At what age do we tell our children the truth?

[tzs]

Children are very smart!~~ Never underestimate when they will start to comprehend situations and realize they are not what they seem. Its so easy to not pay attention to how your children are up to speed on some subjects in life. As far as the easter bunny and all of that crap, my daughter realizes if there are several different versions or stories told about one thing, than something isn't right!!! She's only 3 yrs old, and smart as a whip!!! I let her figure it out on her own and come to me with questions.

[dbashaw]

I think it all depends on the child.  sometimes it can still be a touchie subject. 

[lgemini]

My oldest child I told her at 8 years old, my middle child I told her a 4 years old, but my youngest child I never told him.

[samiole32]

My daughter were in Pre-K last year and they asked us to send gifts for our children to school to celebrate the Christmas they asked us to send the same gift so all children will have the same present from Santa to avoid any trouble and we did go to the celebration I liked what the teacher did
She was holding each gift so they can read the name on it and hand the gift to this child then she said Now we have to thank Mom and Dad for sending this gifts because they worked hard to send you this pretty present Not Santa, Santa's present always is Mom or Dad present to you

[prtee33]

13 years old and still wondering if Santa is real or not is amazing to me. Does he still get money from the tooth fairy? 

[jzmom]

I have always just waited til the kids start asking if it is true.  My daughter was probably in 4th or 5th grade when she figured it out but
she didn't want to spoil it for her brother who was 2 years younger so she played along.  My son was in 6th grade(middle school) when
he came home one day saying the kids were teasing him saying Santa wasn't real.  I felt bad because he still did believe and then when
he said " you mean the Easter bunny and Tooth fairy aren't real either" I felt like a really bad mom. 

[mh874892]

I am 22 and the rule for my parents is if you don't believe then you don't get presents. So, we were never told the truth, but I think kids start to realize it long before parents even think about telling them. I know I was in elementary when my friends started making fun of others for still believing.

[footemama]

My son is 3 and I'm not sure when I'm going to tell him. I'm sure that he will figure it out before I even think about it although he has said before that grandpa is Santa (I think it's the beard lol). I don't think that its any more harmless than pretend friends. It's a part of children's development to figure out what is real and what is not and that there are pretend things that adults do so that the children have more fun. There's something much more magical about the Easter Bunny hiding eggs in the backyard than it is for Mommy to hide eggs in the backyard.

[kilophkadamas]

You should let them learn on their own. If they believe in those things, then let them continue to be children. If you tell them the truth too early, you run the risk of robbing them of their childhood.

[crigal]

My kids have known since they were about 6 or 7. 

[meyerkendra]

My daughter is nine, and she knows. I think she learned it from school. But that doesn't stop Santa from bringing a present every year. We love Santa at our house.

[Garydh]

I figure if your old enough to have children your old enough to tell the truth. LOL
I let the children figure it out. I always even today maintain there is a Santa Claus. Finally one day my oldest daughter at around age 30 figured it out. There is a Santa Claus in all of us! So yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

[bigfoot951]

I don't know what age is right, but 13 seems a little old.  I will probably take the easy way out, and wait for my kids to come home from school questioning it because of what their friends told them.

[Ittai]

all depends what to tell them...10-13?

[tashamjoy]

I think i was pretty old like over ten lol but i was an oblivous kid my younger siblings well my sister was bright she notice santa has same wrapping paper as mom and dad, mom started to slack in hiding. But my brother was oblivous like me maybe 11. Depends on a lot the kid and if they notice things, their peers, siblings, parents all depends