When did you stop believing in SANTA?

I was about 11 years old and I went snooping around the house. I went into my parents closet and looked under a sheet and there were a ton of presents going all the way to the back of the closet and they were all signed from SANTA. Needless to say, I quickly ran out and told my brother, who in turn ran to my mother and told her I found them. Man was she pissed. I got in so much trouble!!!

never believed in him We were not raised that way with tree and gifts under tree and being told Santa brought it for you. I will never raise my children to believe some fat man in a white suit brought presents for them. Sorry to put this spin on your thread but I hate the commercilization of the holiday that's all. I will tell my children I buy you gifts. I hope they will tell their friends too

I wads about 8. My older two know the truth now. My youngest will probably know soon since the other two can't keep a secret to save their lives.

I do agree that it is a big commercialization. Some people are sooo adamant about their children believing for as long as possible. One mother called me up last year to tell me that my daughter almost spilled the beans to her daughter.

Maureen, my GF who is a single mother does not want me to spoil it for her daughter, I say why would you work all year and give the credit to someone else. Don't you think they will appreciate it even more if they knew you were giving it to them?? She said I want her to believe it for as long as she can *shakes head in disbelief* OH well.

Some people think that it keeps them innocent longer but I don't see it. They let their children see R rated movies and play advanced video games but still believe in Santa????

Whatever! My daughter found out when she recognized my handwriting 3 years ago. She was actually hurt because it felt like a lie to her.

I have to laugh, when you wrote she recognized my handwriting

I agree with you 100%, write a list and come Dec 25th you will have everything, some of them don't even know how hard some of their parents have to struggle to get the things on the list. Now tell me if you really believe I should struggle and give someone else the credit for you enjoying what I bought you

I was about 8, also. The kids in school were talking about it, and I went home and asked my mother. I had to swear not to tell my little brother!

Aww it still makes me sad to know that there is no Santa..my mom always made everything so magival for us growing up...it was an awesome time and so awesome to believe in!

I was about 8 I would say and I remember like yesterday. My mom was painting the living room and was up on a ladder, and for some reason I just started to question things..but I didnt want to make her mad..so I didnt know how to word it..

Finally I was like mommy, is there really a santa claus? And I remember her looking at me with tears in her eyes, coming down off the ladder and walking over to me and looking in my eye telling me...
'Honey, Santa will always live in your heart if you let him..but its something that mommy created for you, something that I wanted you to believe was magical because you deserve that magic...but if your asking if hes really REAL then no my love...mommy is your santa claus just like she is your easter bunny and your tooth fairy...'

I remember hugging each other and crying so much...

But the funny part...I never questioned the easter bunny or the tooth fairy...dont know why I didnt question a 6 foot bunny rabbit or a flying fairy going underneath my pillow...but my whole childhood was blown in a couple of minutes..we laugh about that now!

I was probably about 4 or 5...I remember being in a toy store with my mom and she bought all these toys but me they weren't for me...and then Christmas came and there were the toys, so I put 2 and 2 together.

I guess my mother didn't realize that I would remember the toys

I still believe in Santa!

I don't ever remember believing... but I know when I was 6 I definitely knew there wasn't


so I guess I figured it out at 4 or 5, but I am not sure how

I dont know.
I guess I sorta did at one point maybe.

But with my father so far away during the holidays (he was in the Navy) I could care less that fat man did what or gave me. All I wanted was a piece of paper from my father saying 'I love you'.

I am extremely loyal to my Dad always have been I am a true Daddy's girl. I'd do anything to get his approval or his attention. Oddly enough he never wanted to show me too much attention because he believes girls are to be raised by mothers and disciplined (sp) by fathers. Still. I idolized him.

It seemed stupid for me to go to a Mall and sit with Santa for a photo when my father was overseas. I always asked for the same thing 'I want my Daddy home'.

Nope Santa meant very little to me. Soon it was just sorta not important.

Now the tooth fairy I totally believed in through those years until my Mom stopped leaving me money and I cried in church that God no longer loved me. Then my brother told me about the real source.

The Easter Bunny was a twisted sorta of icon in my life. I love bunnies but something about a bunny that walks and talks never really appealed to me. I NEVER wanted to find or see the Easter Bunny. Plus growing up with a Pedicostal (sp) mother, Easter was oh so important to us that it made me sick with guilt. We'd go to sleep and in the morning we'd wake up to a basket by our beds. Which was cool. My grandma gave me a bunny rabbit every year for Easter. The year she died I bought the Rabbits and distributed them to all the girls in the family.

When I was about 10 and I asked my parents if there really was a Santa My father replied
' Yes, there is . He is a big fat man with a beard. So Heidi there is a Santa. It's me!!!'

SANTA'S NOT REAL????????????

Well thanks! My Christmas is ruined!

Hee

(11, I think)

I was 13

My father's girlfriend (at the time) told me on accident. I was so upset

there's no santa?

I have to say, as I read the posts of those who believed until they were 11 or older...when I was in the 7th grade (11-12 yo) there was a boy who told me he had just found out Santa wasn't real that past Christmas or something and I guess it was because I was 'over' Santa so quickly, but I could NOT stop making fun of him for being so 'old' and still believing I was a real brat.

my 4th grade teacher told me in class one day (catholic school too)
so i went home crying and my mother had to go into school the next day to have a little talk with that mean old woman!
i was crushed.
i love the magic of christmas and i think santa has a lot to do with it. it's a special time of year for me when you are reminded of how important your family and friends are to you and you are reminded of how important you are to them. i think it's a beautiful time of year and i wouldn't take that away from my children ever. i loved the magic of santa and i still do. i can't wait to have kids so i can watch them as they anticipate santa's coming each year. i think childhood is a wonderful time, when reality isnt' as important as it is in adulthood.

I think I was 9 or 10 and I remember noticing that Santa's handwriting looked like my mom's and the cookies and milk I had left for Santa were still there (Dad was slacking off ). I was sad that he wasn' t real, but my parents still sign some gifts from Santa.


Interestingly enough, FH's family has an entirely different approach. He and his family are from Poland and they don't sign the gifts 'from' anyone. Just 'to'. They think it makes it nicer not knowing who gave it. It doesn't have to be a competition, just gift giving.