10 tips against Sinterklaas fear

1. The arrival of Saint Nicholas and his helpers guarantees happy children's faces. Gingerbread cookies, chocolate letters and beautifully wrapped presents: it is a fun and mysterious time. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees, because quite a few children are afraid of Sint and Piet. How do you make it a fun party for them too?

1. The Santa Claus time is an exciting time for small children. That already starts with the first broadcast of the Sinterklaasjournaal. Will everything go well? Does the great childhood friend really arrive in the Netherlands on time? And does he have presents with him? A child can build up a lot of stress and tension from all these questions. That Sinterklaas stress and tension is not diminishing quickly because there is so much attention for the Goedheiligman. Not only do you come across (images of) Sint and his Pieten everywhere; almost every adult asks about it. "Have you been nice this year?", "Be careful, Piet sees everything" or even worse: "watch out that you don't have to go to Spain in your bag". Moreover, regularity is often hard to find because of the shoe-setting at work, at home, at school and in the supermarket, with the accompanying visits from Saint Nicholas and the mountains of Saint Nicholas sweets.

10 tips against fear of Saint Nicholas

1. Do not use Sinterklaas and his presents as a threat. Emphasize the positive aspect of this children's party and avoid statements that could scare a child. Make sure your child is prepared. Sing Sinterklaas songs together, make a beautiful drawing for Saint Nicholas, bake gingerbread cookies, watch the Sinterklaas journal together and watch the parade together. This way your child can slowly prepare himself mentally for the party. Don't pay too much attention to the fear, but emphasize how cozy and fun you find it. Do not force a child to shake hands with Saint Nicholas or his helpers or to sit on their lap. Watch the events with your child from a safe distance and let your child decide whether they want to look closer or not. Explain to your child. Explain that Piet brings presents down the chimney and therefore has soot on his face. Explain that Sinterklaas loves all children very much and therefore hands out presents. Show with photos from the past that it is an old tradition. Give your child dress-up clothes so that they can play Sint and Piet with the miter, row and bag themselves. Make sure your child gets enough sleep. It is important that your child has enough time to process all impressions. In addition, keep to regular eating and sleeping times as much as possible. If you are anxious, leave a light on when going to bed. Explain that Piet is only coming to deliver something, just like the postman. He'll be gone in a minute. After all, you shouldn't think of unexpectedly meeting a black Pete when you have to go to the toilet. You can also tell children that you asked Piet to come a little earlier, so that you as a parent can open the door for them. Sometimes the tension makes a child spontaneously wet their pants or bed again. Don't worry too much about this. Usually the problem will resolve itself when everything is “calm” again. If this is not the case, working with stickers often offers a solution. In case of a home visit, warn Sint and Piet that they keep it quiet. So no loud banging on the door and huge hands throwing sprinkle in, but a stately Saint with calm Petes.

2. Do not use Sinterklaas and his presents as a threat. Emphasize the positive aspect of this children's party and avoid statements that could scare a child. Make sure your child is prepared. Sing Sinterklaas songs together, make a beautiful drawing for Saint Nicholas, bake gingerbread cookies, watch the Sinterklaas journal together and watch the parade together. This way your child can slowly prepare himself mentally for the party. Don't pay too much attention to the fear, but emphasize how cozy and fun you find it. Do not force a child to shake hands with Saint Nicholas or his helpers or to sit on their lap. Watch the events with your child from a safe distance and let your child decide whether they want to look closer or not. Explain to your child. Explain that Piet brings presents down the chimney and therefore has soot on his face. Explain that Sinterklaas loves all children very much and therefore hands out presents. Show with photos from the past that it is an old tradition. Give your child dress-up clothes so that they can play Sint and Piet with the miter, row and bag themselves. Make sure your child gets enough sleep. It is important that your child has enough time to process all impressions. In addition, keep to regular eating and sleeping times as much as possible. If you are anxious, leave a light on when going to bed. Explain that Piet will only deliver something, just like the postman.