Sensory-Friendly Santa Photos in Ottawa

By “Auntie” Jenn Hayward

I was in a mall the other day and I heard what I thought was a tragedy, but was in fact just a child taking a photo with Santa.  This tradition of taking our children to a stranger in a red suit to make Christmas gift requests and take some photos continues with the new generation of parents. 

There is just something about the spirit of Santa - I’m not sure if it’s his gift giving or his stealth judgment on good and bad without taking all mitigating factors - that people are drawn to, but not every child can handle visits to busy malls or a stranger who doesn’t personalize their visit. 

Back in my parenting days, we all sympathized with the parent of the screaming child but even though the child screamed, they still forced the picture!  They didn’t want to miss out on this parenting rite of passage, and crying photos with Santa were thought of a cute and amusing. Nowadays parents understand that a crying child is NOT a good thing.  (Apologies, no one taught us GenXers that! )

Now parents understand some children cannot handle the crowds and for many reasons, the visit to Santa can be a traumatic event.  Some kids can’t handle the noise, some can’t handle the lights, and some need more than the 2 minutes allotted when there is a long line up of kids waiting for their turn for a quick snapshot.

I often wondered if there was something out there for children who require sensory-friendly sessions to enjoy this experience with little to no trauma, and it turns out there is!

Sarah Stewart Photography has partnered with a professional Santa to create a unique, cozy Santa Photo session with no extra stimuli.  They have been doing this for several years in the Ottawa and have received amazing feedback. (There are even options to sponsor families who may not have otherwise been able to afford a session.)

“Parents who have children who cannot use a public Santa for any number of reasons enjoy the stress free experience”, says photographer, Sarah Stewart. “I have seen children who were so scared but by the time it was done had a magical experience that they cherish forever. Sure I am a good photographer, but this magic is all Nick (yes, there is a Santa with the first name Nick)!  He has a gentle way and a spirit that can calm anyone and takes the time to meet each child where they need and not force an interaction.” 

When my kids were little I really had not heard of this as an option! I immediately thought back to pushing my own son into Santa at a mall before he was ready and wished I had known about something like this when my children were younger.

These sensory friendly sessions are designed to be adjustable for each family and their needs, from lighting, to sound, to music and all of her Christmas sessions includes a room with activities to delight children of all ages. She is also endeavoring to support independent artist by curating a Christmas playlist of local artists and creating a small Christmas Market on site for quiet solo shopping. 

You can find information about These Sensory-friendly Santa Sessions here.

Follow Santa's Path Tonight

 

Christmas Eve is now upon us and as we all settle down with family and friends, there's still one guy who has lots to do.

You can track Santa’s whereabouts with NORAD’s track Santa site. It's easy. You can log on, show the kids where Santa is busy delivering his gifts and then tuck them into bed. (Remember Santa doesn't come if you're awake!). There are also games and links and you can see what's up at the North Pole.

From our Kids in the Capital family to yours, we wish you a holiday full of peace, love and lots and lots of joy.

Letters to Santa

Did you know the City of Ottawa Archives has events and workshops for kids?

Most people think of the Archives as a place for adults and academics but the staff at the archives is trying to change that. We want kids and their family to know that we are not just trying to preserve the memories of the City of Ottawa and the broader community, but trying to encourage and teach everyone how to do this for their own families.

In 2011 the archives moved to a brand new building, at 100 Tallwood drive, which provided the space for us to expand our programs and services.

We are now having our first holiday event.  Come to the archives and write your letter to Santa on December 2nd, 2012 from 10 am to 3 pm. The kids can also make crafts, decorate cookies and enjoy some holiday stories.  Bring the entire family. It’s free.

For more information about our programs look us up at ottawa.ca/archives or like us on Facebook.

Roger's Santa Call-In - Last minute requests, December 19-23

Know any little ones who would like a one-on-one with Santa?

From December 19th to 23rd kids will get a chance to talk with Santa Live From the North Pole - Monday to Friday from 4:30pm to 6:00pm on Rogers TV, Cable 22. The special show features Santa and his helpers having fun and taking calls for gift requests. Children of all ages are invited to call in, chat with Santa and make their holiday wishes or to send an e-mail to Santa for him to read on television by visiting the Talk to Santa Web site!

Canadian Mint Family Pass Giveaway

Our fourth winner of a Family Pass to the Canadian Mint is @amandac_young!

Methodology: Tweets and comments are put in chronological order and a random number is generated by Random.org. The number today was 1.

HOW TO ENTER We are going to be giving out one pass a day for the next 8 days. To enter leave a comment on the post from that day or tweet the following (it's different every day, by the way!):

I’d love to win a family pass to the @canadianmint from #kidsinthecapital this holiday season! http://www.kidsinthecapital.ca/?p=6717

You can enter every day, but you can only win once. One entry per day per family.

Winners will be picked each day from all comments and tweets received by 8:00pm of the same day. If you'd like to know more about this giveaway and the Canadian Mint, please read our introduction post.

And So Begins the Charade

by Jenn It seems early, but the holiday season is now in full swing! The stores are decorated to the nines and Christmas music is being piped in with gusto! I've even seen a house with it's Christmas lights on this evening. Of course I'm sure some would be quick to point out that we haven't actually taken ours down from last year. The big difference is we won't turn them on until December. There just comes a point where you've procrastinated so long you may as well just leave them up. I doubt anyone would really notice anyways. The garland in July, however, may be a different story altogether. Meh.

Our oldest is three, and has a general idea about Christmas and Santa, but I'm not so sure how real it has been to her in the past. After all, she was only two and a half last Christmas. During work "holiday parties", she was even terrified of Santa! We've talked him up a bit since then. She's old enough now that we can plant the seeds of Santa Blackmail in her little mind. Muhahaha! "You better eat all your dinner. Santa is always watching..." Most of all though, she's at the age where we can really start to get excited about the holiday as a whole.

Today we took the kiddies to their first Santa Claus parade! I don't think Alice had any idea what to expect. We went with a bunch of friends and their kids too. It was a really wonderful time out with everyone, if a bit on the chilly side. When the parade started, Alice was curious but cautious. It wasn't long before she really got into it. She waved at all the people and the floats. When marching bands came by she was excited about the music and the instruments. "Look Mom, music!" The costumes, the candy, the floats; she waved her flag excitedly and gave out high fives to those marching by. When Santa showed up she stared at him in child like awe! Which is quite fitting what with her being three. Kaylee sat and watched everything with interest. She seemed pretty happy being entertained by the events passing in front of her. She must have been because it was LONG past her nap time and she didn't fuss once. She's such a sweetie!

I'm really looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year. It's so exciting to see a little person really experience it for the first time. Alice is super excited. I can't wait. I feel like a kid a Christmas!

*****

For more a full list of upcoming Santa Claus parades, check out this post over at Postcards from the Mothership. There are still TONS in the next couple weeks!

Jenn is a mom to 3-year-old Alice and 1-year-old Kaylee. She says that talking to herself would just be crazy; so she has a blog instead.