Cris Cringle Creeps

(ok - I know Kris Kringle starts with K's but it just didn't have the same punch)

My youngest daughter who is four cannot stand Santa.  She was less than a month old the first time we put her in his arms, and she was crying.  Every year we go to the same Breakfast with Santa where we know "Santa" and she runs and screams when she sees him.

Last week she would not get ready for preschool.  Since she only goes two hours a day twice a week, she is usually begging to go to leave before it is time.  This day however she complained of a stomachache until I offered her a cookie and then switched it to "cough and sneezing".  She threw a fit when trying to get her ready until I called time and got down to figure out the problem.

"I HATE Santa"

What child "hates" Santa? (and for the record - "hate" is a bad word in this house, so she really had to mean it)  Well, my child does.

I thought about making her face her fears for about a split second before we sat down to cuddle and I called school to tell them she wasn't coming.

I let it go until last night, when my oldest daughter was belting out "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" over and over.

"You better watch out"?

"You better not cry"?

"He sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake"?

Listening to the words I was suddenly creeped out by the whole Santa thing.  Who made up this song?  Some 1950's housewife that wanted her child to go to bed? (actually it was two dudes in 1934 thank you Wikipedia, again)

I have decided that if my daughter doesn't like Santa - she doesn't have to.  I have told her she doesn't have to go near him and I am putting a halt on anyone saying "you better be good, Santa's watching" (seriously - that is so disturbing).

Can you imagine when she is 8, 9, 10 and finds out that there is NO SANTA and her whole family was just tormenting her for no reason?

I have PLENTY of opportunities to screw up my kids, some chubby guy in a red suit hiding his creepy watching you when you sleep face behind a beard is not taking what is my Mother given RIGHT.

My daughter hates Santa.  There is nothing I can do about it.  History has made this guy into some sort of childhood heavy to keep children behaving the month of December while Mom and Dad run around like maniacs trying to please everyone and keep up tradition and pretend that we love the holidays even though we are stressed out of our minds.  I can't tell her that there is no Santa because I don't want her to be "THAT" kid so I'll be

~That One Mom