Post # 1
Member
2731 posts
Sugar bee
I don’t ever remember a full-on explanation of what/who Santa is, but I do remember one brilliant thing my mom said to me when I was little. When I was probably six or seven, my mom and I were at my grandparent’s house on Christmas eve and we were sitting around the tree. Somehow I ended up asking my mom why there were boxes under the tree if Santa hadn’t come yet. She then told me that her and my grandparents put empty boxes under the tree and Santa fills them with presents when he comes. I remember that still and I’m 21. I think she had the best answer ever and I’ll definitely use that answer if my own (future) children ask me that someday.
So do you remember any particular things your parents told you about Santa when you were younger?
Post # 3
Member
3520 posts
Sugar bee
My sisters showed me the unwrapped gifts in the car trunk when I was 5. 
Post # 4
Member
2731 posts
Sugar bee
@MrsLongcoatPeacoat: Oh no! 🙁 That wasn’t very nice of them.
Post # 5
Member
689 posts
Busy bee
My mom still insistes Santa is bringing the gifts, because she certainly couldn’t afford all that. 🙂 (Yeah, shes nuts)
Post # 6
Member
2442 posts
Buzzing bee
When I was 5 Christmas day was on a Sunday. In church the sermon was about being dishonest, so once we got home from church my mom sat me down and explained that Santa wasn’t real. I was five, and it was still Christmas day! I’ve always felt like I had been robbed!
Post # 8
Member
365 posts
Helper bee
@MrsLongcoatPeacoat: that was me! Except it was my little brother and my mums wardrobe! Oops!
Post # 9
Member
14494 posts
Honey Beekeeper
To be honest, I don’t remember, but I am old so my memory is going.
Post # 10
Member
4038 posts
Honey bee
I never believed in Santa 🙁
We spend last Christmas with 4 little boys who do believe, and it was so wonderful to hear their 6am screams of “Santa came! Santa came!” Later on in the day, Father-In-Law (DH has also played the role) dressed up in a Santa to visit the kids and bring them the toys “he forgot to deliver”.
My younger niece also still believes, and it’s really handy in making sure she behaves, especially when it gets closer to the day 🙂
Post # 11
Member
9029 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I never believed in santa either. My parents raised me to understand that christmas was about the birth of christ, and that santa and his reindeer and the xmas tree are all just side shows or “distractions” from what xmas is really about. Of course I also know now that Jesus wasnt even born on december 25th so even the actual christmas date is a distraction from the real birthdate of Christ
Post # 12
Member
6998 posts
Busy Beekeeper
i dont really remember them giving me and explanation of who he is – i just always knew haha but i do remember finding out about santa and asking my mom and she always said “honey, he is as real as you want him to be” great answer mom…haha not – it basically confirmed my suspicions.
I found out because my parents used the same wrapping paper and from santa was clearly written in my dads handwriting.
Post # 13
Member
2702 posts
Sugar bee
My dad told me. One day, we were sitting at the kitchen table and he just blurted it out. I was 7 years old. I don’t know why he did it. But my sister and I started crying (we’re the same age) and we started questioning everything. Every christmas eve, santa would come over my grandparents house. So I asked my dad who that was. He said “it’s your uncle”. So we got out a home movie and played it…then i realized that santa did look a whole lot like my uncle.
My mom was so mad at my dad. The next day at school I told all the kids and my poor mother had to deal with all of the phone calls
Post # 14
Member
5667 posts
Bee Keeper
I don’t remember what they told me. I remember helping my parents set out “Santa” presents for my younger brothers when they still believed (we have a large gap in age) and I remember standing up for a friend who still believed in Santa in 3rd grade. Some kids were picking on her for it. I know I didn’t believe in Santa anymore at that point but I didn’t think it was fair that bullies were picking on my friend for it! I’m not sure how I found out he wasn’t real, though.
Post # 15
Member
883 posts
Busy bee
They told me all of the cliche Santa stuff! : ) lol!! But nowadays, it’s so crazy! There are some parents that I know, that will tell their kids that Santa does not exist. Now I get it but I wouldn’t dare ruin my daughters imagination!! One of our neighbors was trying to tell our daughter that Santa didn’t exist and I went hellbent on him! : ) Not cool
Post # 16
Member
1471 posts
Bumble bee
My parents tried to tell us when we were little (my brother was probably 4 or 5 and I was 2 or 3) that there was no Santa Clause so that we would focus on the true meaning of Christmas…but we wouldn’t believe them! So they played along until we figured it out ourselves. I don’t think there is a harm either way, although I do hope that whenever we tell our kids the truth, that we’re the ones to do it. I work at a school and it makes for tense times around Christmas…
