Reply to Disappointment that Santa isn’t real

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b][quote]Kindly, I think the way to respond to that question (which we get constantly as well), is with "hmm, good question, what do you think? Do YOU think Santa is real?" Then if you get an enthusiastic "YES!", you know how to go from there (i.e., neither confirming nor denying).
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That said, what's done is done. I think you empathize with how it feels sad and focus on other fun traditions. It may be a tough year, but hopefully next year she'll be more mature and able to process it better. And silver lining that it's a pandemic so fewer/no kids to blab to![/quote]

Yes!  This is the right approach--you are just noncommittal and and answer questions with questions so that the kid slowly figures it out by themselves... and Santa is not "taken away" by someone else.[/quote]

OP here. We have tried this approach with many other things and she gets very upset about it, refuses to say what she thinks, and insists on being told the truth. In retrospect maybe we should have tried it again with this question, but, as you said, what’s done is done. [/quote]

Original PP here. In that case, I think you did the right thing. If she doesn't respond well to "what do you think?", then your choices were lie, when as you said she's asking more critical thinking questions, or tell her the truth. I wouldn't have lied in your shoes either. She's feeling disappointment, which is totally natural and not something to be avoided. It sounds like she knows the Santa story and is wising up to the implausibility of it. Smart girl! It's tough to have your smarts/intellect develop faster than your emotional maturity, but if she's a bright kid, it will happen throughout her childhood. [/quote]

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