7 year old soon will discover no Santa, what to do about 3 year old?

My 7 year old has already called me out thinking I am the tooth fairy so I think Santa will be right down the road. I want to preserve Santa, etc...for my 3 year old without spoiling it for him by my oldest telling him. Any suggestions?

We let our oldest son know the truth about Santa after Christmas last year because he had an inkling... we told him though that with his age and this newly found knowledge comes great responsibility for his siblings. He has a 6 year old brother and a 3 year old brother and another on the way. We told him that if he EVER told anyone the truth about Santa (we told him Santa isn't just one person but the spirit of giving in all) that he would so be in trouble. He has kept mum since, and I think likes the fact that he can be in on the surprise for his siblings.

When I was told about Santa, my father told me about the SPIRIT. While there is no Santa Claus, there is still the spirit of Christmas and St Nick. He said that Christmas should be focused on the spirit of Jesus, and focus on that instead of a Santa in a red suit who brings presents.

But he also said that my younger sisters were too little to understand this. And it must be kept a secret until they are old enough to understand about "spirits" and can understand the story of Jesus a little better.

Maybe you should think about a unique approach to your 7 yr old, so Christmas is seen as a "different focus" instead of "no Santa"?

My brother and I are 5 years apart and I remember when I learned there was no Santa. My mom just told me not to tell my little brother and her and I would be Santa together. She would let me wrap present from Santa for my brother. I never told him...

I always thought that kids grow up way too fast nowadays... I wanted my boys to believe in Santa as long as possible. When my boys started coming to me with doubts, all I told them was when you stop believing in Santa Clause, he will stop bringing you presents. =)

I have boys 3 years apart - when my older one figured it out, we told him...if he spoils it for his younger brother there would be NO presents from santa! He didn't say a word.

Also, now that they are older (18 & 15) we have told them in the spirit of Christmas (and for younger kids) If they "believe" in Santa he will always bring them a gift, but a s soon as they ba-humbug on the Santa idea - NO GIFTS. They still play along. Good Luck!

Right now I have a 21 yr old son & an 8 yr old daughter. We have always told my son that the second we hear him say that there is no such thing as Santa he will not have anymore presents under the tree from "Santa". To this day he still gets presents from "Santa"! It has always worked for us.

I have a 10 year old boy and he still believes. Maybe because of the what we told him about Santa. When he came home and said that some of his friends don't belive anymore and that their parents really did it we told him that everyone is entitiled to their opinion. We explained that an opinion isn't necessarily based in fact just feeling, and that everyone can have an opinion it just may be on the wrong side. Besides, dad and I still believe and we called grandparents too. That helped. Grandparents don't lie right?

Hope he keeps the magic.

Tell the truth

Our oldest 2 don't believe in Santa, but the younger 4 still do. We let the older ones do 'the Santa thing' with us on Christmas Eve now, and we explained why it's important to carry-on the magic and the spirit of Christmas. They're great kids, so they love making it fun for their younger siblings.

Hi Carrie. My daughter didn't find out until almost 9 or 10. I reiterate every year how Magical Santa is and how I believe in the magic of Santa and Christmas. I truely do, but I also told my daughter that she isn't allowed to talk like that. My son still believes and I do to and she would be ruining it for us. And if she didn't believe in Santa then I guess most of her presents wouldn't be there. She clammed up quickly. She is 13 and doesn't say anything. She'll start to kidding around and I just look at her and she stops. I hope it works oput for you. Set an example that they can follow!

When my oldest found out about Santa at about the same age, we told her how important it was to keep the magic alive for her little sister. She actually seems to enjoy knowing a secret that only the grown ups know. Whenever my youngest mentions Santa, my oldest will give me a little sly smile and play along. So maybe your oldest child will also feel like a grown up by keeping the secret.

In my family with 5 brothers (6 kids total), it was always told to whomever figured it out that "if you don't believe then you don't receive." Obviously, we had the talk about the younger kids and how "Santa" is what you believe in your heart. But we also knew that we were not to speak of it...ever. We were all allowed to figure it out in our own time.

