Do You Take Your Kids to See Santa?

We do go every Christmas Eve Day. Mine are 21, 15, 13, and 9. When the kids were little my oldest would hold a younger one. We've only had a couple freak outs through the years.
The fondest memory, two years ago the mall Santa remembered my kids and asked where the older one was, he had gone to the Navy. Then last year he remembered them again and asked how the Navy was treating their brother. That pretty much sealed the Santa is real deal for my then 8 year old.

I don't go either. My daughter is very timid and already scared of people she doesn't know. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. I don't think its fair to force her to sit on some strangers lap especially when she doesn't understand. She is three this year and I think there is no way still she would do it. If she gets old enough that she understands and chooses to go then I will. We are probably the only ones out of my friends who don't do it too.

I don't think it's a problem at all if you don't take your son, especially if you think he'll be scared. I hate to see the parents forcing their terrified babies/children to sit on Santa's lap to take a crying picture. It's just dumb. My son, however, has always asked/wanted/liked to go see Santa. So we do go every year. He's 4 1/2 this year, and can't wait to go see Santa. But I'd never have taken him if he didn't want to go. Totally not a big deal.

Our boys have always visited with Santa though I do not think it some critical part of childhood and that kids who don't do it are missing out.

Our largest downtown Macy's has been doing Breakfast with Santa for year and years and years. My boys get dressed up, they have breakfast with their cousins, the balloon lady comes around and makes them reindeer antlers. The face painters put a snowflake or a Rudolph nose on them. The carolers stroll around. And eventually, Mrs Claus comes to our table to tell us Santa is coming and to get ready. Santa sits right down at our table and the kids get to approach him or not, sit on his lap or merely hover close. The Santa they get is really wonderful -- A non-existent creep factor. Afterward, we go to see the special Christmas display/story/pagent/thing-y that Macy's has and end the day with cocoa and cookies. Not-to-be-missed tradition.

Nope.

When I was a teenager (13, 14 y/o), I went to sit with Santa (I had never sat on Santa's knee before). As I got up to leave, he whispered, "By the way, your looking REAL good tonight."

Gross.

I know there are a good many sweet, kind, not-icky mall Santas out there, but I still get the creeps.

For my little ones, I'd rather stick with the one who comes through our chimney!

I always take mine -ages 2 and 4. The 2 year old never minds and his pictures are pretty sweet -although he always looks bewildered, but my oldest hasn't gone up to Santa or sat in his lap since he was 10m -and now he's 4! We see the same, REALLY great-looking (real beard, nice man) Santa at our neighborhood Winter Wonderland every year (and you get to take your own photos for free), so he should be used to him, but although those 10m photos are fantastic -after that he flipped out about seeing him. He'll go with us, but he waits outside the area where Santa actually is sitting. At age 2, we really wanted a photo of him and his new baby brother, but I had to get in on the action (and I was NOT prepared), so it's pretty awful!

I always urge him to see Santa, but I never "pressure" him. I tell him it's fine and we'll just leave Santa a letter. I think it's fine as long as the kid is okay with it, but forcing a kid who is screaming or scared is mean! I do plan a Christmas card montage in a year or two of all the crazy Santa photos we have of our two and a few of us as kids (that was when all the Santas looked SO fake -and like drunk serial killers with beards!).

Gross and somewhat amusing Santa story -when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child, we were at my husband's company Christmas party. They hired a Santa because at the beginning they had several families and their kids as guests (the kids were all suffering from serious illnesses). They saw Santa, etc. and he stuck around for a bit. He came over and was talking to us and was REALLY, obviously hitting on me! It wasn't in my mind because my husband and two other couples at the table all remarked on it when he walked away. I just felt like, "EWWWWwwwww, Santa has the hots for me and I'm enormously pregnant and he's REALLY old -and, it's Santa!" The guy looked VERY genuine. One of the creepier experiences I've had!

I think your position is totally reasonable. I don't believe in forcing kids to have physical contact with strangers or anyone really, even grandma, unless they are comfortable with it. It sets a bad precident.

You take a child under two so you have a picture, not so they have fun, unless your little one is capable of expressing an interest in santa and wanting to go. That said, I have taken my kids every year for own satisfaction - bur around age 2, they were afraid and I didn't force it. We said "hi santa" and left without a photo or a photo of me holding her about 2 feet away from santa.. But I have the pictures from under one year and age 3 and up.

I don't take my kids for the exact same reason you don't take yours. I don't care to stand in the looong line and have all 3 of my rambunctious kids wiggling and getting irritated for having to stand too long. Plus my 4 year old would probably freak out if I tried to get him to sit on Santa. My other two know who Santa really is.

I took my daughter when she was two, mainly because my mother-in-law was with me and she really wanted a picture of my daughter with santa. WELL my daughter freaked out, no photo. The following year when my daughter was three we had to take the greatest distance away to walk around santa. This year my daughter is four and is fine with santa, we saw various santas in a parade.

