when should a child be told the truth ....

Too young to told the truth? I hope that my kids blieve in santa as long as possible it keeps thier innocence. KIds are learning the truth sooner and sooner. Now my fiancee wants to tell them now because he is tired if an imaginary man getting all the credit and we get all the bills. I have to practicly gag him when that time of year comes around. But to tell you the truth you wont have to kids at school will tell them. My daughter is 5 and in kindergarden and alot of the kids know that there is no santa but thank god no one spilled the beans.

We all know that Santa Claus doesn't exist. In this heartless and wretched world, it doesn't do to float on the wings of imagination. One day or the other, the child will come to know of the truth, and trust me, the truth will come as a heavy blow to his innocent mind, when he comes to know that the very person for whose blessings and splendid gifts, he maintained good conduct the whole year round is in fact, a non-existent entity and that his/her parents only used the story to keeep him well-behaved. This realization may make him rebellious. It's better not to start the practice at all. I feel that it is much, much better if parents promise their children gifts by themselves on the occasion of Christmas if they conduct themselves well. Truth is mostly harsh, but we all need to get accustomed to it, don't we? Why not inculcate the habit from a young age itself?

I think that the parent should be responsible for telling their child the truth. There really is no appropriate age. As the children get older they tend to find out on their own, but if you are wanting to tell your children, do it when the time is right. I think that a good time is when you see that they are starting to act more mature, and responsible.