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by justwannaknow on March 14th, 2007

justwannaknow

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Should an 8 year old still believe in santa, the easter bunny,& the tooth fairy?

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Answers. 14 helpful answers below.

  • by Zandalee.Lonely.Lunatic.3yrs-here on March 24th, 2007

    Zandalee.Lonely.Lunatic.3yrs-here

    My little sister is 13 and still believes. She is mentally handicapped to some degree though. My mom did do something I find questionable for a child of her age. She had one of her friends call my sister when she was bieng particularly ill-behaved. She had this guy pretend to be Santa and he told her to behave or she would get coal. I think that that may have hindered her being able to figure it out.

    Basically, my mom let us believe it until we got the jest of the story. When we were ready to figure it out, we did.

    I don't know how I will raise my kids. I'm not sure if the holiday "mascots" are really rooted in religion or if they're just for fun.

    I don't see the harm in letting them imagine that if they are good, they will be rewarded in a super special way.

    I was raised with the 'mascots' and I figured it out, I've never thought of it as anyone lying to me. I just thought of it as an incentive to behave.


    Basically, since she has been raised with them being there, I see no reason to shatter her imagination. She will figure it out eventually, but why make her grow up any faster than she has to? Eight is still very very young. I see no reason why not!

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  • by calypso on April 25th, 2007

    calypso

    Its fine. He's going to figure it all out sooner or later. So why take the fun away now?

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  • by iwnit on April 25th, 2007

    iwnit

    I think I did believe in these things as I was 8, maybe because I thought if I did not, I would not receive the presents anymore.

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  • by Astrophel on March 24th, 2007

    Astrophel

    I think that anyone should be able to believe what they want to believe.

    I don't care if you're 90 and you believe in Santa Claus. It's our beliefs that helps make us who we are.

    Hell, I'll even bring the Santa Suit.

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  • by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 24th, 2007

    singwell-is off researching a lot

    If my children had not worked Santa out for themselves, I probably wouldn't have said anything, but I wouldn't have made a great fuss of it...but there I was with a precocious 3yo who worked it out for herself...and wanted the truth. I was not about to lie to her. I never have and never will.

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  • by jae3214 on March 14th, 2007

    jae3214

    My father told me when I was 7 years old that Santa, the Easter bunny, and others were not real. He just couldn't resist the temptation to shatter everything that I believed in. Why tell me they exist at all if you're just going to tell me it was all a lie when I'm older. It's like telling a child that you're not their real parents -- that they were adopted.

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  • by yoho05 reminds you to DYOH on March 14th, 2007

    yoho05 reminds you to DYOH

    If I had an 8 year old who still believed, I wouldn't worry. But I would gradually introduce the idea that some things that are fun to believe are just fantasies and gradually point out 'holes' on the stories that don't quite fit with reality as the child know it. It's good to get over believing in fantasies before your teens ot you will start to believe all the teenage fantasies, like, 'If I have sex with him, he'll love me, right?' and 'He cheated, but he says he's sorry, so that means he really is sorry, right?'

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  • by JAMMco... its complicated... on March 14th, 2007

    JAMMco... its complicated...

    Why would you start with those lies?

    Don't you want your child to appreciate that the gifts are from you, out of the kindness of your heart? Wouldn't you rather they be good out of respect for you rather than to not show up on a fictional character's naughty list?

    I'm not a fan of those fictional characters, particularly due to their origins.

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  • by Midnighttoker on March 14th, 2007

    Midnighttoker

    why not?

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  • by Ashbag on November 7th, 2007

    Ashbag

    yes! they are still young children! they will stop believing when they are ready, but i dont think you should take the magic of christmas away, not to mention their innocence!
    they aren't children for long so cherish it while you can

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  • by MamaBeeMinnie on March 14th, 2007

    MamaBeeMinnie

    I don't believe 8 years old is still appropriate to believe in Santa. I think at 8 years old they are mostly able to separate fantasy from reality.

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  • by Laura_X on March 14th, 2007

    Laura_X

    Santa - maybe. The rest no.

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  • by justwannaknow on March 14th, 2007

    justwannaknow

    She will be 9 in May. I am worried that she will be 12 still thinking they are real... :0

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  • by snjrose on September 17th, 2010

    snjrose

    I don't think it's necessary to ever have the conversation about whether they are real or not with a child. My parents never did with me. Santa came every year that I lived with them until I was 18. In the movie, A Christmas Story, the little boy, Ralphie, is 10. I know many children who continue to believe for a very long time. Why ruin a good thing? ;)

    http://writtenbysanta.webs.com

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