My eight year old son is having some serious doubts about Santa

[SilasSoule]

His questions are getting tougher and I'm not quite sure whether to let him ride it out this Christmas and let him "know" next year or just let him know now.

[Wetzelbill]

1. Know what? Are you saying Santa doesn't exist?

Finally, at 29, I learn the cruel truth. ::bitterlyweeping::

[jeter]

2. I found out when I was 7

I'm sure he knows that there is no such thing as Santa deep down inside. Perhaps he thinks that YOU still believe in Santa.

[Lars39]

3. Eight's old, if he has doubts, he already knows.

He's probably trying to let you down easy! :)

[hlthe2b]

13. I have to agree.. that sounds awfully old to still believe..

Kids in school do talk and really are ahead of where we were at that age. Nonetheless, I knew that Santa was a myth at age five or six.
Like most kids, though, I didn't let on. (Figured, I'd soak it for all it was worth).

The Santa myth is for adults, it seems....

[proud patriot]

4. Santa does exist "The Spirit of Giving" Does exist

At least that's what I was told at 8 years old
when I discovered my grandmothers handwriting
and santa's were the same :eyes:

It helped a lot because I was pissed off , felt I
had been decieved .

santa does exist just not at the north pole
he exists in every good and generous deed
that is done throughout the year by each of
us . :hi:

[SilasSoule]

5. Thanks Proud Patriot

I was thinking of something uplifting and inspirational to tell him. You just layed it out for me. :)






..

[Lars39]

9. It works, too. That's basically what I told my kids.

They acted relieved that they could quit pretending, the little stinkers. :)

[proud patriot]

17. Your welcome SilasSoule, My son is 7 and a half this Christmas

I haven't had to cross that bridge yet , but when I
do this is what I'll tell him .

[Semi_subversive]

12. Bingo!

This is what I've tried to explain to all my kids (now 21,16,11). And I hope they will explain it to their kids in a similar way

[Scottie72]

16. Thanks Patriot!

Yes Santa does exist! Thank you for that uplifting post!


:hi:

[tinrobot]

6. Don't ask don't tell...

Just let him figure it out for himself. No need to prematurely bust his bubble. If he asks, tell him the truth...

Another option would be to tell him that parents have to help Santa these days because there's too many people for Santa to do it alone.

[LuLu550]

7. when my kids asked me if there was a Santa or not ...

I asked them "What do you believe?" and told them they could believe whatever made them feel good. This way I wasn't lying or breaking their hearts...

[joeybee12]

8. Ah, let him figure it out for himself--he probably already has, but he's

at that age where he's trying to decide if letting YOU know is worth not having Santa one more year!

[VelmaD]

10. Never ever stop believing in Santa

We are all Santa - if we choose to be. :-)

[demnan]

11. Eight is a bit old to still be believing in Santa

He's probably just putting you on!

[bif]

14. My youngest one tries to trap me...

A year after she gets a present, she asks questions like, "Did this come from you and mom or Santa?" She remembers but I've lost so many little grey cells that I usually say, "I can't really remember."

[Lefty_the_Right]

15. Republicans still believe in a free press in America

And they show no intellectual curiosity on the subject.

You son is WAY ahead of them.

[cally]

18. Please just answer honestly

I still hear my teens reprimanding me about not telling the truth when they asked about Santa :eyes:. If your child is asking questions, then it's time to answer. I think I made a mistake by trying to keep the myth alive. My eldest figured it out at 6 or 7 and my youngest at 5. I doubt your 8 year old believes in Santa.

[TrogL]

19. What is the current state of his thinking about God?

If he's moved beyond the old man sitting on a cloud stage, then he's ready for Santa Claus as a "force of nature" kind of thing. If not, it's the perfect time to tie him so firmly up in theological knots that he won't have time to worry about the man the red suit.

[markus]

20. My Santa Story

This is what I told my (now 11 year old) daughter when she was about nine, and what I expect to be telling my eight year old son.

The main character in this story, Rugby Tiger, is comfortably placed on my daughter's bed right now. It is a true story. I think it meant a lot to my kids, but would probably lose something in the transfer to another family.

Why Daddy Believes in Santa Claus

Once there was a little girl named Killian who saw a television show about magical toys that came alive when left alone. She would watch the tape of that show over and over again. The character she loved the most was Rugby the Tiger.

When Christmas came along, at the top of her letter to Santa, she asked for her very own Rugby tiger. This didn't bother her mother and father, since the show was a Muppets show, and surely somewhere someone had made a Rugby Tiger stuffed animal.

But alas, no one anywhere had ever heard of Rugby Tiger or the show.

Her parents looked everywhere in the smallish town where they lived. They looked in the next biggest town. They looked in Minneapolis. They looked on the Internet. They searched for Mupput and Toy and Rugby. They called the big toy stores to see if anyone had every made a Rugby tiger. They dug tourgh piles of stuffed animals for weeks on end, and could not find a stuffed tiger that looked like Rugby.

They were crushed. Their four year old daughter (and their first child), who believed in Santa Claus with all her heart, would not get the toy of her dreams. This would be the saddest Xmas either of them could imagine.

One day, about a week before Xmas, the girls father went into the drugstore in town. In the middle was a table of stuffed animals he'd searched a half-dozen times before.

This week, a new shipment of stuffed animals had arrived. Sitting just off to one side, with his head sticking clearly out of the pile, was a stuffed tiger that was the very, spitting image of the Rugby Tiger character in the show.

