![]() But those who followed a post secondary non-university course were the most likely to believe in Santa after the age of nine.īut more than age and education it is their own childhood experience which determines whether parents tell their children that Santa is real or not. University educated respondents were also more likely to stop believing in Santa before the age of nine. People with a university level of education are just a bit more likely not to have ever believed in Santa – compared to those with a lower education. Scepticism is stronger among those with a primary level of education, but this could be attributed more to the prevalence of older people in this age group. Respondents with a university level of education are as likely to tell their children that Santa is real as respondents with a secondary level of education. The survey shows that education does not play a big role in the perpetuation of the Santa myth. In fact while over one fourth of over 35 year olds have never believed in Santa Claus, the percentage of those who never believed in Santa falls to just 9% among under 34s. Those aged under 34 are also the least likely not to have ever believed in Santa Claus. While 64% of under-34 year old parents and 61% of those aged between 35 and 54 tell their children that Santa exists, only 53% of those over 55 do likewise. ![]() The MaltaToday survey shows that younger generations are more likely to peddle the Santa Claus myth. “It may be unnecessary to spoil the excitement for the child until they outgrow the belief.” “Christmas tends to be more fun for those kids who believe in Santa compared to those who do not,” he said. Jared Durtschi, an assistant professor in Kansas State University’s marriage and family therapy programme insists that by telling the truth about Santa before a child has figured it out on his or her own, parents might unintentionally lessen the excitement of the Christmas season for their children. But this harsh opinion is disputed by other researchers and academics who see imagination and fantasy as something to be encouraged. The authors warned that the discovery of the truth by children could affect the trust that exists between child and parent. “If they (parents) are capable of lying about something so special and magical, can they be relied upon to continue as the guardians of wisdom and truth?” Social scientist Kathy McKay and psychologist Christopher Boyle also condemn the idea of a “terrifying” North Pole intelligence agency which judges children to be nice or naughty. Spinning stories about Santa risks undermining a child’s trust and is morally suspect, according to two experts. Should you tell children that Santa exists?Ī study recently published in the respectable The Lancet Psychiatry journal urged parents to stop pretending Father Christmas is real in case the “lie” damages relations with their children. But one in 20 continued believing in Santa beyond the age of 10 while nearly one in four never believed he exists. The survey shows that most people stop believing in Santa at between eight and 10 years of age. While only 36% of those who never believed in Santa tell their children that he exists, the percentage rises to 67% among those who continued believing in Santa after the age of eight years. The survey also finds that those who believed longest in the existence of Santa Claus are also the most likely to tell their children that he exists.
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