Believing in Santa

[Friday]

I'm curious; when did other people stop believing in Santa?  The reason I ask is because I have an acquaintance who says her 15-year-old son still firmly believes?!?!?!  Her explanation for this is that her son has Asperger's Syndrome.  However, I looked that up, and its description says "It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. "  So even if the mother is going to great lengths to keep the lie going in her household, I'm baffled as to how any 15-year-old with access to the Internet, cable TV, Netflix, etc. could possibly have failed to stumble across the fact that Santa's just a guy in a fake beard doing a seasonal job.

I asked a coworker about this, and he said his 10-year-old son still hasn't admitted that Santa isn't real, although he suspects the kid knows.

Geesh, I recall in first grade, meaning age 5/6, all the kids knowing that Santa wasn't real.  WTF is going on??

[Pat McCotter]

[Lloyd Danforth]

Back in the day when 'Miracle on 42nd Street' wasn't that old a movie I saw Santa Claus every Christmas Eve. until I was about 7 or, 8.
We lived in a first floor apartment in my maternal Grandmothers house. Shortly after supper we kids were sent to take naps  so we could stay up late to see Santa. Our bedroom was off of the dining room where my mother and aunts would be doing last minute wrapping.  Of course sleeping was out of the question as we heard paper being unrolled and the noises of scissors and tape dispensers.
We knew that our relatives gave us Christmas gifts but, we also knew that Santa brought many gifts, too!
We would go upstairs to my Grandmother's apartment. These apartments came with connected living room and Parlor. The downstairs parlor had been walled off for our bedroom but, upstairs was original and there was a lot of room.
We usually had to wait until my aunt came home from work as a Telephone Operator, or, someone to come in from out of town. The Older men were loud and accusations would go back and forth as to who had spiked the Eggnog.
The adults would do everything they could do to raise the tension.  Phone calls that Santa was seen in the next town. "What was that noise on the roof?"
We had ancient 'Gas Log' fireplaces, so, Santa had to use the front door. The door, would open and a deep male voice would bellow, "Merry Christmas!!", and, Santa would appear coming up the staircase with his bag and start passing out gifts calling us each by name. When his bag was empty and after he had some Eggnog he would explain what we all knew: He had to go deliver gifts to the less fortunate kids around the world, who, unlike us, we're asleep, and don't get to be in the same room with Santa.
Santa would leave, one of us would yawn ( or, hiccup due to the Eggnog) and we would be sent downstairs where we would find the stockings we had hung full of small toys, Fruit and, often, the identical cookies that we had left on a plate for Santa along with milk that were now just crumbs. A little burp would escape from my father and we would go to bed and rest up for a day of breaking new toys.
Eventually my older sister discovered the 'Theatrical Grade' Santa Suit in my fathers closet but, we kept it a secret for the grown ups sake. We weren't the sharpest children and,  I guess in the confusion and the buzz (Eggnog?) going on it was easy for my father, a grand uncle or my mother's cousin to sneak down the back stairs and come around to the front door in the suit.
We still do the Christmas Eve present openings, now with my grand niece and nephew but, dispensed with personal appearances by Santa when I scared the Hell out of their parents about 30 years ago in a plastic Santa suit and had them and me crying.
Needless to say, it was hard returning to school and trying to convince my chums, many of whom were Jewish, that Santa had, actually, been in my house but, I endurred and I don't think that this sort of family tradition hurts anyone.

[cathleeninnh]

When I was a kid, like you, as soon as we went off to school, the fantasy was over. But Christmas got more and more commercial. I think kids see a bigger risk of losing out on something if they admit to not believing.

Cathleen

[Friday]

I think kids see a bigger risk of losing out on something if they admit to not believing.

Cathleen

Yeah, that's exactly what I said to my coworker.  He and his wife continue to not admit to their son that there is no Santa, but are waiting for him to come out and admit it.  But why would he, when 'Santa' still leaves him presents on Christmas Eve??

[Tom Sawyer]

William asked Elizabeth a direct question a while back that would have completely outed the whole Santa thing. She said "Do you really want to know?" He paused, considered and said "Never mind." 

