Spring Break
Christmas With The Clauses
Local Couple Shares Experience Of Being Christmas' 'First Couple'
Kate King
Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Finals Extra
"The college students are a lot of fun, you never know what to expect," Carlquist said.
One of the Carlquists' favorite memories is from 2004, when five members of the UConn wrestling team came by to visit Santa. All five crowded around Santa for a picture and even took turns sitting on his lap.
"I nearly retired that year," Carlquist joked. "Those kids were big!"
"I would let those UConn wrestlers sit on my lap," Anne countered.
But when a child is on Carlquist's lap, he recognizes how important a private audience with Santa is to a child who still believes.
Carlquist said that he is amazed that even in today's high-tech world that "up to the age of 6 or 7 most kids really do still believe in Santa."
When children visit Santa he tries to be alert and sensitive to their comfort level and desire for privacy. Some of the younger children are scared of sitting on Santa's lap, a fear that Carlquist believes is due to his long, flowing beard and large red hat. Ultimately, the goal is to make the child's visit to Santa a positive experience and the Carlquists try their best to make a nervous child comfortable.
"This is a no-cry zone," Carlquist said.
If a child is scared or intimidated, the Carlquists will invite family members in to provide reassurance or offer to have Mrs. Claus take a picture with the child instead.
Once the child is comfortable, Carlquist asks them what they would like for Christmas. So far this year, the hot items seem to be Webkins. However, there are still many requests for classic favorites such as Barbies, puppies, electronics and Dora the Explorer.
One of the more unique requests that the Carlquists have heard this season came from a boy they estimate to have been around 12 or 13 years old, asking that his parents do his homework for a week.
Other Christmas wishes are more serious. Carlquist said on several occasions children have told him that for Christmas they want their parents who are separated or divorced to get back together.
"The unusual requests are out of the realm of the toy store," Carlquist said, adding that he responds to these types of situations by promising to say a prayer and saying "I'll see what I can do."
Despite the high expectations that accompany commercialized Christmas, the Carlquists believe that for most children, Christmas isn't necessarily about getting the exact items they asked for.
"They might not have gotten what they asked for, but when you look back on your Christmas, you got what you wanted," Carlquist said. "It's not about the Nintendo."
Contact Kate King at
Katherine.King@UConn.edu.
One of the Carlquists' favorite memories is from 2004, when five members of the UConn wrestling team came by to visit Santa. All five crowded around Santa for a picture and even took turns sitting on his lap.
"I nearly retired that year," Carlquist joked. "Those kids were big!"
"I would let those UConn wrestlers sit on my lap," Anne countered.
But when a child is on Carlquist's lap, he recognizes how important a private audience with Santa is to a child who still believes.
Carlquist said that he is amazed that even in today's high-tech world that "up to the age of 6 or 7 most kids really do still believe in Santa."
When children visit Santa he tries to be alert and sensitive to their comfort level and desire for privacy. Some of the younger children are scared of sitting on Santa's lap, a fear that Carlquist believes is due to his long, flowing beard and large red hat. Ultimately, the goal is to make the child's visit to Santa a positive experience and the Carlquists try their best to make a nervous child comfortable.
"This is a no-cry zone," Carlquist said.
If a child is scared or intimidated, the Carlquists will invite family members in to provide reassurance or offer to have Mrs. Claus take a picture with the child instead.
Once the child is comfortable, Carlquist asks them what they would like for Christmas. So far this year, the hot items seem to be Webkins. However, there are still many requests for classic favorites such as Barbies, puppies, electronics and Dora the Explorer.
One of the more unique requests that the Carlquists have heard this season came from a boy they estimate to have been around 12 or 13 years old, asking that his parents do his homework for a week.
Other Christmas wishes are more serious. Carlquist said on several occasions children have told him that for Christmas they want their parents who are separated or divorced to get back together.
"The unusual requests are out of the realm of the toy store," Carlquist said, adding that he responds to these types of situations by promising to say a prayer and saying "I'll see what I can do."
Despite the high expectations that accompany commercialized Christmas, the Carlquists believe that for most children, Christmas isn't necessarily about getting the exact items they asked for.
"They might not have gotten what they asked for, but when you look back on your Christmas, you got what you wanted," Carlquist said. "It's not about the Nintendo."
Contact Kate King at
Katherine.King@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
LL
posted 12/10/07 @ 12:04 AM EST
The Eastbrook Mall is in Mansfield, not Willimantic.
Post a Comment