How old were you?

[exquizit]

Hi everybody. I just wanted to throw a question out........How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?

I'm asking because my 7 year old still believes but many of her friends don't. I was in Wal-Mart and there were parents showing the kids what they put on layway for them. Isn't that a part of childhood? These kids have to grow up way too fast as it is, shouldn't there be something for them to look forward to?

[sphinxpoet]

THERES NO SANTA CLAUS!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!

THe Sphinxpoet

[SlvrnGold]

Santa Claus was not a part of my childhood, Jesus was. My parents believed that telling me that God was the true reason behind me being able receive gifts, was better than any Santa Claus. Instead of Santa Claus, I looked forward to celebrating Jesus at Christmas (and every other day), someone who loves me and takes care of me whether or not I was "good" or "bad". And, seriously, no offense whatsoever, but why would you deliberately lie to a child about Santa Claus?

[exquizit]

Although I respect your opinion, and your parents choices, I was rasied believing in him and I feel I turned out fine. I'm carrying on a family tradition. I too was raised knowing the reason for the season and I agree that theat was the greatest thing about Christmas, but I think that adds to her excitement and I won't take it from her.

[meeks]

I think that I may have been around seven or eight also EX. We used to set out cookies and milk too, and what do you know, they would be gone in the morning!!!

I think I realized it was over for Santa when I saw my dad wrapping up my VOLTRON. (I never have liked dolls). It was cool though, but I never told my little sisters that there no Santa, no sense in spoiling it for them....

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The truly educated never graduate!

[PositivelyAKA]

good question, i don't remember when but i know after we found out, we still had to keep it a secret for a while due to the youngest child. i've thought about the whole lying thing too, and although i like the whole santa clause idea, i will not lie and say some old fat white man/black man is buying presents for my child based on their behavior etc. i will explain the concept so they'll be in on it that in itself could be fun to know what the other kids don't know. i plan to focus on the real meaning of christmas Jesus and not get too caught up in the commercialization of it all, there has to be a way to do both sucessfully. i hope

[Miss. Mocha]

I was 6 yrs old when I stopped believing, and that was because my older brother killed it for me.

My husband and I have repeatedly told my daughter that there is no Santa, but because of society's insistance that there is, she won't believe us. However, I just continue to tell her that mommy and daddy provide the gifts under the tree. She even told me, that we buy the gifts, but Santa gives us the money back. I don't know.

For me, the excitement of Christmas never was in SANTA, but in the whole season. The togetherness of family, going to Midnight Mass, trying to stay up all night with my brother, opening gifts, that was exciting, Santa was just some old white man.

I do feel you on that kids knowing their presents, though. I got up WAY early the day after Thanskgiving, and went to Toys R Us, there were almost as many kids in there as there were adults. NOW THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE EXCITEMENT.

Miss. Mocha

[AKA2D '91]

I really don't remember!

[AKAtude]

I believed in Santa Claus until I was nine. I also grew up knowing the true meaning of Christmas.

Also for the record, I did go trick or treating as a child, I believed the Easter Bunny left me baskets ever year, and I thought the Tooth Fairy really left me money in exchange for each tooth I lost. Did I miss anything?

[Diamon]

I also think I was around 9 when I stopped beieving in Santa Claus. That was only because I was going to the bathroom and I saw my father and my oldest brother pulling my stereo out of the closet. You should have saw my face and even more funny were my father and brother trying to put me back in the bed. But I too was raised in a very spiritual home and my parent's made sure that I knew the reason for the season....BEFORE we opened any gifts, we sat around the tree as a family and read Matthew 1 with emphasis on verse 25, said a prayer and then opened presents. I thank my parent's for their practices and my siblings (who are older) for not RUINING the element of suprise for me. I think it is a part of a child's innocence when they still.........BELIEVE.

P.S. --> I am going to start posting more often...I want to be a Senior Member too )

[Ideal08]

I can't remember how old I was either, but I don't think I ever really believed in him, anyway. Too many discrepancies. Santa at the mall was white, but Santa at City Hall was Black, and came to town in a helicopter, yall!! I knew something was up with that. No one wanted to answer my questions, though.

[AKA2D '91]

Yeah, and how could Santa get in if you did not have a chimney?

Then, if you did have a chimney and it was SMALL, you know the one's for a woodburning stove? That's what we had, so how could his JOLLY OLE BELLY FIT?

Those questions ran through my head as a child.

[TempleAlum1993]

There is still a gift under the tree each year from "Santa" for each of our family members.

[Sexy Mocha]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by exquizit:
Hi everybody. I just wanted to throw a question out........How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?

Stop believing?!? No Santa?!? What are you people talking about??? What has happened to Santa Claus?!?!?

Just kidding ....I don't believe I ever REALLY belived in Santa....setting out the cookies and milk was just something else for us kids to do.
Speaking of cookies and milk....have any of you seen the commercial where the adorable little girl wakes her parents up and drags them into the living room where there's like tons of presents? The dad goes "Boy, honey...that must've been some cookies you left Santa" and she replies "I didn't leave him cookies...I left him Cheeeeese" I love that commercial! She looks so cute when she says Cheeeeeese.
Do you guys have any favorite commercials (holiday or just regular commercials)? Maybe I should start this as a new thread.....I also love the Dunkin Donut Halloween commercial where the girl walks into the kitchen and starts screaming to the top of her lungs because the donut box is empty and her brother goes "HEY! There's another box over there!" Ok, as you all can see I've been watching WAY too much television

[This message has been edited by Sexy Mocha (edited December 20, 2000).]

[interested_cinna]

I was around hmmm....eight when I stopped believing in Santa....when I was younger I "knew" that there was only one Santa and all the others--prancin' around in the malls where just his "helpers" LOL....Besides my mom always threatened "if you stop believing, you stop receiving".
I think that the whole Santa thing was not only for us kids back then but also for the parents too.
I stopped beleiving b/c when I set cookies & milk out for Santa & woke up the next morning Santa had written me a letter thanking me BUT it was in my father's handwriting. >=( But even after that I pretended I still believed for at least 3 more years after that until my mom figured I was just fakin....

Still I don't know how my parents (especially moms) pulled it off. Yeah...I'll never forget nothing would be set up except a few decorations and the tree when I would go to sleep but when I woke up on Christmas morning...it was EXACTLY like that little girl in the "i didn't give him cookies...I left him CHEESE" LOL