17. THEY WISH YOU’D DO THE HEAVY LIFTING.
“Like any business, you go into there’s always something that wears out, some part of the anatomy that takes a beating,” says Sheehan. “For Santa, it’s the knees and hips. By the end of the season, you’re really going to be hurting.”
If you want to make your local mall Santa happy, save him a little bit of effort by lifting your child onto his lap.
18. NOT EVERY SANTA CAN NAIL THE SIGNATURE LAUGH.
“Interestingly enough, there are some Santas who just can’t ho-ho-ho,” Rosenquist says. “We try to get them to do it but for some of them it’s just not their nature.”
19. KIDS’ TOY PREFERENCES ARE CHANGING.
The old standbys never change: Lots of boys want a fire truck and girls want an American Girl doll. But according to Sheehan, requests for gender-specific toys have fallen over the last two or three years. “So I will hear boys asking for an Easy Bake Oven and the girls will like LEGOs and the kinds of toys you can build something with,” he says. “There is a shift and transition there that’s happened in last couple years.”
20. THE PROFESSIONALS HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE.
All it takes is one squirming child who falls off a knee and Santa could be liable for thousands of dollars in damages. As a precaution, the professionals carry their own insurance.
“We carry $2 million of liability insurance,” says Robert Hildreth. Luckily he’s a member of a Santa training and advocacy group called International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas, which helps him get a group rate on insurance. “We’ve never had to use it, but it’s nice to have it there,” he says.
21. IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING A GOOD LISTENER.
The most important part of a mall Santa’s job, according to Sheehan, is to lend an ear to kids who might be feeling lost. “Being with Santa might be the best thing that’s gonna happen to that kid all day,” he says. “I try to make it warm and affirming and raise them up. Everyone needs affirmation.”
Some kids ask for the impossible, like the return of a deceased family member or a reunion between divorced parents. “There are some things Santa can’t do, but we’ll pray with them,” Holland says. “Another thing I like to do is tell them that as long as they remember the person who’s gone, they’re still with them. You have to really philosophize with some of them and tell them stuff in a way that makes sense and that they will come away feeling like it’s gonna be ok. The parents get the pictures, the kids get the experience.”
(Source: Mental Floss)