It’s the annual outing every Christmas-celebrating parent makes. The trip to see Santa Claus. I so wanted that perfect picture of my son with the famous bearded elf.

The adventure began with a 45 minute wait in line behind all the other eager parents and children. As the parent of a toddler, I have come to realize that all of these “special” events are ten times more exciting for me than for him. I stood there in blissful anticipation as we crept ever closer to the man in red. My son, on the other hand, was busy devising a way to tear down the candy cane border that held us in line. Santa? Who’s Santa? And of course my husband didn’t share my enthusiasm either. With a shocking statement of, “You know what they need to do here is have two Santas to speed up the process…” I was convinced the Christmas hopes and dreams of all children within earshot of us would surely be ruined. Yet I didn’t let their lack of interest get me down. I was determined to get that glorious picture of my son with Santa to show off to all my friends and family.

And then the moment presented itself. “Would you like a picture with Santa?” the elf assistant asked. I think I blurted out the word “Yes” faster than on my wedding day. We stepped into the North Pole and made our way to St. Nick. I secretly kept my fingers crossed as my husband placed our darling son on Santa’s lap. We backed up slowly as if we were preparing for a small bomb to go off. And ironically, one did. My little boy’s lips began to quiver and before we could

Am I really embarrassed? Yes and no. I’m not embarrassed at my son’s behavior. I mean, come on – everything we teach our kids revolves around being weary of people they don’t know. So why should I be surprised that he gets upset when I put him in the lap of an overweight, bearded stranger covered in red velvet, while surrounded by singing plastic animals? I’m proud of him for not talking to strangers!  I am, however, embarrassed at my own behavior. I admit I get caught up in doing what’s “cute” and not what my son wants to do. He’s still so young that he can’t tell me what he wants, so I guess I make those choices for him. I know that will change very shortly – and I’m sure I will seriously question the choices he does make. But until then, we’ll see how he handles Santa next year!

About The Author

Jennifer Tarzian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Her experience includes sales, service, and managing a small corporation. She is proud to be a stay-at-home mom and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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