At what age does the average kid stop believing in Santa Claus? A survey of more than 4,500 families across found the overall average age for no longer believing in Santa Claus is about 8 years old. Do you agree?
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"Is Santa real?"
"My friends at school told me Santa isn’t real."
"Today, our teacher asked the class if Santa was real. She said that those who thought Santa doesn’t exist were right!"
"Why do some kids get big presents from Santa, when others only get small things?"
These and many other questions are tough for parents! How do you tackle them? What do you say when confronted with them? How do you keep the magic alive? Should you even try?
Most will agree that the tradition of gift-giving is WAY more fun if you believe in Santa! The mystery of not knowing the person who offered you something is thrilling, as is the idea that being naughty or nice might affect the quality of your gifts! Well, if your behavior affects the gifts you get, what about your choice to believe in Santa? Will the jolly old elf continue giving you gifts if you don’t believe he exists? We’re not risking it over here. Just in case.
One of the toughest questions is how to deal with inequality. Why does Santa offer more to some kids than others? One strategy is to explain to your kids that Santa actually offers equal value gifts to kids and that anything beyond that actually comes from parents! That way, your kid will know that if his friend got a Nintendo DS and a game cartridge from “Santa”, it’s likely that the cartridge came from Santa, but the console came from the parents.
In life, doubt is ever-present. Whether it’s doubt about your decisions, about the people around you, about what the future holds, or even about Santa Claus, it’s an inevitable part of life. Believing in Santa Claus, and having that belief rewarded with gifts, is a useful tool to show the importance of faith and confidence. Believing in Santa is a learning opportunity to show that in some cases, good things can come from having a little faith!
And besides… If Santa exists in your heart, isn’t that proof enough?
