While another said they stopped when they turned 18. "As soon as you're old enough to have to start buying presents for other members of your family. Then Santa is dead," another friend added. There's no definitive answer.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
There isn't a right or wrong age to tell kids the truth
And it occurs to them that flying reindeer and a guy coming down the chimney might be a little far fetched. So don't be surprised if your child starts asking questions.
As for when the shift starts to happen, it's different depending on the child, but expect the questioning to get serious somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10.
When will Santa arrive? According to NORAD, Kris Kringle is expected to take off at 3 a.m. Christmas Eve morning. If you're wondering when Santa will stop at your house, NORAD said he usually arrives between 9 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve in most countries.
Research shows that kids who are lied to by their parents are more likely to lie themselves, so it is always a good idea to tell the truth if possible. Don't use Santa as a tool for motivating your kid. Letting them grow through fantasy and imagination is positive.
A study published in 1978 in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry found that the number of children believing in Jolly Saint Nick sharply dropped at age 8. At age 4, 85% believed. At age 6, 65% still believed. At age 8, only 25% still believed.
According to Pyschologies.co.uk, Santaphobia is most common in children under four years old. In most cases, once children get to 5 years, they lose their fear and start to get wholly excited again. As toddlers, our little ones are starting to feel emotions in completely different ways to what they've ever experienced.
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.
8.4 years is the average age when kids do stop believing in Santa . Interestingly (and perhaps sadly) Australian kids are discovering Santa no longer exists much earlier - around just 6.5 years of age.
Kids of all ages can receive a gift from Santa. Not only do children get gifts from Santa, but grown-ups can, too, as long as they're not on Santa's naughty list. How useful was this post?
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.
Instead, the average age that children stop believing in Santa is eight years old, according to an international academic survey. Woah. This varies slightly between countries in the UK, with kids in England believing in Santa until they're 8.03 years, and kids in Scotland believing until 8.58 years.
“Children's belief in Santa starts when they're between 3 and 4 years old. It's very strong when they're between about 4 and 8,” she said. “Then, at 8 years old is when we start to see the drop-off in belief, when children start to understand the reality of Santa Claus.”
Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia.
There are 349 sleeps (or 348 days, 7 hours, 59 minutes, 54 seconds) until Christmas Day on Glasses Island. That's December 25, 2023! If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
When is Santa's birthday? SantaClaus.com states that Santa's birthday is on March 15. Mark it on your calendar for next year!
And for all intents and purposes, the Elf on the Shelf is real. It's a real doll, after all. The real question is, though, do you think the Elf on the Shelf is real? And I'm here to tell you that, yes, it is.
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.
Coulson's advice, “I would suggest letting your child believe in Santa when they're young and when they first start asking questions, encourage them to think about it critically.” He makes an excellent point, “No child is going to hate Christmas if you let them figure out the truth on their own.
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.