So I'm wondering if others have had these kinds of situations come out of nowhere with a child suddenly manifesting an INTENSE emotional response to something that seemed like it should have been just fine.
What happened? What were you thinking at the time (as a parent)? What did you do to help your child? Do you feel guilty or okay about it now?
Ah, yes, the Great Santa Debacle. Last year, my DD (then 7) was asking a lot of questions about the Big Three: the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa. I figured she was pretty much on to us. I had always said that if my kids straight out asked me if one of the Big Three was real, I'd answer honestly (unfortunately, I hadn't yet heard my friend's excellent advice to always respond "What do you believe?").
So my daughter's getting into the car, and she asks out of the blue, "Mom, is the Tooth Fairy real?" I took a deep breath and told her. I don't think I'll ever forget the complete look of devastation and betrayal on her face. She kept saying, "But I thought you'd say yes, she's real!" From there it was a slippery slope--first the Easter Bunny, then, most traumatically, Santa.
I actually posted about this on this board a few months ago: there was a time (maybe four or five weeks) when DD would cry about this every night, asking painful questions ("Why did you lie to me?") and saying heartwrenching things ("I feel like all of the magic has gone out of the world"). We talked a lot about deeper truths and everyday magic, and I think now she's okay. But, um, yeah, that was definitely intense!