It's been cool cause Keene had the best Santa ever. Guy looked perfect and had a really good manner too. William gets dressed up snappy to see him and they spent a good deal of time confabbing. I wonder if he told the guy about being the prez. 

One year he asked for hand-grenades  guy was completely cool and said he'd see what he could do. Danged of he didn't come through...

This year they had a different guy, smaller, the kid was almost as tall in his lap.  William was looking at him like he knew... then went along with it.

He kind of discovered Santa himself and we didn't go against what he said. I often used my standard out on things such as this by saying "Well some people say (fill in the blank)."

Next phase for him will be... being in on the secret and helping make younger kids Christmas experience fun.

[Friday]

Llloyd, thanks for sharing your story.   

Tom, how old is the President?

I'm starting to think that Cathleen and I may just have been precocious little realists...

[Sam A. Robrin]

I think kids see a bigger risk of losing out on something if they admit to not believing.

"Pascal's Wager" for juniors . . . ?

[BillKauffman]

I'm curious; when did other people stop believing in Santa?  The reason I ask is because I have an acquaintance who says her 15-year-old son still firmly believes?!?!?!  Her explanation for this is that her son has Asperger's Syndrome.  However, I looked that up, and its description says "It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. "  So even if the mother is going to great lengths to keep the lie going in her household, I'm baffled as to how any 15-year-old with access to the Internet, cable TV, Netflix, etc. could possibly have failed to stumble across the fact that Santa's just a guy in a fake beard doing a seasonal job.

I think the issue is more that kids with Asperger are so singularly and narrowly preoccupied with their particular interests that they exhibit real naivete in other common areas of life so maybe he doesn't care whether or not there is a Santa Claus. Plus, the don't do well in transition or with change - not believing in Santa is certainly a big change!

[Friday]

I'm curious; when did other people stop believing in Santa?  The reason I ask is because I have an acquaintance who says her 15-year-old son still firmly believes?!?!?!  Her explanation for this is that her son has Asperger's Syndrome.  However, I looked that up, and its description says "It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. "  So even if the mother is going to great lengths to keep the lie going in her household, I'm baffled as to how any 15-year-old with access to the Internet, cable TV, Netflix, etc. could possibly have failed to stumble across the fact that Santa's just a guy in a fake beard doing a seasonal job.

I think the issue is more that kids with Asperger are so singularly and narrowly preoccupied with their particular interests that they exhibit real naivete in other common areas of life so maybe he doesn't care whether or not there is a Santa Claus. Plus, the don't do well in transition or with change - not believing in Santa is certainly a big change!

No, she specifically said that he's a true believer, not that he's ambivalent.  True, it might be a big change to accept that Santa isn't real, but puberty is a big change too, and he survived that...

[K. Darien Freeheart]

I'm curious; when did other people stop believing in Santa?

I don't think I ever actually believed in Santa. Like, as early back as I can remember I knew he wasn't real.

I'm baffled as to how any 15-year-old with access to the Internet, cable TV, Netflix, etc. could possibly have failed to stumble across the fact that Santa's just a guy in a fake beard doing a seasonal job.

There are people who believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. The average person says that government is needed to prevent violence.

The capacity of humans at any age to delude themselves doesn't shock me anymore.

[Free libertarian]

   I was a Santa cynic from pretty early on...older syblings may have influenced me as well as a sense that the whole flying reindeer thing was sketchy.

[Puke]

I've never celebrated Xmas. Soooo, never?

I did stop believing in magic sky wizards altogether when I was 14 or 15 though.

[ny2nh]

Friday, what do you mean there's no Santa Claus??? Aaaarrggh!   

Lloyd - I have similar memories - Christmas Eve at my grandparents and conveniently Santa usually delivered our presents to our own house while we were there. My parents were quite clever because I never noticed that had left and never had a reason to think anyone but Santa had been there. And I was the youngest of 5 - and I am sure they helped perpetuate Santa as they got older and I was still just a kid. And, of course, my grandmother knew Santa personally, so that helped.

Thanks for sharing your story. 

[Tom Sawyer]

Tom, how old is the President?

8

I'm sure it would be different if he was in school. Instead he can spend all day dressed like Harry Potter, or in a loin cloth... 

He can dissect how they create illusions in movies, so I have to assume the Santa thing is just something fun to believe.