Apparently, I am a bad parent and am depriving my children of an important part of their childhood because I am breaking the cardinal rule of the Christmas season: I have not taken my children to get their picture taken with Santa.
I’ve thought I’ve had some good reasons for not getting it done this year. It’s my husband’s busiest time of the year. I’ve thrown my back out twice and haven’t been capable of standing in line at the mall. Every member of my family has had their temperature exceed 101 degrees for at least part of the month, and I thought I was doing them – and the other families in the mall – a favor by not sending my kids out into the assembly line for a photo op.
Call me crazy.
And yet, when I think about it, I realize that I’m hearing this from the people who don’t have small kids. Who don’t have dual income households. The working parents are either enjoying a small moment of superiority for being able to cram the picture into their hectic schedules when I can’t, or they’re commiserating that they’re in the same boat.
And they’re all thanking me for keeping my germ-infested family away from theirs.