Nothing against Father Christmas but what a male Santa can do, a female Santa can too and perhaps even better! Given the continuing push for gender equality, I’d say it’s about time women painted the city red, white and whatever other festive colour of their choice in their new role. Some pros to letting girls play Santa; women are generally nicer to everyone, especially kids and so they’re more likely to get them to cooperate and take those adorable photos many parents would give anything for. While older kids are generally comfortable around Santa, some toddlers are terrified for their lives and you’ve probably seen them wail and squirm around burly Santas. Those kids would be more at ease with ‘Mother Claus’. I may be biased but I think women are more intuitive, calmer and reassuring. Also, female Santas would remind kids of their moms or the other female figures in their lives. And let’s not forget that women are good at improvisation and multi-tasking. Anything to do with lists and gift ideas, the ladies would have it covered. And who better to tell if a kid needs a diaper change or feed? Not all women of course but I’m certain that by the time a woman signs up or volunteers to play Santa, they have some special skills. Parents shopping on a budget or those undecided on what to get their kids would benefit from Mama Christmas’ advice. There’s also the delicate subject of abuse. Cases have been reported of terrible things that happened to kids on Santa’s lap and I’m not suggesting that all male Santas are abusive or act inappropriately. All I’m saying is that I’d feel a lot more comfortable leaving my kid in a photo booth with a female Santa. Ultimately, we can let our kids decide since this is their treat. In that case, we’d ask if they’d rather spend time with the lady or guy Santa. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s just offering them a choice. So my ladies up for this, let’s try this: “Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas Everybody.” See, it’s not that hard! Okay, rock your Santa suits and costumes and let’s make this a memorable experience for our little ones.
