Picture with Santa
We brought our daughter, Maya, up without Santa. My mom said she would not lie to us, so did not tell us stories about Santa Claus. Ted’s parents did raise him with Santa, but they failed him, in that when he learned Santa was not real, it was because his parents forgot to buy stocking stuffers, and left a note (In his mom’s handwriting) that said, “Sorry kids, I ran out of candy…see you next year.). Perhaps because he was the 4th of 4 kids, this was the amount of energy left. So we didn’t have the experience of a parent telling us that we were ‘part of the magic’ and so we could help make it wonderful for someone else, which seems like a really wonderful way to do it.
So, since we both had crappy or non existent experiences with Santa, neither of us were inclined to raise Maya that way. But of course, families being what they are, this really bothered Ted’s sister and mom. So when Maya was almost 9 months old, and we were visiting his sister, she had a friend dress up in a Santa suit and come over. She is also responsible for the Disney dress Maya is wearing, since we were anti-Disney at the time, due to how extremely commercial they were.
However, as anti as I sound, I love this picture. She was a bit confused but not terrorized or afraid, Santa was gentle, it was in a place that was safe to her and comfortable, so all was good.
3 Comments
nance
My husband always hated that “Santa got credit for all the really cool presents.” I think if he had had his way, our kids wouldn’t have believed in Santa, either. But it’s so difficult. Yes, for well-meaning family who barge in and decide that They Will Take Over On This Point. Also, for when they are in school and around tons of other kids for those several years who talk about and believe in Santa.
As for Disney–I loathe that whole cult. There are forty-year olds who are still firmly locked in and give Peter Pan a run for his money in the Won’t Grow Up department. It’s scary and sad. That corporation has co-opted so many stories and obliterated the originals that it’s disheartening.
That picture of Maya, though–sweet and precious. I can just feel that soft, plush baby cheek.
J
Your comment about the other kids at school, yes, that was hard. Maya REALLY wanted to believe in Santa, based on what her friends told her. Ted said, “Do you really want an old white man coming down our chimney in the middle of the night? I don’t.” Maybe the same year, maybe another, he told her that if she wanted to believe in Santa, she could, and we would just return the gifts that WE had bought her and which were under the tree. I asked her if she could ever remember getting a gift from Santa under our tree. She had to give it up then. Of course, we went to Ted’s parents house for Christmas and they had a gift for her there from Santa. Thank goodness they weren’t religious!
J
Oh, and another time, his sister had his niece dress up in this same Santa suit to come say Merry Christmas to Maya, and she was older than this picture, but not as old as when she firmly WANTED to believe. She was in full on ‘stranger danger’ mode, and was TERRIFIED. She was barely comforted when Shannon took off the beard and showed who she was. Poor kid.
I feel for Rick. I think if Santa came to our house, he would just leave some chocolates and a small toy, and leave the good ones for us.