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Santa, the Tooth Fairy and other magical beings

Whether you tell your child that Santa and the Tooth Fairy are real, play along, call it a game, or skip the myths.

Should we tell our child Santa and the Tooth Fairy are real?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Full myth, maintained; Play along, answer honestly when asked; "a game we play" from the start; No myth. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: toddler.

Evidence
Evidence leans one way
Best settled
Toddler
Part of
The family system

Santa, the Tooth Fairy and other magical beings: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Full myth, maintained

    You present them as real and keep it up as long as you can.

  2. 2. Play along, answer honestly when asked

    You go along with it, and tell the truth when the child asks directly.

  3. 3. "a game we play" from the start

    You tell the child from the beginning that it is pretend, and enjoy it together.

  4. 4. No myth

    You do not do these traditions.

Santa, the Tooth Fairy and other magical beings: what does the evidence say?

Evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. (Leans low-risk)

Disbelief arrives around 8; negative feelings are usually short-lived and most adults report no damage to trust

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Many families tell children that Santa or the Tooth Fairy is real. Most children work it out by about seven or eight and are not upset. Parents differ on whether it is harmless fun or a lie.

Questions to ask each other

  • Did we believe, and how did we find out?
  • Do we want to keep the magic or tell the truth early?
  • What would we say when our child asks directly?

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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.