For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 13, 2022

Nobody can scowl like a toddler being forced to do something she doesn’t want to do.

Where is it Aypo wants to go if not Santa?

A lot of children are afraid of Santa or anyone in costume. Confused about why they look different, why they are dressed like that, etc. Suspicious of them. Nowadays a lot of parents don’t read books to their children so many of them don’t know about Santa until they see them at the malls. My boys were not afraid of them and were excited to sit on their laps and give them their lists. I read the Christmas stories to them as children. When I took my grandson to see Santa, he was afraid of Santa. I knew my son and his wife did not read to him about Santa. I asked and I was right. My son thought he’d pick up from hearing people talk about Christmas and all that. Generation Z.

Time to listen to David Sedaris’s Santaland Diaries again.

Santa Claus isn’t so bad… There’s a whole slew of online pictures which present “Creepy Easter Bunnies”..

Gosh, Santa in the picture looks like he’s high and spaced out tripping on marijuana! Although weed is legal in Canada now – it wasn’t in the 1990’s when this first appeared.

I hate when people show pics of terrified & crying children forced to sit on Santa’s lap, thinking it’s “cute”. We skipped that “tradition”. The girls, now 20 and 17, have no regrets about it.

:D That’s just like a kid!

i wonder if april needs to go to the bathroom

Just because I say yes, it doesn’t mean I agree.

10 years later, “…and this was the last year that you believed in Santa after you yanked his beard, passed gas, and landed on his toe as you leaped off of his lap.”

LOL… Do it for Mom ! Works everytime.

“I’ll do it, but I’m not smilin’.”

My parents had a similar picture of me, only I apparently refused to get on Santa’s lap; so I am standing next to him with a dubious expression on my face.

You can bring a kid to Santa, but you can’t make her smile.

Yep, almost like our 20 month old Granddaughter. The only difference is she screamed bloody murder instead of just scowling.

It is always the case!

I hope she didn’t wet his knee…

Looks like the pic is being taken with a tablet. Isn’t this FBOFW version supposed to be set much earlier?

Santa has a wet lap?

They say it happens often,but I’ve NEVER seen a little kid who was afraid of Santa Claus.

Is this trip for Ellie or April? Can’t anyone think of the child for once instead of mommies’ memories.

This is not an uncommon situation.

She’s a trooper—of sorts—for Mom.

Bratty little cutie! <3

I’m Jewish – no Santa traumas for me! No Christmas presents either, though my parents made it up to me with presents for Chanukah (just one), for my birthday, and for other occasions.

I had a job in a department store once. After I started working some place else, I took my son back to that store to see Santa. While standing in line, some of the employees, dressed as elves, recognized me and took my son out of the line and up to Santa. Others in line scuffed, but that didn’t matter to them ’cause they were glad to see me. (:~D)

When my son was in Kindergarden I asked him why he didn’t smile for his school photo, he shrugged so I asked him to pretend he was smiling for me. The next year his picture was adoringly sweet!

Oh so precious.

Just like my four year old granddaughter.

April is probably too young to grasp it now, but she will soon learn if her parents want something, she will provide. If John or Elly say jump, April is to say “How high?” April is a piece of property like the house, dog, or sports car. John and Elly own her and can keep her or send her to the auction block if they so please.

April had a hunch that this Santa is for clicking photos only. Smart kid.

Santa with teeth like a lamprey. Scary!