How to Take a Child to Visit Santa Claus

Christmas time is made magical when a child meets Santa Claus. Parents often look forward to this moment even more than the children do. We've all seen those adorable photos of children bawling in Santa Claus' lap. With a little preparation, sometimes you can avoid the tears or the "I don't wanna" syndrome.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Child(ren)
• A snack
• Child's favorite toy
• Santa themed movies or storybooks
• Red or green sweaters

1. Explain to your children that your family will be stopping by to visit Santa Claus. Tell them about your own experiences of meeting Santa Claus when you were a child.

2. Read a holiday themed storybook with Santa Claus in it such as "Twas the Night Before Christmas." This should be read a day or two before the visit with Santa Claus. Consider also showing your children a cartoon or movie about Santa Claus.

3. Dress your child in comfortable clothing. Try red or green sweaters with twill pants for a dressy look.

4. Plan your Santa Claus visit at a non-peak time. The busiest weeks will probably be the two weeks from December 15th to Christmas Eve. Try to visit Santa Claus after school on a weekday just after Thanksgiving.

5. Consider bringing easy-to-carry snacks or drinks for your children while waiting for Santa Claus. Also bring along a comforting toy.

6. Let your child watch other children who may be getting their picture taken with Santa. Explain to them what the children are doing, and what your child will then do.

7. Plan a small treat for after the photo is taken, such as going for hot chocolate. Mention that small treat when they sit down in Santa Claus' lap so they have something to look forward to.

Tips & Warnings

• Before visiting Santa Claus, consider having your children write a letter to Santa Claus. This will help them anticipate the visit and they can bring the letter with them.
• Wear holiday themed clothing yourself so you can offer to stand in the photo. Your children may feel more at ease with Mommy or Daddy in the photo too.
• Consider asking your child to simply stand next to Santa Claus. Some children find it too intimidating to sit in a stranger's lap, but they will stand next to him for a photo.
• If your children are too upset for the photo, this may not be the day. Taking a photo when they are too upset will only encourage them to think of this as a scary experience.
• If your children are wary around Santa Claus when they are typically friendly, take this as a caution. In this day and age it is better to be a little cautious around strangers.