Question for E & C: How and when did they find out Santa wasn’t real and what was their reaction? (And what about their kids?)
Ethan figured out pretty young because he's already had a healthy dose of skepticism, and when his father responded to his queries by insisting that Santa was real, Ethan secret devised a plan to find Santa. Just as he expected, he caught Alan hiding presents under the tree. Ethan intended to tell Alan that the jig was up, but on Christmas morning, Alan was so excited to keep the magic alive that Ethan hesitated. A few years later, he admitted he no longer believed but never shared that he'd witnessed Alan playing Santa that night.
Conversely, Charlie took a bit too long to stop believing. She liked the mystery and magic, so she didn't mind suspending logical reasoning if it meant feeling excited on Christmas morning. When kids started teasing her for still believing, she finally let it go, but she still talks about Santa with her parents like he's real because they all like the tradition.
As for Ethan and Charlie's children, they followed a similar pattern. Their eldest, Lori, was always trying to outsmart Santa and catch her parents. Expecting that kind of behavior from Lori, her parents covered their tracks well, but when her parents failed to catch one of her secret tests, it was all over. They promised to tell her how they got away with it as long as she promised not to ruin it for her younger brother. Lori agreed to the deal as long as she got first pick of Santa's cookies after Daniel went to bed.
Daniel, their youngest, enjoyed the tradition and kept it going for a while. When he reached the age where skepticism was ripe and all his friends were whispering their doubts, he similarly abandoned belief. He told his parents but insisted they keep the tradition to frustrate his older sister, who had been dying to tell him for years. Well into adulthood, he still teases her that he believes, and according to her deal with her parents (which Lori takes very seriously), she still can't technically tell him.
