Atlanta parents share how they talk to kids about Santa
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👋🏽 Kristal here. Thursday we asked about the right age to tell children that there is no Santa Claus, and y'all came through with some good responses. Here's some of what you told us:
Siblings always ruin the fun: "Our 8 year old recently said 'Santa is your credit card,' [and] we're fighting hard to get him to believe one more year. Unfortunately his 11- and 13-year-old brothers aren't always helpful in that pursuit."
Breaking their hearts early: "We found it best to let their curiosity and questions run the course. Our daughter believed until about age 8-9. Our son started questing Santa's existence at age 5 and we told him the truth. We should also have told him to not spread the word among his friends. Instead, the parents of his friends told us he was spoiling the fun for their kids!"
Seems reasonable: "Earlier this year, [our son] lost a tooth and came home from school [and said]: 'The kids at school say the tooth fairy is just your parents putting money under your pillow.' Caught flat-footed, mom stood mouth agape, but I quickly then asked, 'Well, what do you think?'
- "He decided that the Tooth Fairy must be real; otherwise Santa couldn't be real and no way we could bring all those presents from Santa."
Give it to 'em straight: "I discovered there was no Santa Claus riding in the back seat of my babysitter's car. 'I might as well tell you…,' she told her daughter and myself, 'there is no Santa Claus.' I was devastated and not quite sure I believed her."
Epic clapback from one parent, who said his boys pieced together Santa's nonexistence on their own: "Their lists would be really pricey and they asked why Santa didn’t get them all the things. I always told them, 'If you asked for dolls or wooden trains, Santa's elves can do that. But he has to buy PlayStations and he can't afford that so he gives me the bill. And that's why I say you can't expect expensive stuff.'"
Food for thought: "I can't address your question as to what is the right age to tell kids about Santa. As a Jewish parent, the right age for me was as soon as my kids first heard about Santa, around age 3. I didn't want my children wondering why Santa doesn't come to their house (and Hanukkah is definitely not the Jewish Christmas). If you're worried that my kids will tell yours, then it's on you to figure out how to continue a very commercial fiction."