Mayhem was so excited to meet a new friend in the neighborhood last week. Finally … a girl her age! We found out her family lives just around the block from us and we exchanged contact information with her parents.
Mayhem has been itching to have a play date and would gladly jump out of a plane if this new friend invited her to go skydiving. Or better yet, run across hot coals, a la firewalk! So when Keith mentioned that the new friend’s dad emailed about getting together this weekend, Mayhem nearly came unglued.
Until Keith explained the invitation.
Brunch with Santa!
Mayhem raised her eyebrows and threw some serious side-eye his way.
Interpretation: Ummm … that’s gonna be a hard pass.
I laughed. Because we’ve turned down approximately ten invitations to events this year (some of them very cool events) due to Mayhem’s aversion to Santa Claus. Brunch with Santa, Tea with Santa, Breakfast with Santa, Swanky hotel visit where Santa visits your room to tuck you in (<— that one actually is really creepy), and the list goes on and on.
Mayhem is legitimately creeped out by Santa Claus. She likes the idea of Santa, and she doesn’t mind seeing him in movies or in books, or even the the collection of Santas that we’ve been gifted over the past several years. But IRL (in real life) Santa … ?
Completely terrifying to her.
She happily reminded us about last year. Because last year Keith and I finally convinced her to meet a mall Santa. She had never done it (she’s ALWAYS had this aversion) and we really thought it might be a good experience for her to chat with Santa and tell him what she wanted for Christmas. We did NOT however, make her sit on his lap. Because she didn’t want to. And I’m good with my kid not wanting to sit on strangers’ laps. So she stood next to him (with Keith right beside her for support) and talked to him. And as we left, she declared that she’d never do that again. Because, “That was creepy!”
It’s all good. We’ll find another time to meet up with the new friend. And to be perfectly honest, I’m glad to see that she’s not giving into the peer pressure 😉
That is just adorable ! I like a girl with principles !
My daughter is 11 and if she sees a Santa she walks the other way.
Oh Mayhem no worries you’re not alone! My daughter is almost 4 and like you loves the notion and thought of Santa but will not take a pic with him. Makes me make the line so she can see him but will not go near him.
I like your “The one invitation she won’t accept” story and sharing with us your own kid’s anxiety. My opinion is that nowadays we should explain to our kids from very early age on, that Santa Claus is exactly what it is, a fiction, character and not a real person. I find Santa Claus and Clowns as creepy as hell and I hope more parents will follow and educate their kids early on. Ethically speaking, I strongly believe that it is wrong to tell any child, at any age, that Santa Claus is a real person. I find it wrong when some parents tell their children that an old guy can enter your house without being noticed, in the middle of the night, prowl around, eat your cookies and that all this is a good thing. I also find it foolish to teach them that this intruder is “watching you” at school, in the playground, wherever and that is fine.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas Holidays!
Our son is 21 years old and I do not have one picture of him with Santa. Although he believed in Santa when he was young, he would not be in the same room as anyone dressed as Santa. I encouraged him talk to Santa but he would not have it. He grew up to be a very intelligent man who does not cave to peer pressure and is a strong leader.
Do you think she’s scared of Santa because he tries to steal all the attention on her birthday? 😉