Mami & Me: Pictures with Santa, a holiday tradition with my toddler

Many of us cherish Christmas traditions, like decorating the tree or preparing recipes passed down through generations. As a mother, for me, it's the annual Santa holiday pictures my son takes each year that truly hold a special place in my heart.

Every year, JCPenny holds an event where families can take holiday pictures for a reasonable price. When my son, Levi, was two months old we took him there to meet Santa for the first time. 

Toward the end of the pandemic, the store continued to follow safety protocols, and Santa still wore a mask. Since Levi was just a baby, the whole process was smooth, and the final photos turned out amazing. He didn't cry at all and smiled through every shot. Even at just two months old, he had already made me a proud mom.

The following year, when he was already a year old, the experience was quite the opposite. 

Levi had no clue who Santa was and did not want to take any pictures. We tried distracting him during the photoshoot and tried calming him down, but he was not having it. At the end we gave up and settled for whatever the photographer could get. The end result for these photos was not what I was expecting. His eyes came out red because of how much he was crying and his face was serious in every shot.

At the end of the shoot, Santa told me and my partner that for the following year, we needed to teach our son about Santa. He recommended putting a poster or even the holiday photos around the house so that he could get familiar with him, so I did exactly that. Looking back, that was a learning experience as new parents.

When Levi was finally two, the experience was amazing again. He couldn’t wait to see Santa Claus. He was so amazed by Santa being real that it was difficult for him to  wait in line for his turn. He was even practicing how he was going to smile for his pictures. When it was time to finally take the pictures, he followed directions and read a book with Santa. The end result for these photos was perfect. The photographer was able to capture those magical moments.

Now that he is three years old and talks more and understands what's going on around him, his Christmas experience from the prior years will be surpassed. He has already helped me decorate the house, wrapped up gifts and even made Christmas cupcakes and cookies. 

Without him even knowing, he has turned into Santa’s little helper.

​​If there is anything I can help young mothers and fathers with, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at amairani@latinomedia.org. Follow my Mami & Me column here.