The holidays are approaching, which means Santa Claus will start popping up at store events and meet and greets. While most children squeal in delight at the sight of Santa, there are many kids who still fear the man with the beard. Since Santa is literally everywhere during the holidays, how can you effectively soothe your child’s fear of Santa? The good news is there are ways to help your child feel more comfortable around the man in red.
Get Rid Of The Fear Of Santa
Take a look below at 8 ways to soothe your child’s fear of Santa so you can be sure the holiday is stress free and not so scary for them.
Don’t force interaction
One of the worst things to do is force children to interact with a Santa they are scared of. Would you like it if you were forced to touch a spider or snake? Probably not. Don’t think that a forced interaction will help children get over their fear. Instead, respect their feelings and don’t use force as a way to break the fear.
You don’t want to end up like one of these kids: 22 Kids Who Are Totally Over Taking Their Photo With Santa
Read children’s books about Santa
There are so many children’s books out there that can shed some light on Santa Claus and help kids feel more comfortable with him. Find some Santa themed books and enjoy them with your child so they can see Santa in a friendly light. My favorite is of course The Night Before Christmas. It’s a classic that my grandparents used to read to me.
Ask what scares them about Santa
For each child the answer may be different. Perhaps it is because they can’t see his face. Maybe it is because his voice is deep. It could be because they are afraid of Santa sneaking in the house at night. Whatever the case may be, knowing exactly what aspect of Santa scares the child can best help you pinpoint where to start.
Yes that’s my daughter! She was perfectly happy talking to the Elves in line…then this. Fun day!
Shed some light on their fears
Once you know what scares them, you can use this information to shed light on their fears. Showing them that Santa is just like any other person can help. Talk about Santa and what his day to day schedule is like, how he enjoys children, and how underneath the deep voice and beard he is just a regular person.
Get a night light for their room
You can also literally get a night light too. This Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Projection Night Light is really cool. My daughters have Princess projection nightlights (Frozen, of course. Everything we own is Frozen). The projection only turns on when the room is dark and you can turn it to faces either direction.
Have them write a letter to Santa
Ask children to write a letter to Santa about anything they want. This way they can sill interact with him from a distance that feels comfortable to them. They may prefer this method of communication at first until they warm up a bit.
Keep negative images of Santa far away
There are some comical movies out that showcase Santa in a negative light, like Bad Santa. And while these might be funny to adults, they can be confusing for kids. Keep these movies away from small eyes and ears where they could add to the fears.
Don’t mock their fears
Don’t tell your child she is being silly when she says she is scared of Santa. While you can reassure her she is safe, you never want to tell her she is silly or being stupid. Never mock fears but instead ask how you can help them.
As you can see there are several ways to help kids work through their fears of Santa. Give these tips for soothing a fear of Santa a try and see how helpful they can be.
What has worked for you?
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