Sensory-Friendly Santa Photos in Ottawa
/By “Auntie” Jenn Hayward
I was in a mall the other day and I heard what I thought was a tragedy, but was in fact just a child taking a photo with Santa. This tradition of taking our children to a stranger in a red suit to make Christmas gift requests and take some photos continues with the new generation of parents.
There is just something about the spirit of Santa - I’m not sure if it’s his gift giving or his stealth judgment on good and bad without taking all mitigating factors - that people are drawn to, but not every child can handle visits to busy malls or a stranger who doesn’t personalize their visit.
Back in my parenting days, we all sympathized with the parent of the screaming child but even though the child screamed, they still forced the picture! They didn’t want to miss out on this parenting rite of passage, and crying photos with Santa were thought of a cute and amusing. Nowadays parents understand that a crying child is NOT a good thing. (Apologies, no one taught us GenXers that! )
Now parents understand some children cannot handle the crowds and for many reasons, the visit to Santa can be a traumatic event. Some kids can’t handle the noise, some can’t handle the lights, and some need more than the 2 minutes allotted when there is a long line up of kids waiting for their turn for a quick snapshot.
I often wondered if there was something out there for children who require sensory-friendly sessions to enjoy this experience with little to no trauma, and it turns out there is!
Sarah Stewart Photography has partnered with a professional Santa to create a unique, cozy Santa Photo session with no extra stimuli. They have been doing this for several years in the Ottawa and have received amazing feedback. (There are even options to sponsor families who may not have otherwise been able to afford a session.)
“Parents who have children who cannot use a public Santa for any number of reasons enjoy the stress free experience”, says photographer, Sarah Stewart. “I have seen children who were so scared but by the time it was done had a magical experience that they cherish forever. Sure I am a good photographer, but this magic is all Nick (yes, there is a Santa with the first name Nick)! He has a gentle way and a spirit that can calm anyone and takes the time to meet each child where they need and not force an interaction.”
When my kids were little I really had not heard of this as an option! I immediately thought back to pushing my own son into Santa at a mall before he was ready and wished I had known about something like this when my children were younger.
These sensory friendly sessions are designed to be adjustable for each family and their needs, from lighting, to sound, to music and all of her Christmas sessions includes a room with activities to delight children of all ages. She is also endeavoring to support independent artist by curating a Christmas playlist of local artists and creating a small Christmas Market on site for quiet solo shopping.
