Making the call to Santa Claus

I was out shopping the other day looking in the toy section of Myer for some Christmas present ideas. From behind me I heard….

“Get off the floor Jacob!”

“You have until I count to 3! 1….2…..3…..”

“Oh that is IT! I am calling Santa”

I have never seen a kid jump so fast to attention! Off he went with his mum on his merry way as if nothing had happened, like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

Now, my kids are a little too young to use the “I am calling Santa threat” but I have seen plenty of others use it.

A few years ago now I witnessed my brother actually “making” the phone call. He was telling Santa all the bad things my niece Miss S had done that day. I remember she looked devastated! She was very naughty back then so her daddy had Santa on “speed dial”.

There are apparently now apps you can get for your mobile which make a call to your phone from Santa or allow you to call the Fat Man himself all to make the charade more believable!

There is also a scanning app. You can scan your child and it tells them on Santa’s radar whether they are naughty or nice.

But are these scare tactics healthy?

Or do kids eventually become immune? By the time they reach the age of 6 or 7 if you have been threatening for the past 3 years that Santa may not come but he always does, are they just not going to believe you?

I know I do not use this yet, but drastic times sometimes call for drastic measures! I am sure one day I will be pulling out the mobile phone and dialling the magic numbers.

Do you tell your kids Santa always knows if they’re being bad, and if he doesn’t then you are going to ring and tell him anyway?

97 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 28 Jun 2018
    5:53 pm
Sadly, the only downside to this…..Christmas only happens once a year so it’s not a functional all year round bribe

- - mom90758 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    1:56 pm
I’ve never heard of this before!

- - mom93821 said
  - 19 Dec 2014
    5:50 pm
Thanks for sharing this article.

- - mom57522 said
  - 28 Sep 2014
    1:41 pm
They think Santa has elves watching all the time. Something they came up with!

- - mel_phillips said
  - 31 Jul 2014
    7:53 am
LOL! I’m glad I’m not the only one! Food for thought with the upcoming silly season!!

- - Michelle said
  - 22 Jul 2014
    9:28 am
We did this, it worked for a while lol!

- - rachaelchara said
  - 19 Jun 2014
    1:30 pm
I have threated that Santa is always watching so they must behave. I don’t think they are really that worried ha ha.

- - no1ladydj said
  - 30 May 2014
    10:47 pm
I’ve never done that when my kids were small, but I wish I’d thought of it. A threat to tell Santa would have immediately turned them into little angels, as they were so worried about Santa knowing if they were naughty or nice. I used to say I’d tell their Grandma, because they adored her, and they’d always say “No Mummy, don’t upset Grandma, we’ll be good”.

- - mom57522 said
  - 30 May 2014
    9:17 pm
My girls think the elves are watching for Santa.

- - kazh said
  - 29 May 2014
    11:07 pm
I read about parents who have actually gone through with cancelling christmas. Extreme.

- - christial said
  - 20 May 2014
    10:10 pm
Haha.. I’ve never heard the calling Santa tactic yet! I might use it when lo gets older… Or I might just say I’ll call daddy!
- june11 replied
  
  18 Aug 2014 , 8:18 pm
  We were told don’t make threats you don’t intend to carry out.
  What is the physological effect this might have on your child?
  I know a Mum who used to tell her girls that (and what she reckoned he would do) and turned them against him in the process. They became so scared of him and over a period of time she killed what had been wonderful Dad/daughters relationships. She finished it off by criticizing him all the time.
  - ginoula5 replied
    
    21 Aug 2014 , 3:07 pm
    
    haha the ‘i’m calling daddy’ works
- - catgrrl3 said
  - 16 May 2014
    10:59 am
if it works, then I dont see why not keep using it, cause well, one day it aint gonna work

- - mummy liana said
  - 24 Mar 2014
    10:40 pm
thank you sharing this article good read

- - jenny9761 said
  - 13 Mar 2014
    7:45 pm
I think I said this every christmas for 10 years

- - angel_mon said
  - 08 Mar 2014
    10:59 pm
we “phone santa” too, we even fake the conversation if we have to
- ginoula5 replied
  
  24 Aug 2014 , 4:43 pm
  haha that is what a friend does, pretend to have a long chat with santa
- - mummy liana said
  - 03 Mar 2014
    3:23 pm
thanks for sharing was a great read

- - yyon4699 said
  - 30 Jan 2014
    9:33 am
i had fun reading this

- - vikram77 said
  - 22 Jan 2014
    3:23 am
Thanks for sharing. Great article. I enjoyed reading it.

- - coppin85 said
  - 03 Jan 2014
    11:03 am
this is a great read

- - ljsalomon said
  - 02 Jan 2014
    10:06 am
Enjoyed reading – thanks for sharing.