First, be honest without spoiling the holiday. I told my oldest that Santa does exist, he's just not who my son thought and that dad and I are Santa, and now he, too, gets to be Santa to help make it fun for our younger children. I also told him not to discuss it with his little brothers or I would take his presents back to the store. And not to test me, because I was NOT kidding. He hasn't said a word and really enjoys helping them make their Santa wish list. It probably also helps that we don't label any of our gifts with a "from". We just put on the tag who it's to and leave the "from" blank. The kids just assume it's Santa.

is mickey mouse real? well... yes, and no. that's kind of how i look at santa, and explain it to my kids. he's a game that we like to play at christmastime. it's a fun story just like frosty the snowman and rudolf the red-nose reindeer.

i personally like to get the credit for the gifts i give my kids.... i did pick them and wrap them and pay for them after all... so we don't actually give "santa" gifts... and guess what, christmas is still magical and exciting and fun even when the gifts come from mom and dad!

you can teach the history of saint nicholas and explain that he was a real saint, and that he gave money to the poor. do some research about it, maybe get a book from the library, and learn about him with your 7-year old. so, he is a real person in history.

in Italy Baby Jesus (Gesu Bambino) gives the presents. I think that is AWESOME, since Santa competes so much with the real reason for Christmas. although it would be odd to get a new x- box or ipod from baby Jesus, i have to say... :)

My 12yr old son still believes in Santa! He is starting to have his doubts, and my 7yr old is as well. When they ask, what I tell them is tell me what you think. My oldest usually says "I think he's real because there's no way you or dad could afford to buy me those presents." My daughter tells me she thinks he's real, but people tell her no. To me, believing in Santa is a privledge just as having an imaginary friend or a gigantic imagination as a child. Unless it were to become a problem, such as them not deciphering(sp) between real and make believe, I will continue to tell them if you believe in him, then he is real to you. I still wrap presents to my husband and the kids that are from Santa, and some from mommy and daddy!

when my older daughter, then 8 yrs, found out last year (we didn't hide the note to danta well enough and she found it when we moved), we told her the truth- do you really think santa rides on a sleigh and delivers presents to everyone? we told her not to tell her younger sister though until she stopped believing or there wouldn't be presents for her under the tree...i know it's not the best approach, but it's worked! she also has started to want to buy presents for others and has been saving her allowance money for it. i take her to the dolalr store and she ends up getting a few things for whomever she wants- this way she has been understanding that money desn't grow on trees and thinks twice about what to ask "santa" for. and she's even told her sister things are too expensive for santa to but because he has so many other little kids to give presents to!

We sort of look at it like "the spirit of Santa lives on in others." Santa exists, even if it's in a different way than what your 7 year old initially thought he exists.

Kinda like going to Disneyworld. You aren't going to tell them that that Mickey Mouse is just some actor in a mouse suit, right? Yeah, the older one knows - but talk to him and let him see what you're seeing through the younger ones eyes..."see, isn't that great - he thinks that really is Mickey - see how excited he is? That's really fun for him to see Mickey Mouse like that - isn't it?"

We have a nephew that when he was about 6-7 went to see Santa and asked for a computer. My sister told him that she didn't know if Santa could carry that all the way from the North Pole, thinking they didn't have the money to get him a "real computer". We didn't know any of this, and went to the store to get him a gift - my husband saw this "computer" type toy at the RadioShack, and we got that for him. When he opened the present, his jaw hit the floor, his eyes bugged out, and he kept saying, "MOM....MOM....MOM...." and pointing at it until she realized what it was we had gotten him. If that didn't reaffirm his faith in Santa, nothing could have.

It's all about "spin." :)

Good luck!

Carrie,Santa represents the spirit of Christmas. It is not the 7-year old that needs to believe, it is all of us that needs to remember this understanding. I am 64 year old Grandfather and still believe. We as adults think of Santa as just a man that gives gifts and we just recieve them. The Joy and warmth of giving is what Santa represents. If we think of ourselves as Santa, there will always be a Santa Claus and the true meaning of Cristmas. A religious person believes Gods giving of his Son to be the true gift of Cristmas but to others it still can be the intrinsic gift of love. Yes,Carrie there is a Santa Claus, he can be in all of us

Ok not to be negative to all of you but do we not tell our kids NOT to lie to us??? THEN here you parents are lieing to them. Sort of defeats the purpose of trying to tell your kids right from wrong am I correct? NO we do not celebrate Xmas and I never have and I have been fine with it look at ALL the money we save lol... My daughter is 4 and knows there is no Santa and she will be asked about getting presents and she says OH my parents give me present all the time who needs Xmas. They look at us like we are crazy but there really is no proof of Jesus being born on THAT day. Oh well Sry if this gets some of your bubbles going do not mean to start anything but really WHY lie to the kids and then they call you out when they get older and ask you WHY you lied to them.... Have a nice day