Children shouldn't be forced to take photos with Santa Claus

The annual family photograph with kids sitting on Santa's knee is a tradition that's almost as old as Christmas itself. And while 'fail' photos of kids crying mid-shot are shared by thousands of amused parents on an annual basis, experts say there's nothing funny about them, the Daily Mail writes.

Australian parenting expert and a father of six Dr Justin Coulson said while parents might want to persist, forcing an upset child to sit on a stranger's knee is never okay. He explained part of the problem was parents who pushed their children to do things they felt uncomfortable were likely to override their child's needs in other areas too.

– If a child is distressed or non-consenting then it's disrespectful and it can even be bullying to force a child to sit on a stranger's lap for a photograph – said Dr Justin Coulson, a father of six.

Dr Coulson noted while one-off occurrences of this nature didn't appear to impact on a child's development, parents who are consistently pushy can set up a belief in a child that their needs and wants don't matter.

– Parents who consistently disregard their children's fears, anxieties and feelings rob their children of agency. 'They increase the likelihood that their child will feel as if he or she doesn't matter or belong and they run the risk that this type of consistent behavior will lead to genuine long-term psychological challenges – Dr Justin Coulson said, as reported by the Daily Mail.

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