Tips for explaining Santa Claus When you sense your child is ready, you can start the Santa conversation by asking your child what they believe. Your child may surprise you and say they don't believe in Santa at all. If they say they do believe, ask them why and what makes Santa special.
The truth is, he's not a person at all – he's an idea. Get them to think of all those presents Santa gave them over the years. Explain that you actually bought those yourself and that Santa Claus is the idea of giving for the sake of giving, without thanks or acknowledgement.
Talk to them about your own experience with learning about Santa Claus and how you share the magic of Christmas through your own gift-giving. Explain that all parents “become” Santa one day, sharing the magic of Christmas with their own children, and that one day they will become that for their family.
While everyone is different, according to a recent poll by House Method, the average age kids in the United States stop believing in Santa Claus is 8.5 years. So, chances are good that somewhere around then is the right age for your child to learn the true story about Santa Claus.
If you think your child has it all figured out, it's a good idea to be truthful. For instance, you could explain that Saint Nicholas was, in fact, a real person from long ago. He was known for leaving presents for the children in his village and for caring for the less fortunate.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
The Age Most Kids Figure It Out
In most cases, eight or nine is the age that children stop believing in Santa, but not for the reasons you'd think. While most parents would probably blame their child's peers for blowing the whistle, it actually has more to do with the normal development of a child's brain.
Overall, the average age in the United States for no longer believing in Santa Claus is 8.4 years old. Mississippi has the oldest average age at 10.2 years old. Not far behind is Iowa where the average age is 9.9 years old. Rounding out the top five oldest are Montana (9.8), and Hawaii (9.5).
Most Americans (67%) stopped expecting Santa to shimmy down their chimney by the time they entered seventh grade. Half (49%) of Americans say they stopped believing in Santa before the age of 10 – with a quarter (23%) reporting that they lost sight of him between the ages of seven (10%) and eight (13%).
Nick is fictional. About 40 percent of the parents polled by the site said the right age to break the news about Santa to children is between the ages of 8 and 12, while one in 10 adults feel you can put off that disclosure until after kids turn 12.
Research suggests it's bad practice to lie to children. Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia's leading parenting experts, – "If you want to do Santa that's fine, but let the kids know Santa was based on a historical figure who may or may not have done the things that we think he did".
Explain that Santa is a symbol
Say something like this, “The Santa that you see in books, movies, and in stores is a person in a costume. People dress up in Santa costumes to remind us… …of someone who lived a long, long time ago called St. Nicholas who secretly gave money to people who needed it.”
“Are Mom and Dad really Santa?” We know that you want to know the answer and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
Believing in Santa Claus can also benefit children's development as an avenue for creativity, imagination and play. There are developmentally appropriate ways to sensitively and honestly respond to your child's questions about him.
As children start to understand more about physical impossibilities, they learn for themselves that the Santa story just couldn't be real.
Beliefs in Santa are incredibly prevalent among children in many Western countries. One study by Jacqueline Woolley at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) found that more than 80 per cent of 5-year-olds in the US are convinced of his existence.
While there is no perfect age to have this conversation, parents often start noticing their children becoming skeptical around eight, but this can vary. However, it may be beneficial to initiate the conversation before middle school. At this point, most of their peers will know the truth about Santa.
“Ten to 12 is a great range because kids are still very connected to their parents and into their parents being in their phone and in their business,” says Catherine Pearlman, a licensed clinical social worker and author of “First Phone,” a guide for kids.
Lying to a child is not a good idea in general, but psychologists say that an exception can be made for such myths. Experts agree that believing in such characters or tales is a healthy part of a child's growing process.
Can You Play Secret Santa With An Odd Number Of Players? Yes, of course! Secret Santa does not exclusively belong to social groups with even digits.
In my family, for example, we set a budget and go from there—and many families do the same. According to a November 2022 study, most parents are budgeting $220 for each child—with the highest budgets for 7 to 12-year-olds, though 28% of those surveyed are trying to keep it below $100.
For school-aged kids, 4 to 5 gifts are enough. You can gift them their favorite toy, a lovely Christmas dress, a pair of Christmas shoes, and some storybooks to read. For teenagers, the quantity of gifts doesn't matter. You should select at least three favorite items of your teenager and pack them nicely.
Money etiquette experts suggest spending $10 to $20 for classmates while expanding the budget to $25 for close friends, $50 for relatives and upwards of $100 for your own children.