I'm baaack - and with an update on my 14 1/2 year old Santa believer.
I decided that the best strategy with my daughter would be to break it to her that the Easter bunny isn't real and let her ease into the idea that maybe Santa isn't real either.
So, yesterday evening, I had her alone in her room and I asked her if she was expecting an Easter basket. She didn't get what I was asking so I specifically told her that the Easter baskets are made by me every year and since this year her bother is on a diet, he isn't getting candy - what would she lie in hers. She just would not comprehend what I was saying until I had explained it several times.
Finally, she asked me if Kyle knew about this and I said yes, he knew when he was very young. She wanted verification so we called him in. He looked at me in a panic at first because he didn't know where I was heading (should he keep it going to tell the truth). I convinced him that it was truth time so he told her.
She said "I'm going to ask Dad" and headed downstairs with Kyle and I in tow.
Now, I will admit to making several mistakes, the first of which was no not include my husband in the fact that i was breaking it to her. Second, I underestimated what a foul mood DH was in due to crazy work hours and generally being a ____. But he not only didn't help me, he made things worse.
He told her that I was lying and that there is an Easter Bunny. He was also in the middle of a huge tantrum about dinner not working out and going between demanding help and chasing everyone out.
So, I decide to get more back-up. we headed into our tenant/family friend's apartment (attached to the house) to ask carol to verify. I quickly told carol that I wanted her to tell Nicole the truth. She adamantly refused. She told Nicole that the Easter bunny and Santa were real and she would get baskets and presents as long as she lived. Carol and I actually argued about what she was saying and I told her that she had better plan on driving to Nicole's college dorm to deliver these baskets and presents if that is what she is telling her.
Nicole just kept repeating "I'm so confused" over and over.
We all ended up back in our part of the house and were in the kitchen area when a door to door salesman had the misfortune of knocking on our screen door. he was trying to sell me exterminator services and would not believe me when I told him that we had no bugs. So I said he could give me a proposal on mosquito services. he said he would be right back. well, while he was away from the door, the argument exploded and every single member of the family was yelling. DH was yelling at DS that if he wanted to be the parent then go ahead and parent DD. I was angrily barking at Carol that she needed to back me up. She was snearing back at me "I will not tell her" DD was repeated that she was "so confused"
A this point I remembered the salesman, who by now, was standing at the screen door with a look of terror on his face. I told him that this was not a good time and he could not have run away faster.
Anyway, in the end, DD agreed to write up a list of her favorite candies and seems to have accepted the death of the Easter Bunny.
We shall see how Santa fares.