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.
"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.
"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.
In 2019, House Method surveyed more than 4,500 families across the United States, and found the overall average age for no longer believing in Santa Claus is 8.4 years old.
“Children's belief in Santa starts when they're between 3 and 4 years old. It's very strong when they're between about 4 and 8,” she said. “Then, at 8 years old is when we start to see the drop-off in belief, when children start to understand the reality of Santa Claus.”
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.
A study from 1978 found that about 85 percent of young American kids believe in Santa, and researchers today confirm those numbers still hold true, with many kids believing until about age eight.
While 17% of Americans say children should stop believing in Santa at the age of 10, 35% say the truth should be revealed earlier. About a fifth (21%) of Americans, however, aren't so sure what the right age is for a child to stop believing in Father Christmas.
A study published in 1978 in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry found that the number of children believing in Jolly Saint Nick sharply dropped at age 8. At age 4, 85% believed. At age 6, 65% still believed. At age 8, only 25% still believed.
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.
Believing in Santa is not only harmless fun, it can actually help children as their brains develop, experts say.
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.
If you think your child has it all figured out, it's a good idea to be truthful. For instance, you could explain that Saint Nicholas was, in fact, a real person from long ago. He was known for leaving presents for the children in his village and for caring for the less fortunate.
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.
Research shows that the vast majority of American parents promote a false belief in Santa Claus, and most small children accept that story as real. In fact, research shows that most parents work very hard to perpetuate the myth of Santa.
What do you call a kid who doesn't believe in Santa? A rebel without a Claus.
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.
Parents need to know that Elf is kid friendly with a few exceptions including changing the traditional Santa Claus story and the discussion that Santa is really parents giving gifts. Elf is a tough one to gauge the age recommendation, because at its core, it's a sweet, funny, silly movie about the spirit of Christmas.
You aren't lying. You're entering their world of make-believe. Characters like Santa Claus or the tooth fairy are actually an important way for grownups to bond with our kids, according to Truglio. "It's during those early years, you know, up to age 7, that their world is filled with magic and imagination.
Because Santa is synonymous with childhood, the belief in him must go away at one point or another if we want our kids to grow up. There's no specific age, necessarily. No edict that at exactly 11 3/4, a child will cease to believe.
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.