And so Killian got her Xmas wish against all odds and beyond all hope. And that is why your Dad belives in Santa Claus. Someone put the toy that could not be found there, just for you.

So deep in my heart, I believe in Santa Claus. And if you never forget that miracles can happen and wishes can come true, then you can always believe in Santa Claus.


P.S.-- I have to leave my office now for a bit, or somebody's going to walk up and wonder who died in my family, since 46 year old men are supposed to cry over stories like this.

[RadioFlyer]

22. What an amazing story!

Good thing I'm in the office alone, so this 46 year old can swallow that lump in the throat away... I saved that one.

[RadioFlyer]

21. Sometimes when they ask...

... they're looking for reassurance. My first response when I got a question like that is, "What do you think?" 8 really isn't all THAT old... they're in that golden stage when they believe and can really appreciate it at the same time. But then, some kids are older and more worldly wise than others.

I read an anecdote somewhere for the "older" kids that we're on "Santa's Team." I started saying this before my son got older. It was abou a young boy who came home crying about some other kids at school who said that Santa wasn't real. His grandmother said, "Oh, that rumor's been going around for years. I, for one, don't believe it." Then she told him about being on Santa's Team - that people fill in for him when they see someone needs help.

The boy said he knew a schoolmate who was poor, and didn't play outside at recess because he didn't have a coat. So the boy and his grandmother found a coat, wrapped it up, and left it on the boy's doorstep with a note: "Merry Christmas from Santa's Team."

By the time the boy got older, he was firmly on Santa's Team, and knew in his heart what Christmas was really about.

And he learned that giving lasts longer than receiving. My son loved this story - kids love to help others.

Good luck - I'd love to hear the follow-up (which may be downthread ... I've been out of town for a while and am way behind!)

[Snow]

23. Lots of good suggestions - the one I went with

was in response to other kids' cynical delight - "If you believe in Santa, then for you he's real. If that mean kid Dubya says there isn't a Santa, then for him there isn't." I like that approach to Hell, too. (Ooops, I used that word again. DOn't delete me. I mean a location, okay?)

[FlaGranny]

24. One day, when I was six or seven,

I just realized that there couldn't possibly be anything like Santa Claus. I started thinking Easter Bunny and couldn't believe that story any more, and Santa Claus was a natural progression of my thought. I didn't say a thing, of course, because I was afraid I'd stop getting presents at Christmas.

[jedicord]

25. What I Tell My Son

My son's 10 years old. A couple of years ago someone at school told him Santa didn't exist. He came home and asked me about it. My answer? I told him that I still believed, 'cause it's so much more fun that way. It was up to him whether he wanted to think Santa didn't exist, or if he wanted to feed the reindeer, leave cookies and milk for Santa, listen for jingle bells, look up in the sky for his sleigh, and wake up to see what he left.

Thank goodness he picked Santa!

P.S. This year is tough economically for my family. Of course, my son's list is still long. This is how I explained to him why Santa wouldn't be leaving as many presents: The economy is bad so many children won't be getting anything from their parents, so Santa will be concentrating more on them. Another reason is because so many children's parents are fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so they won't have their dad or mom around, and Santa wanted to double bless them too. So the children who have what they need, especially their parents, can feel good that the other children will be happy this year. Hokie, or what?

[RadioFlyer]

26. That's a great answer

It allows him to dream and pretend, and not be "just another" jaded 10 year old. There's enough time for that.

[boilerbabe]

36. You took lemons and made lemonade! n/t

[sleipnir]

27. Well, I just took my 9 year old brother to see a preview of "Bad Santa"

That kinda killed it for him...






Just kidding.....my brother's only 7!!!




:evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

30. DARN, I wanted to bring up "Bad Santa"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was going to write: When the time comes, have him watch "Bad Santa" - either on DVD or in the theatre. That'll wake 'im up for good, though probably in the WRONG way... :evilgrin:

[pdx_prog]

28. My youngest sister

is married to a narrow minded, self righteous, judgemental ignorant Freeper. Him and his equally sickening parents told my then 5 yr old nephew that there was no santa claus. They always hated that he believed in santa.....thought he should have been told the truth right up front.

To prove their point, they blindfolded him, sat him in the floor, got out one of his xmas presents and put it in front of him. They set up the camera with the self timer, got behind him and took a picture.

Their plan was to show it to him when he finally stopped believing and to tell him that it wasn't their idea to lie to him.......how insane can a person be???!!!?????

[Kamika]

29. I found out when I was about 6.. and I turned out normal

I sat about 20 hours just waiting infront our door for him.. eventually my parents just had to tell me.

[kixot]

31. Don't lie to children.

It only hurts them in the end.

[fishnfla]

32. Shouldn't you post WARNING: SPOILER in your title?

Freepers lurk here. Youre gonna break their little hearts

[NaMeaHou]

33. Santa's going to be mighty pissed n/t

.......

[SilasSoule]

34. Some excellent replies

And interesting kid Christmas stories in thread. Thanks to all!!








..

[Lisa]

35. remember, the up-side to this ...

... is the realization that WE ALL get to be Santa.

You don't have to stop believing. If anything, it requires even more belief -- if that makes any sense.


The realization that grown-ups weren't lying to me ... well, not about the important bits ... was a big revelation. I was only a bit younger than your son, actually.

For a good book that explains this in a way that isn't sugar-sweet and condescending, try Terry Pratchett's "Hogfather".