What kind of people are afraid of santa claus

I think I got overwhelmed. As a naturally shy kid, it was too much to handle. I would start crying and clinging to my dad, usually burrowing into his neck, so we have lots of pictures of that. The Internet is filled with galleries of children sobbing during Santa photo ops. Samudio thinks parents often underestimate the amount of anxiety even the youngest kid could experience about Christmas. I feel that the main source of stress comes from the disrupted routines and the chaos that the holidays bring.

Adults often feel that children are enjoying the holidays and all the traditions without stopping to really check in with the child to see how they are handling all the chaos. Children associate holiday stress with Santa Claus, the be-all, end-all figure of the Christmas. And fears around Santa can continue as kids age. A year-old named Mike remembers that he once dusted his parents' chimney for Santa's fingerprints, trying to see if Santa had actually appeared.

Samudio sees this kind of behavior as indicative of normal childhood development. Explain your child's fears and offer suggestions on how he can reassure your little one. Tell him the name of your family pet or your child's favorite toy or activity so that he can bring it up in conversation.

He can say something like, "Your mom told me you've been doing so well in soccer this year" or "Mommy said you have a dog named Barkley. Tell me about him. Chances are, your little one is afraid of Santa mostly because he's a stranger. This can be a great thing because it means your child has learned the concept of "stranger danger. If your child is afraid of Santa, you might feel inclined to tell him that Santa's not real, but experts warn against jumping the gun. Adesman says. Of course, if your child seems to have excessively intense or irrational fears, talk to a doctor or child therapist about whether telling the truth might be appropriate in your case.

Most children will outgrow their fear by age 7 -- but they might only have a few more years of believing in the magical. Visit her website at www. By Dina Roth Port September 18, Save Pin FB More. Kid on Santa's lap. Credit: Shannon Greer.

By Dina Roth Port. Be the first to comment! No comments yet. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Q: Is any one element more frightening for a child than another?

The beard? The belly? The ho-ho-ho? A: It probably depends on the child. A child who grows up in a house with a grandfather who has a long beard and a big belly might not find any of it unfamiliar. Q: Who or what should we blame when kids kick and scream and cry when confronted with Santa? Are the parents at fault? Q: Is there evidence of a genetic predisposition for Santaphobia? A: Not for Santaphobia specifically, but generally for phobias, absolutely. In fact, right from a very early age there are temperamental differences between children.

Other children like taking risks and exploring things more. The children who withdraw less are less likely to have anxiety problems later in life. From a genetic standpoint, it would be more the fear of strangers or strange situations. Q: Do you think the experience causes emotional trauma for the parents?

A: It depends on the parent. I think some parents really look forward to sharing some of the things that they remember being so much fun when they were kids, and Christmas may be one of those things. And it may be disappointing to a parent if a child is not able to do that.

Q: How do you think Santa feels when children scream and cry and try to get away from him? Could this cause a self-esteem problem for Santa?

A: I think everybody wants people to like them. It probably varies from Santa to Santa; some might be more affected than others.