Painting problems

Hello I’m brand new to air dry clay and sculpting. I recently made a few pieces and have gotten them to the point where they are dry. I tried to paint them with acrylic paint but it immediately peeled. I figured the piece may not have been dry so I waited a few more days until it was. I then went in with gesso as that was recommended to seal it before painting. After a few hours I was inspecting the piece and it snapped in half. Does gesso or paint have enough water to rehydrate the clay to where it would be fragile and snap like that? How should I go about painting my pieces and how long should I wait after painting to know it won’t snap again?