A Parenting Decision

Yesterday I made a parenting decision. I was in my 11 year old daughter's room helping her clean it so the house would not be condemned because of it. I decided to clean out the bookcase she has next to her bed which has everything but books in it. She had all her books which she had picked up from around the room and threw them on the bed but they could not go into the case because it was full of stuff.

I sat on the bed and started going through the stuff while she was working on something else. I found a picture of Santa with Rudolf. A few years ago she wrote him a letter asking why she has never seen Rudolph and if she could have a picture so he left this picture in her stocking. What really happened was hubby found it on the net and printed out the picture.

Hubby and I had talked about telling her the truth about the old guy so I decided now was the time. I looked at her and said, "I have something to tell you and I do not know how you are going to take it." She sat on the floor and looked at me with wide eyes. I handed her the picture and told her there was no Santa but I wanted her to know from us rather than her going to school and finding out. I was afraid her friends would laugh at her when she told them what she got this year from Santa and tell her the truth and I did not want that to happen.

I went on to say we still want to do it for her 5 year old brother and she was fine with it and thought now she could help out. Finally she asked if she could still pretend and I said "Of course. "

After all, my parents still have not told me!!!!