It's not your father's Santa any more: Instead, get a life lesson from the man who used to deal in dreams.

Reality therapy in the mall at Santa's village.

If you didn't know it, there's class of institutions of--if not higher, at least--specialized learning: Ones which teach people how to pose as a store Santa Claus.  The oldest such school is The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Michigan, where the tuition to attend is $415 if you new--for a refresher course, it's a bargain rate of $365--all for a three-day program.  That there are such places isn't too unexpected, but what's being taught these days is new--and by contrast very unusual compared to how things used to be.  Let me explain...

Store Santas-in-the-making are being taught two very novel practices:  First, Santas-to-be are now trained to eye-ball the parents of their little visitors standing afar, thus to assess their ability to afford presents of a substantial price for their children on their lap.  Next, especially if the parent--or parents--standing there pose some appearance of not being able to buy very much, Santas are coached to tell children that it's not realistic for a person to get everything they want.  

How bad can the problem really be?

Since I've never worked as a mall Santa, but instead of only played one at home for my own children, I was taken back to learn that some children actually present themselves to Santa, prepared to make their "case" for presents with printed spreadsheets, printouts, and pictures from catalogues.  

Indeed, it seems that the most frequently asked for item is an iPod--which Santas are more and more getting comfortable to expect being asked for and getting prepared to respond to.  It's even reported that even more heart-tugging requests involve children asking for a job for mommy or daddy.

So, how does one go about down-sizing dreams?

Some of the advice being offered by modern-trained Santas now goes like this...

• The times are hard and "Santa's cutting back as well."
• For the request of employment for parents:  "Santa specializes in toys, but we can always pray on the other.

In general the theme is that it's simply not realistic for anybody--young or old--to think they could have everything they want, and--thus--Santas are being told to tell children shouldn't expect that they'll get everything they might desire.

 

How cool is this:  A dosage of real life at Christmas!

 

So what do you think?  I tell you what my thoughts are:  The "Dr. Phil" in me thinks this is pretty nifty; I didn't at first, for I thought it seemed overly differential to the political correctness of the age, but on further reflection, I'm on board.  Here's why:

 

[1] There's nothing wrong with making the reality of life at Christmastime point to showing life-as-it-really-is.  Nobody get everything they want; we all think we need more than we have; few, if any, will actually realize their list of material--or immaterial--dreams, ever.  So there's nothing wrong in my book with the little people in life getting a small inoculation of how the world and living in it works.

 

[2] That Santa is the principal messenger for a lesson of life seems just right.  A store Santa can say what few parents are prepared to say, or if said at all, effectively.  When I reflect on my own experiences as a parent, my own children have reacted very differently [i.e., more favorably] to the very same message I've given them when my close friends have offered them the same advice that I did.  That Santa might say what mom or dad can't effectively convey seems tailor-made for the lesson to be taught.

 

[3] Actually, the lowering of expectations is not a bad thing at all--for everybody.  Most of us are pleased the most when our reasonably lowered expectations are exceeded; frequently when they are merely met or, worse yet, are not fully fulfilled just as we hoped they might be--we feel a disappointment that's not called for and frequently misplaced.  

 

If children get a valuable lesson or two in life while visiting a shopping mall Santa, I say that's a terrific, early Christmas gift to get on the part of everyone!   

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