While there are many benefits to protecting children's belief in Santa, it's not OK to lie to children about his existence. Most children have a positive reaction to their Santa discovery. Discovering the truth about Santa is part of growing up and a sign that the child is developing critical thinking skills.
Dr. Lamminen says that for typically developing children, the years between age 7 and 11 mark a big change in thinking. Younger children are more imaginative, but not very logical, making it easy to believe in Santa. By age 7, believing starts to become more difficult.
Adults should not lie to children about Santa. When a child asks the question as to whether Santa is real or not, they're already at a developmental stage to distinguish between reality and fictional characters.
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.
Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. As an only child, he was given great affection by his parents.
"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.
While kids may no longer look for reindeer on Christmas Eve, your tween might be ready to embrace the spirit of Santa Claus and spread the joy of giving in their own special way. Helping do so guarantees that in your child's heart, Santa will live forever and that he is, in fact, very real.
If you're wondering if your kids are still expecting Santa to bring their presents this year, most have stopped believing in Old St Nick by the age of eight, according to the first international academic "Santa survey," while many parents wished that they still believed in Father Christmas even as adults.
Although the Santa sham is meant to bring magic to kids' holidays, parents should not lie to their children about Santa because it improperly incentivizes good behavior while ensuring disappointment and broken trust upon discovery.
The U.S. Postal Service even helps parents provide replies to children's letters to Santa complete with a North Pole postmark. With all this work, it's no wonder that 85 percent of 5-years-olds think Santa Claus is real, according to research by Jacqueline D. Wooley, a psychologist at the University of Michigan.
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.”
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.
A study from 1978 found that about 85 percent of young American kids believe in Santa, and researchers today confirm those numbers still hold true, with many kids believing until about age eight.
Simply explain to your child that the gifts are purchased and wrapped by mom and dad, and that you share in the magic of Christmas as a family by spreading joy. Let them know that the Santa they see in the store is someone paid to sit and give children the joy of believing in something magical.
Because Santa is synonymous with childhood, the belief in him must go away at one point or another if we want our kids to grow up. There's no specific age, necessarily.
“If I cry, will Santa not bring me presents on Christmas?” “You will get presents every Christmas because gifts are a joy to give and receive. You know that all feelings are welcome in our family and our home will always be a safe space for us to cry.”
What do you call a kid who doesn't believe in Santa? A rebel without a Claus.
Instead, you might ask a few questions back. Ask, "What makes you ask that?" or "What do you think about that?" It's okay to let kids form their own conclusions. When confronted with, "Just tell me. Is there really a Santa?" be honest, and explain that you're behind the presents from Santa.
Where are you on the curve? Santa Claus is coming to town — or so about 85 percent of young American children believe. In interviews, 85 percent of 4-year-olds said that they believed in Santa, 65 percent of 6-year-olds said that they believed, and 25 percent of 8-year-olds said that they believed.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.
If your child is older than 10 and still believes in the Easter Bunny, you should fill them in on the truth. Let your kids know that although the bunny itself is imaginary, it's part of a tradition that brings a lot of joy and fun to kids at Easter time.