The dreaded yearly santa photo

Christmas is biting at our heels. It’s nearly here. Well, for a parent that hasn’t even thought about what the hell she is going to buy her son for Christmas, it seems like it’s just hours away.

8,075,192 seconds until the big day.

2,244 hours until the tearing and ripping of paper…..that I will have to clean up before the house looks like a festive crime scene.

13 weeks before I have to get my crap together and actually think in ‘Christmas’ mode.

95 days until my son realises that the big evil fat guy comes to visit him and leaves him presents he asks for. I really can’t see the evilness, but Reeve does.

My son has never really been a fan of Santa. In the two Christmases since Reeve has been on this earth, I have taken him to visit Santa for the loving and happy family photo.

The first time wasn’t the happiest of memories, we waited as loving mother and child in line. I was getting excited to see my baby boys emotion as he saw Santa for the first time in his life. This was going to be glorious. A memory instilled into both our minds….forever.

And yes. I have never forgotten that moment……

The emotion was clear. — The emotion was clear

I know Santa looks a bit dodge in this photo, so who could blame my son for flipping out. But then again, my sons screams could make dogs ear drums explode. So poor Santa was most likely rethinking his $16 an hour wage, and wanting to probably call it quits immediately.

Santa’s eyes say it all….”I’m too old for this crap. Get me out of this hell hole”.

After the evil Santa experience, I was horrified. My kid hated Santa. This couldn’t be happening, could it? I then watched other babies get placed in his lap and completely flip out.

The hysterics and tears from other children actually comforted me. Phew, it wasn’t just my kid.

Throughout my sons next year of life, Santa was never mentioned. We didn’t want to relive the horror. Well I didn’t anyway. But of course, Christmas came around again. I really wanted to tackle the Santa photo again. A year had passed from that bloodcurdling screaming day, and I was going to start afresh.

So a couple of days before the Santa photo was happening, I brought it up with my son….

“We are going to visit Santa today! Yay! How exciting! This is going to be awesome and I think it’s impossible for crying to happen today, because it’s going to be the happiest day ever. Happy, happy, happy”.

I think I may have over done it on the happiness stuff. But, I was trying my hardest.

As we waited in line again, I started to get all sweaty. My heart was racing. I wondered if this going to end well.

Of course it will. Reeve is older now, so he will like it better this time. We edged closer to the front and Reeve eventually spotted the guy in the red suit. He started to grab me that little bit tighter and never once took his eyes off him.

This doesn’t feel like it’s going to have a happy ending.

It was then our turn. And of course, it was the same ‘Santa’ dude as last year.

Crap.

My actual first Santa photo. I was probably a touch too happy. — My actual first Santa photo. I was probably a touch too happy

I decided it would be best if I sat in the photo with him.

As you can see, I was a little too enthusiastic about the whole meet and greet. This was my first Santa photo after all. I was oozing happiness because I thought this would rub off on my son. There were no tears from him, so my plan worked a little. But he still looks very uncomfortable. Mummy on the other hand, looks too comfortable. Ewww.

But now my son is turning three at the end of the year, I think he may have warmed to Santa a bit more. We talk about him more, and he seems a bit excited.

Not sure whether to do the whole Santa photo thing again though. Am I bad parent if I do? I think I will give it one more go. Why not?

p.s. Santa really is a bit terrifying when you think about it. A big guy who watches every move our kids make, plus sneaks into our houses at night? I think my kid may have a bit of a point.

Does anyone else do the yearly Santa photo with their kids? Are your kids scared of him too?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

37 Comments

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 05 Jan 2016
    7:23 pm
My 3yo daughter was so hyped up and talked about Santa for weeks. When the time finally came, we lined up for the photo and she was happy as larry. She was running ahead, waving to him and running back. A few kids infront of us screamed and cried and she says “oh mum, those are whingey kids!” cue me dying of embarrassment haha so our turn comes and guess what…she won’t go near him! I stood with her for a little while and talked to Santa (he was so lovely and patient!!) and she finally sat beside him. She wouldn’t look at him or talk to him or anything and in the end has a very disgusted look on her face in the photo bahahahaha funny kid! Then as we were walking out she says “I’m sorry for not smiling mummy. How is Santa going to know what I want for Christmas cos I didn’t tell him?” LOL ooooooooh dear!