I should mention that we are one of those families that we tell my daughter that santa is not real. St. Nichols was real, the story behind him but she knows santa is fake. First off my daughter pulled the beard off of a santa, said you are fake, and she asked is santa real. She is a smart cookie so we told her the truth behind santa. Simple some families do it others do not, no need to feel bad one way or another.

I once enjoyed taking my kids to see Santa, but my son freaks out about anyone dressed up in a costume, so I just avoid it now especially with him. I probably won't take out my tot this year because I did it last year when he was a few months old.

im creeped out by putting my daughters on a strange mans lap, no judgements, seriously i just have an issue with it,, plus my daughters are very weary of strange men and i plan on keeping it that way

I won't go to the mall to see him, and last year (when dd was 2) I knew she'd freak out so we didn't go. This year we'll go b/c she really loves him and is no longer shy (at all!!) and I think she'll enjoy it but we'll go to Mrs. Bairds or another small outlet to "wait in line". She's still a squiggle worm and won't stay patient for long after all! :) Merry Christmas!!

My inlaws took our baby last year when she was 10 months, and I plan on it this year too. BUT I grew up with my dad looking like Santa, and then playing Santa for a local community center (I was his elf). It's sort of a special thing in my heart.
I totally get the reasons why people wouldn't want to though. I even questioned it last year because I didn't like the look of the Santa (fake beard sort of weird santa suit) but my inlaws took her. I believe I only did it as a child 3 or 4 times, then we stopped, but like I said I just thought my dad was Santa.
I hope your friends don't make too big of a deal over it, I think it's totally fine for him to make the choice. I would just tell them you are taking him to see Santa, but probably not sit on his lap yet. Good Luck! =)

I don't take mine, ages 1 and 2. I figure it would just cause my kids to cry and it really doesn't seem to important to me. I also don't know why I don't see an importance in it, growing up my mom took me every year and had a pic made. When my son was one he did see santa and wouldn't go near him so I guess Im just avoiding the struggle of trying to keep him calm while sitting in a strangers lap! lol Im also tryin to teach them the Christians views of why we celebrate Christmas and leave Santa as secondary, like an extra surprise on the side. :)

Some people "traditionally" take their kids to have the classic Santa snapshot each year. If it is not that important to you dont' worry about it. I wouldnt take a 2yr old that might get all scared and cry... I think that is just wrong, but lots of moms have the "crying baby Santa pic". I took mine some years and some years I didnt feel like standing in line. I look back now and sort of wish I would have had them taken every year... but it's a fleeting thought. It's fun to take them when they are about 3 or 4 when Santa is not scary and they are still young and totally "believe". I have some of me on Santa's lap too even as a grown up ;)

I don't, I tried when they were little but they didn't want to. We go by and my kids don't care. I don't blame them for not wanting to sit on a strangers lap.

When they are old enough ... definitely! It just adds to their excitement and the picture collection that you'll get over the years will make it all worth your while. I would even go now while he's two. Some two year olds LOVE to sit (picture or not), some won't have any part of it. You might enjoy the time out with friends one way or the other too. About Santa being a "stranger," yep, but it's all in good natured sweet-hearted fun and letting them fulfill their little dreams.

Hello! I actually wont take my son to sit on a strangers lap (it tuns out that the local mall with a Santa had some problems with the man who was Santa) But instead we have several family friends who play Santa, we have one come to the house on Christmas Eve (they are older and actually look the part) before the kids go to bed. Last year while the Santa drive off we had the kids go to the back door to look for Santa in his sleigh and opened it slightly and Neldon jingled his bells and said "Merry Christmas!" THE KIDS LOVED IT!!
So maybe you can have a little party with some friends and get another friend to play Santa.
I have been to one of the Macys Breakfast with Santa the Ellis mentioned and that is one of the most prominant memories I have (I can't remember most of my childhood). I do remember loving it. I was 7 and I knew that there wasn't a Santa, but It still was magical that Santa was right there.

We go every year. I love having the pictures of her with Santa. We go to Bass Pro Shops- they do a free picture and the santa here is really good.

My son is 2 1/2. I've never seen a point in taking him before, but this year I am planning on it. This is the first year he has some idea of what is going on, he talks about Santa and his Reindeer every day! I asked him if he wanted to go meet Santa and sit on his lap to tell him what he wants for Christmas and he said yes, Santa can hold me! Like someone else said, it adds to the excitement. If we get there and he's totally freaked out by it like some little ones are, then I am definitely not going to make him.

We don't take our kids to see Santa. They know he's not the real Santa so they don't care to go see him which works out for us b/c my husband hates crowds and I don't like my kids sitting on strange mens laps :)