Research shows that kids who are lied to by their parents are more likely to lie themselves, so it is always a good idea to tell the truth if possible. Don't use Santa as a tool for motivating your kid. Letting them grow through fantasy and imagination is positive.
"It's not an overnight shift in thinking," says Laura Lamminen, Ph. D., a pediatric psychologist at Children's Health℠, "and there's no set age where children should know the truth about Santa Claus." Dr. Lamminen says each family and each child within that family will be ready to talk about Santa at different ages.
While everyone is different, according to a recent poll by House Method, the average age kids in the United States stop believing in Santa Claus is 8.5 years. So, chances are good that somewhere around then is the right age for your child to learn the true story about Santa Claus.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
Adults should not lie to children about Santa. When a child asks the question as to whether Santa is real or not, they're already at a developmental stage to distinguish between reality and fictional characters.
Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. As an only child, he was given great affection by his parents.
Believing in Santa is not only harmless fun, it can actually help children as their brains develop, experts say.
8.4 years is the average age when kids do stop believing in Santa . Interestingly (and perhaps sadly) Australian kids are discovering Santa no longer exists much earlier - around just 6.5 years of age.
While there are many benefits to protecting children's belief in Santa, it's not OK to lie to children about his existence. Discovering the truth about Santa is part of growing up and a sign that the child is developing critical thinking skills.
While there is no “right” time to talk with your child about Santa, experts agree that letting your child take the lead is usually best. Your child may be showing signs that they are ready for this conversation when they start questioning Santa's magic.
Most Americans (67%) stopped expecting Santa to shimmy down their chimney by the time they entered seventh grade. Half (49%) of Americans say they stopped believing in Santa before the age of 10 – with a quarter (23%) reporting that they lost sight of him between the ages of seven (10%) and eight (13%).
To perpetuate the Santa myth, parents must lie to their kids. To buoy belief, adults often stage elaborate deceptions, laying traps for the child's developing intellect. The myth encourages lazy parenting and promotes unhealthy fear. The myth makes kids more acquisitive, not less so.
Krampus is the counterpart to Santa Claus. He is a devil figure that scares naughty children back onto the path of good behavior. The legend originated in European Alpine folklore where he would descend from the mountains.
The Age Most Kids Figure It Out
In most cases, eight or nine is the age that children stop believing in Santa, but not for the reasons you'd think. While most parents would probably blame their child's peers for blowing the whistle, it actually has more to do with the normal development of a child's brain.
According to Pyschologies.co.uk, Santaphobia is most common in children under four years old. In most cases, once children get to 5 years, they lose their fear and start to get wholly excited again. As toddlers, our little ones are starting to feel emotions in completely different ways to what they've ever experienced.
New survey looks at how former children feel about being lied to by parents about Santa. 72 percent of former believers keep the Santa myth alive for their own kids. At press time, about 1,200 people have taken the survey.
There isn't a right or wrong age to tell kids the truth
Usually, somewhere between the ages of five and seven kids begin to think a little more critically. And it occurs to them that flying reindeer and a guy coming down the chimney might be a little far fetched.
Ironically, critics of the Santa myth base their opinions on their "beliefs" about the situation as there is no empirical data or scientific evidence that anyone has ever been harmed by believing in Santa. Conversely, most people find the myth magical as a child and charming as an adult.
While kids may no longer look for reindeer on Christmas Eve, your tween might be ready to embrace the spirit of Santa Claus and spread the joy of giving in their own special way. Helping do so guarantees that in your child's heart, Santa will live forever and that he is, in fact, very real.
And for all intents and purposes, the Elf on the Shelf is real. It's a real doll, after all. The real question is, though, do you think the Elf on the Shelf is real? And I'm here to tell you that, yes, it is.
“Having a little bit of grief over recognizing the world is not a magical place is natural.” Instead of whipping out another lie, tell your child it's OK to be sad, and admit that it's fun to think Santa is real.
Engaging in the Easter bunny fantasy is totally appropriate during your child's early years. And besides that, it's just plain fun. There's really no age limit on believing, but if you do think it's time for your little one to know the truth -- or are wondering if he already knows -- we have some tips.
Instead, the average age that children stop believing in Santa is eight years old, according to an international academic survey. Woah. This varies slightly between countries in the UK, with kids in England believing in Santa until they're 8.03 years, and kids in Scotland believing until 8.58 years.