If You Can't Say Something Nice Don't Say Anything

While I was growing up that was one of the things that I got from my mother but do not always apply and this is probably one of those times I should. I understand parents wanting to get their child's photo with Santa but there is a time period for a lot of children probably from 18 months to 3 years that these children are not at all interested in some big guy with a Red Suit on it is frightening to them. So we try to keep the parents happy. If we have a child that even looks a little bit afraid we ask the parent to back them up to Santa and set the child down then step aside. We try to take the first shot possible after the parent moves away. We also have already explained or attempted to explain that if the child doesn't fuss then we can try for a smile.

Now I get to see a lot of different types of parents with these children. There is the parent who clearly sees this child is not going to sit still for this and is still trying to make sure the dress is perfect or the pants are in the right position. Standing directly in front of the camera so as to make it impossible to get that quick photo before the child starts crying. Then they insist on trying to get a photo of there child not fussing.

Then there is the parent who has a child that is already coming up to Santa kicking and screaming and they put this terrified youngster in Santa's lap, now we are supposed to get a smile.

The ones that really get me are the parents with infants who are fussing and the parents still want a photo, but the kicker here is while the parents are picking out the photo the want they leave the child fussing in Santa's arms.

Combine this with the parent that makes Santa out to be the bad guy. If you are not good you will not get anything for Christmas. No wonder some of these children are so horribly terrified by Santa until they get to be eight or nine years old. I had one come in today who was actually seeing Santa for the first time without any fear and she was nine years old.

The event that triggered this blog happened later in the day, dad was in the mall with his two sons about 5 & 6 years old, and his daughter who appeared to be about 3. He had the two boys get up on my lap and then was trying to force the little girl into coming up to Santa as well, she was so terrified that there was no way dad was going to get a good photo. So the four of them left the Santa set and the so called dad did what had me just boiling. He smacked the little girl and told her to go away as he pushed the stroller with the two boys walking with him. They had stayed in the area of the Santa set and I was thinking I should just take a quick break when the dad brought the two boys back and pretty much was forcing the photo on the boys.

Now when things are slow and I see a little one waiting who appears to be a little afraid I go up and shake mom or dads had and say something like it has been awhile since I have seen them and then ask the child to give me five. Then I can gradually warm the child up and most of the time can get them on my lap for a photo. I have been able to do this to the point where the child did not want to leave. They have really decided that Santa was a good guy and they are not terrified anymore.

Ok on the brighter side we had 234 visitors to the Santa set today and number 200 was a little girl who told me she just wanted to go to Disneyland for Christmas. So out total visits for the season is up to 1,267.