Should I Take My Toddler to See Santa?
So, we’ve all heard the stories; you pay a small fortune for the ticket and stand in line as you walk your way through a winter wonderland, whilst thinking to yourself ‘I hope it’s going to be worth it.’ At this point your little one is super excited that he/she is going to meet the big man. However as soon as the door opens for their turn with Santa it’s a different story.
Your little one suddenly looks terrified. They’re usually told not to talk to strangers, yet suddenly you’re pushing them to move toward this big man with a false beard and sit next to him to have a chat, whilst also giving their biggest smile, so you can capture the perfect Christmas photo.
At this point we usually have tears and a lot of bribery is going on, for example; smile if you would like… a present, chocolate, toy, doll, teddy, sweets etc.
Will the Experience Affect My Child?
So, are we mean doing this to our children every year, as most children no matter their age feel a little anxious as they step into the room for their turn to meet Santa? By no means do I think that this experience has affected my daughter and now whenever she sees a picture of Santa she will happily say ‘I saw Santa’ as she goes to look for the dreadful photo of my husband, myself and my daughter huddled up with Santa pulling our best fake smiles.
However, by no means does this mean that other children will react the same. But how will you know how your child will respond until you take them to meet Santa, and if they are behaving extremely stressed out you can always leave.
Therefore, with this in mind you might want to look for a cheap experience, where you queue for a short amount of time, see Santa and then leave. However, another way to look at it is, if you pay a bit extra for something that will distract your little one such as a train ride, then the overall experience will be more of a positive one.
Will I Take Her Again Next Year?
Yes of course we will with the optimistic hope that she won’t cry as soon as she sees Santa. To me I think it’s about choosing the right Santa experience and there are so many to choose from; with afternoon tea, train rides, magical walk throughs and parties. It’s all about spending time with the family and creating Christmas memories.