Stephanie Garibaldi

I have always hated visiting the mall Santa. As a shy kid, I much preferred writing a letter. It seemed much more civilized than sitting on a strange man's lap and making demands. My parents would drag me anyway, and when Santa would invariably ask what I wanted for Christmas, I would just mumble something like, whatever you have in the sleigh is fine. As a parent, it wasn't any better.

I have always hated visiting the mall Santa. As a shy kid, I much preferred writing a letter. It seemed much more civilized than sitting on a strange man's lap and making demands. My parents would drag me anyway, and when Santa would invariably ask what I wanted for Christmas, I would just mumble something like, whatever you have in the sleigh is fine. As a parent, it wasn't any better.

I have always hated visiting the mall Santa. As a shy kid, I much preferred writing a letter. It seemed much more civilized than sitting on a strange man's lap and making demands. My parents would drag me anyway, and when Santa would invariably ask what I wanted for Christmas, I would just mumble something like, whatever you have in the sleigh is fine. As a parent, it wasn't any better.

You waited in a huge line to pay a huge amount of money for a photo of your kid sitting on a stranger's lap, either grimacing, fake smiling, or worse, out and out crying. So I was pretty relieved when I thought that my daughter at age nine had maybe outgrown the whole visiting Santa thing. So I just didn't take her that year.

You waited in a huge line to pay a huge amount of money for a photo of your kid sitting on a stranger's lap, either grimacing, fake smiling, or worse, out and out crying. So I was pretty relieved when I thought that my daughter at age nine had maybe outgrown the whole visiting Santa thing. So I just didn't take her that year.

You waited in a huge line to pay a huge amount of money for a photo of your kid sitting on a stranger's lap, either grimacing, fake smiling, or worse, out and out crying. So I was pretty relieved when I thought that my daughter at age nine had maybe outgrown the whole visiting Santa thing. So I just didn't take her that year.

Only imagine my horror, three days before Christmas, she says, Mom, I need to tell Santa something. Can you bring me to him? Okay, as a single mom, I have already gotten her whatever presents I'm going to manage to get her. They're neatly wrapped, ribbons and bows, and they're hidden away ready for Christmas morning.

Only imagine my horror, three days before Christmas, she says, Mom, I need to tell Santa something. Can you bring me to him? Okay, as a single mom, I have already gotten her whatever presents I'm going to manage to get her. They're neatly wrapped, ribbons and bows, and they're hidden away ready for Christmas morning.

Only imagine my horror, three days before Christmas, she says, Mom, I need to tell Santa something. Can you bring me to him? Okay, as a single mom, I have already gotten her whatever presents I'm going to manage to get her. They're neatly wrapped, ribbons and bows, and they're hidden away ready for Christmas morning.

So I'm kind of panicking because, you know, she's going to make some big request of like the hot toy that you can't get anymore three days before Christmas. This is not good. So I try a strategy. I say, you know, I'm in pretty tight with Santa, so why don't you tell me, and I'll pass it along to Santa. But she says, no, this is so important. I need to tell him face to face.

So I'm kind of panicking because, you know, she's going to make some big request of like the hot toy that you can't get anymore three days before Christmas. This is not good. So I try a strategy. I say, you know, I'm in pretty tight with Santa, so why don't you tell me, and I'll pass it along to Santa. But she says, no, this is so important. I need to tell him face to face.

So I'm kind of panicking because, you know, she's going to make some big request of like the hot toy that you can't get anymore three days before Christmas. This is not good. So I try a strategy. I say, you know, I'm in pretty tight with Santa, so why don't you tell me, and I'll pass it along to Santa. But she says, no, this is so important. I need to tell him face to face.

So we take her two days before Christmas. The line is longer than ever. We finally get up to the front, and she jumps right up there. And it's like she is ready for that first question. He says, so have you been a good girl this year? And she's like, oh, yes, I've been very good. So good that you're probably going to bring me a lot of presents. But here's the thing, Santa.

So we take her two days before Christmas. The line is longer than ever. We finally get up to the front, and she jumps right up there. And it's like she is ready for that first question. He says, so have you been a good girl this year? And she's like, oh, yes, I've been very good. So good that you're probably going to bring me a lot of presents. But here's the thing, Santa.

So we take her two days before Christmas. The line is longer than ever. We finally get up to the front, and she jumps right up there. And it's like she is ready for that first question. He says, so have you been a good girl this year? And she's like, oh, yes, I've been very good. So good that you're probably going to bring me a lot of presents. But here's the thing, Santa.

That's what I wanted to talk to you about. See, I learned this year there are lots of kids who don't have very many toys. Yeah, in fact, some kids don't even have a bedroom of their own or a parent. I'm lucky because I have three parents. I have my mom and my grandparents. So I want you to take all the toys that you were going to bring to me and give them to kids who need them more.

That's what I wanted to talk to you about. See, I learned this year there are lots of kids who don't have very many toys. Yeah, in fact, some kids don't even have a bedroom of their own or a parent. I'm lucky because I have three parents. I have my mom and my grandparents. So I want you to take all the toys that you were going to bring to me and give them to kids who need them more.

That's what I wanted to talk to you about. See, I learned this year there are lots of kids who don't have very many toys. Yeah, in fact, some kids don't even have a bedroom of their own or a parent. I'm lucky because I have three parents. I have my mom and my grandparents. So I want you to take all the toys that you were going to bring to me and give them to kids who need them more.

I got to tell you, I am trying to lose it like a fool in the mall Santa's line. All my fears, you know, when you're a single mom and she has to go like to aftercare after school and she's spending so many hours with a stranger, you think she's not getting good values. And you don't have those dreams that like these fancy schmancy two-parent families have.

I got to tell you, I am trying to lose it like a fool in the mall Santa's line. All my fears, you know, when you're a single mom and she has to go like to aftercare after school and she's spending so many hours with a stranger, you think she's not getting good values. And you don't have those dreams that like these fancy schmancy two-parent families have.