The call itself is under a minute. What your child remembers is everything around it. These are the things that make the difference.
1Save the number as Santa
When you book a phone call, the call comes from a New Zealand number. Save it in your contacts as “Santa” with a picture, and that is what lights up on the screen.
2Pick a time when nothing else is happening
Not during dinner, not in the car. After bath and before bed works well: everyone is in one place, and the early night Santa asks for is only minutes away.
3Put it on speaker
A small child holding a phone to their ear hears half of it. On speaker the whole family hears it, and you get to watch their face.
4Have the camera ready, on another phone
You will want the video. Ask someone else to film, so the phone that rings is free.
5Let them answer
Hand it over and let them tap the button. Being the one who answers Santa’s call is a big part of the story they tell afterwards.
6Choose the praise carefully
Pick the thing they have really worked at this year. A child who has been brave about swimming lessons knows exactly what Santa means when he says he heard they were brave.
7Follow it up
Santa asks for an early night on Christmas Eve and suggests a carrot for the reindeer. Put a carrot on the bench straight after the call. Now the plan is theirs.
One more thing
Listen to the message yourself first if you choose the email version. It takes a minute, and you will know exactly what is coming.