

Never believed in him

;-)

[~Wingnut~]

My eldest who is 10 knows about Father Christmas but thankfully my 5yr old doesn't. Sadly her 5 year old friend knows very different and says he knows it is his parents that bring his presents and that FC isn't real.
I find that quite sad that he doesn't believe at his age :o(

[eash]

What are you saying SurreyGuy? That all these are not real??
I feel sorry for any kids who might happen to read this!

[sleepyj]

u saying santa is not real ???????????? :(

[LoftyLottie]

I don't think any kids who believe in Santa will be reading this Eash. It's not a site I would let kids on and at that young age they should be supervised anyway.

[LoftyLottie]

Unless, of course, like Whiskeysheri they believed in him until they were 22!!!!

[coccinelle]

Had Santa Claus not written a thank-you note for the mince pie & whisky I'd left, I'd probably be still believing now...

[Lil O'lady]

Call me an old grump (no - really....) but I actually think its utterly daft to encourage children to believe in Father Christmas as currently promoted by the consumerist media.
The Christmas Spirit (as described in 'Christmas Carol), St Nicholas, are all fine stories, and may have some root in ancient beliefs and are none the worse for that, and are great for re-telling at his time of year.
But the very thought of a child at the age of 8+ being encouraged not to distinguish between fact and fiction just freaks me.
That and the fact that 'Santa' in his current guise was invented by the Coca-Cola corporation as a marketing device.
Bah, humbug. An if any of them ghosts of christmas come bothering me I'll throw Derek Acorah at them.
Last whinge - lets invent a few to encourage the youngsters to look after us: what about the Piles Elf; Mother Bunion who leaves comfy slippers; and the Good Housekeeping Fairy who cleans like a white tornado.....