- - mom165657 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    8:25 pm
The only photo I have of my two with Santa. My son has been too scared every year (this is his 4th christmas ) my daughter held his hand for moral support

- - mom90758 said
  - 25 Nov 2015
    12:30 pm
Luckily my daughter was never afraid of Santa, but I saw so many kids in a similar situation to the one you had with your first time. A picture to treasure forever!

- - mom160421 said
  - 07 Nov 2015
    10:23 pm
You had me in stitches. I love your articles.

- - mom94378 said
  - 05 Nov 2015
    11:10 am
It should be a simple task but sometimes its a real chore.

- - mom81879 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    3:37 pm
My first born was very introverted, my second born the total opposite. Yet when I took them both for their first Xmas pic with Santa, child number 2 had the tantrum and refused. Weird

- - mom165081 said
  - 31 Oct 2015
    3:27 am
Our daughter was terrified of Santa until she was 7! We only have 1 happy Santa pic, and yes, I think it was worth it in the end.

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 29 Oct 2015
    11:00 pm
You had me smiling and I had a little chuckle. Nice uplifting article, with truth and humour.

- - Mum of 5 darlings :) said
  - 27 Oct 2015
    7:41 am
I can totally relate to this story. I have 5 children & haven’t even started buying presents yet. Christmas just seems to come around quicker every year. As for them getting photos taken with Santa, I have trouble with that every year !!

- - mom94125 said
  - 23 Oct 2015
    2:22 pm
lol i thought that santa had the same eyes! i reckon that first santa pic is great! now you will always be able to show it to him and his future wife will think it’s adorable!
- yespeasmumma replied
  
  05 Nov 2015 , 8:25 pm
  Awww, that’s a great idea :). I will keep it for his future wife!
- - pakeko said
  - 15 Oct 2015
    11:40 am
Give up after everytime we tried there where tears and far too much screaming. Good luck trying to get a photo

- - Carolineb said
  - 14 Oct 2015
    2:03 pm
We had a Santa photo done last year as it was my sons first Christmas, he was just under 3 months at the time we had the photo taken. He looked so tiny in santas’s arms. Luckily at the age he was he was happy to go to anyone so it was a nice photo, not sure what the photo will be like his year.

- - dbhall82 said
  - 12 Oct 2015
    9:20 pm
Yes first year was good for two seconds then screamed and second year I had to hold her on my lap and she still cried…and guess what I’ll prob go again this year haha!!!

- - mom118019 said
  - 12 Oct 2015
    5:14 pm
Aww too cute lol My little ones were both the same. They hated Santa until they realised he gave presents lol

- - jellybean01 said
  - 12 Oct 2015
    12:14 am
Thankyou for sharing nice to know that im not alone! Not sure if I will try for a Santa photo this year!?
- yespeasmumma replied
  
  12 Oct 2015 , 1:33 pm
  Up to you. I think I will give it one last go and if my son isn’t keen on it, we will stop doing them.
- - natweeza said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    11:27 pm
I took my daughter when she was 1 and as you can see she wasn’t very happy about it. I skipped it last year but now she’s three and can understand the whole Santa concept a bit better I will try again.
- yespeasmumma replied
  
  12 Oct 2015 , 1:35 pm
  Good idea. I think we will try it again this year too, but if his reaction isn’t good, we won’t worry about doing it anymore
- - dannsbuild said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    9:07 pm
I have some great Santa photos of my girls plus my mum has kept some of me as well, but I don’t look happy in some of mine, I think Santa frightened me

- - BellaB said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    8:28 pm
My kids eventually grew into liking Santa.

- - aprilb1 said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    7:18 pm
In our small town they usually have free a free santa photo area, you just have to take your own camera. I’ll probably do it again this year

- - jessies girl said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    5:20 pm
My husband always wanted to be a Santa and finally got his wish 3yrs ago when he could no longer work fulltime. During that time yoh can count the number of kids reluctant to see him on one hand. Maybe he has the Santa magic but people have travelled 2hrs just to have their kids photos with him as he is the best Santa ever their words not mine as I am a bit biased. He even got an Autistic child to sit on his lap and smile reducing the mum to tears as it was his first smile and photo, another child told her mum there was no Santa and she didn’t want presents by after her visit told mum hewas the really real santa. Hubby advice is to take your child just to look at Santa 3 or 4 times before trying to put them on his lap keep trying and they eventually come round or try a different Santa if possible