There’s this app for your phone called “Parents Calling
Santa” which, when activated, will have Santa call your child with one of 3
stock responses. The parent chooses depending on how their child is ‘behaving’
at a given time.
This is a horrible idea on so many levels and I can’t begin
to express my disbelief and disappointment that A) this even exists and B) it’s
among the top 5 paid lifestyle apps in 13 different countries. (according to
their website)
This is a bad app because it scares children into behaving
more ‘appropriately’ or else they won’t get Christmas gifts. Instead of helping
them to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, kids are
basically getting bribed to do the right thing with loot. What’s more, strong-arming
your kid into behaving during the days leading up to Christmas is pretty much
the same thing as giving them a pass for bad behavior the rest of the year.
Unless, that is, you plan to have Santa call your kid in the middle of July. And I would
bet that this would only work so many times before the child ended up either
desensitized to the Santa calls or figures out the gimmick.
Oh, and one more reason why this is just plain stupid; how
about parents actually put forth the effort to raise their kids themselves? Is
that asking too much? Instead of paying a couple of bucks to have “Santa” ridicule
your kid, how about trying to connect with your kid. Engage and reason with
them. Affirm and recognize their
emotions and discuss possible outcomes of their actions along with alternatives.
Raising kids is hard. And I know parents are looking for
help wherever they can get it. But easier is not better. A $2 app from Apple
may seem like an easy way to buy good behavior from your kid. But I don’t think
it’s going to help your kid in the long run.
But what do I know? My daughter is only almost 4. Check back
with me in 20 years. But I suspect that I will say something similar.
