If your child isnt asking questions then just leave it be. You know your child best so dont be lead by some so called expert. YOU are the expert on your children

My oldest is five so hopefully I have a few years of santa magic yet. I worry about when he starts asking because he might ruin it for the younger ones, but I agree that if they ask you shouldn’t lie. I can’t remember when I figured it out, but it never ruined Christmas for me.

I love the magic – it’s a hard call. But maybe before high school/towards end of primary school.

Let them go on believing for as long as possible but if they ask explain to them how Santa Claus came about and why you carry on with the tradition. Let them know you just wanted them to believe in the magic for as long as possible but never lie to them if they ask.

I think children tend to play along because they think things might change if they let us know they know. Having said that, my son was in year 6 and I accidentally told him by talking about a radio show and he lost it. I actually did the opposite with my daughter and told her because her attitude was terrible. She wasn’t happy that I had “lied” to her for so long but I don’t regret it. I told her it was a lie, it was letting her have as much magic in her life as possible.

As an only child we were able to keep the magic going for longer – closer to Grade 6.

Christmas as a kid is amazing but Christmas as a parent is magical. I’ll be sad when we no longer do santa

I think you should leave it up to the kid when they stop believing in santa. We teach our daughter more about the Christmas spirt.

My kids worked it out for themselves, I didn’t need to tell them. They go to school, mix with other kids, they find out all by themselves

I think when they I’ll tell. Id like to
Think that my children would be respectful of the other if they still believe and continue the spirit onwards

My children and I compromised as the oldest was well aware that Santa and the Tooth Fairy were not real but his youngest sibling of 7 years still had some beliefs. So we said that anyone who didn’t believe in Santa wouldn’t get a Christmas present and the Tooth Fairy wouldn’t leave any money in their glass where they had put their tooth. The children were aware it was make believe but they played along until the youngest was prepared to accept the facts too. It worked in my house – hope it will in yours.

Great article, the magic of Christmas is truly beautiful.

One year, when our daughter opened her gift from Santa, she turned around and told us that she had seen them in our wardrobe a week or so before Christmas, bugga.

I don’t lie to my child. At all. I told her Santa is a pretend character but it’s fun to pretend! I did this after reading about how lots of other people handle the Santa situation I thought this was the nicest way and also made this decision from remembering as a child when I found out from a friend Santa wasn’t real – it did not hurt me at all or make me like Christmas less, or make Christmas less magic that he wasn’t real, what really hurt me was that my parents lied to me! I could not believe my mum lied to me. I want my daughter to know she can always trust me. Christmas is still absolutely 100% magic for her, it doesn’t matter if Santa is real or not. She enjoys Christmas, and Santa just as much as everyone else!

I have a two year old and an eight month old.
I’m not sure if my two year old really knows the concept of Santa yet but we will see how it goes this year!

I liked to keep the magic alive as long as possible

My daughter found out in year 3 from her friends. I guess no parents want to say it to their kids.

The magic of Christmas is something special and when they do have questions those questions are spoken about.

I was given a Christmas card when I was very young explaining where Santa Claus actually originated from. It was a heart warming story so when they asked I showed it to my boys and told them that even though he’s not here the spirit of Christmas lives on.

6 years. They talk about it with friends at school.