Father Christmas. At what age "should" kids stop believing in him?

[gbb]

Can't remember what ages our children sussed it out but it kinda surprises me our live in 8yo grand daughter is into naughty elves and gleefully comes down each morning to see what they've been up to ? She's borderline thinking it's not real but hasn't quite got there yet, still enjoying the magic of it.
She's got 19 of them...

The pleasure on her face, the squeals of delight, its a shame to spoil it.

 

[Jameshow]

9 months after conception...🤣🤣🤣

 

[Fastpedaller]

You think that’s an issue? You’ll spend time telling them that they should stay away from strange men, and then once a year announce a strange man will be creeping into their bedroom (while they’re asleep)to leave them presents!
:-)

You are Jasper Carrot aren't you!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't recall ever believing he was real.

I don't either. Could be because I was the youngest of the children so the bubble had burst by the time I got involved.

We also had to write thank you letters. Why would I thank my Auntie Edna if the real provider was a fat beardy bloke?

 

[stephec]

My last girlfriend dumped me when I was aged 44. She said that I was too childish...

I'd take that as a compliment.

 

[Jameshow]

My last girlfriend dumped me when I was aged 44. She said that I was too childish...

Just after COVID wasn't it?!

 

[ColinJ]

Just after COVID wasn't it?!

I wish - I was 20 years older than that then!

 

[Punkawallah]

I have heard of kids who have to have Santa deliver the presents to their Grandparent's house because the idea of a strange man getting into their bedroom scares them so much

WHich does make you wonder what has happened to them - or what they have been told - that scared them so much

Perhaps they were caught unawares, and were presented with the story the wrong way around. I suspect the whole ‘bedroom’ thing becomes part of the legend at about the time they become aware of the incongruities, and is seen as a ‘tongue in cheek’ expansion on the ‘Santa = presents’ thing. Kids do baulk at the strangest things.
Famously I had to take an empty toilet roll up to a child’s bedroom, bang and clash, then return downstairs with the ends covered and demonstrate the toilet roll being crushed to persuade the bairn that the ‘shark’ in their bedroom was disposed of. Where they got the idea there was a shark in their bedroom, who knows.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Perhaps they were caught unawares, and were presented with the story the wrong way around. I suspect the whole ‘bedroom’ thing becomes part of the legend at about the time they become aware of the incongruities, and is seen as a ‘tongue in cheek’ expansion on the ‘Santa = presents’ thing. Kids do baulk at the strangest things.
Famously I had to take an empty toilet roll up to a child’s bedroom, bang and clash, then return downstairs with the ends covered and demonstrate the toilet roll being crushed to persuade the bairn that the ‘shark’ in their bedroom was disposed of. Where they got the idea there was a shark in their bedroom, who knows.

A lo of kids I knew (and know) find the presents outside their bedroom on Christmas day
My daughter always found hers in the lounge - there was no way we were going into her room once she was asleep - she was terrible to get off and woke at the slightest noise!!!
After a while we did start leaving a few small bits outside her door to stop her coming down at silly o'clock and opening everything - we had to help Santa out and having then downstairs meant he didn;t have to get the sack around the bend in the staircase!!

 

[NorthernSky]

i think i remember not believing in Santa and one of my sisters still did so i said i'd believe in him for just one more year

 

[kynikos]

Hampshire pupils 'sob' as vicar discusses existence of Santa - BBC NEWS!

The irony of it: Man who believes in god (old, immortal man with flowing white beard and magical powers) disses Santa (old, immortal man with flowing white beard and magical powers) as not real...

 

[fossyant]

Elf on the Shelf is big these days. My sister and brother's kids have 'him' round their house. Get's up to mischief, but 'Pickles' had apparently packed his bags and went home to the North Pole for my sister's 3 1/2 year old lad. He's apparently been playing up, not getting ready in the morning. Pickles then moved in with Nana (they have an identical one) and facetimed him to show where he was staying. Anyway, Pickles in now back home with his own sleeping bag.

My brother's Elf has been up to mischief, messing rooms up, squirting tooth paste etc etc.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My Nanna used to always shake her presents to try and work out what they were. I stopped putting names on presents, which upset her no end. She’d have wait till Christmas Day, when I revealed whose was whose.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I think I stopped believing aged about 10, after I found my forthcoming Father Christmas delivered Scalextric on top of a wardrobe, about a fortnight before Christmas Day! Me and brother kept taking it down, assembling the track and playing with it when mum and dad went to the pub, then putting it back before they got back. I played along with the belief in Father Christmas on Christmas Day, if I remember rightly.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think I stopped believing aged about 10, after I found my forthcoming Father Christmas delivered Scalextric on top of a wardrobe, about a fortnight before Christmas Day! Me and brother kept taking it down, assembling the track and playing with it when mum and dad went to the pub, then putting it back before they got back. I played along with the belief in Father Christmas on Christmas Day, if I remember rightly.

Your presents were never wrapped?