# Holiday Trappings and Toddler Terror **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 11, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023 "2002-12-11T16:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/1 "2002-12-11T16:20:41Z")
So me and the Lil’ Guy were at my parent’s house over the weekend while they were putting out the Christmas lights and decorating their yard for the holiday. This year, my mom went out and bought one of those Giant 8’ tall blow-up snowmen that are lit from within for the front yard. Quaint, right? Anyway, my little sis plugs it in, and it blows up pretty much instantly right in the living room. This thing is, as I’ve said, very large and is holding a big candy cane in one jauntily raised hand. Now, my son loves the Christmas tree, he loves the lights on houses outside, he loves the little motorized Santa’s that sing and dance incessently–so it seems obvious that he’ll love the huge cheery snowman, right? Wrong. He literally _screamed_ in terror, and practically dove into my lap from across the room. I still have claw marks on my neck from him trying to pretty much crawl inside my shirt. It would have been funny if he hadn’t been so obviously horrified. (Okay, to be honest, we did all laugh a little, but I felt bad about it later.) Once it was set up outside I took him over to it–thinking it might be less overwhelming out-of-doors–so he could poke at it a bit and see that it was pretty much just a giant balloon (which he also loves). Bad idea. Instant tears, more screaming, and a realization on my part that we’re going to have to give the snowman in Busha’s yard a _very_ wide berth in the next few weeks. 😛 I’m almost dreading the trip for Santa pictures this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Realhoops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@Realhoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Realhoops)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/2 "2002-12-11T17:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by belladonna \* > \*\* … Anyway, my little sis plugs it in, and it blows up pretty much instantly right in the living room …_\* Yikes! Until I read the rest of your post I thought you meant it “blew up” – like the end of Ghostbusters when the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man “blows up.” I was picturing pieces of inflatable Snowman everywhere. But if he likes the other decorations, you might be fine. Last year my daughter (who was 3 last year at Christmas time) was very apprehensive about the Santas at some of the malls, but not the others. The best I could figure about what had her spooked about some of them was that she seemed to dislike the ones that had the more elaborate set-ups. When we found one that really just had a chair and some fake snow around it, she didn’t seem as freaked as she did around the ones that had this huge display with lots of giant Christmas decorations all around. Given your “giant snowman” experience, maybe that’s something you can try? Good luck, anyway! ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/3 "2002-12-11T18:16:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Realhoops \* > \*\*Yikes! Until I read the rest of your post I thought you meant it “blew up” – like the end of Ghostbusters when the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man “blows up.” I was picturing pieces of inflatable Snowman everywhere. > \*\* Ooops! Didn’t mean to give that impression, but re-reading it you’re absolutely right. Probably could have worded that one better. 😃 Anyway, I just think it’s so weird the stuff kids are afraid of sometimes. And to panic over something so jolly, from a kid who watches _Buffy_ with me every night with nary a blink. Go figure! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/4 "2002-12-11T23:49:43Z")
i also thought that the snowman exploded. i also thought your wee one was very smart running away from explosive snowmen. perhaps if he were introduced to the snowman before he was inflated? did it inflate very, very quickly? or slowly like you would blow up a ballon? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/5 "2002-12-12T00:45:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by belladonna \* > And to panic over something so jolly, from a kid who watches _Buffy_ with me every night with nary a blink. Go figure! The pictures in the TV are fake, they can’t hurt him - but the Giant Evil Snowman is **real**!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/6 "2002-12-12T20:39:05Z")
Yikes! Poor Lil’ Guy’s going to have a complex about snowmen all his life. He’ll feel creeped out everytime he shovels the driveway. He’ll put his car in the ditch when passing a house with snowmen in the yard. He’ll jump out of his skin at Halloween until he realizes, whew, they’re just ghosts. The sound of anything being inflated will fill him with terror. He’ll have an aversion to candy canes. (Probably marshmallows, too). Scarred for life!😉 ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@DeepPurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/7 "2002-12-12T21:05:39Z")
My daughter was also afraid of Santa last year when she was 3. This year my 2½ year old son scared me. We live around a lake, we went cruising the other night to look at lights. We went by the house of people we know & my son said ‘Ghosts’! I questioned him on this & he confirmed that there were ghosts. My daughter didn’t comment on our conversation. On the far side of the lake, he said, ‘Ghosts gone’. I’m really wondering what he’s seeing at this point. My DH figured it out. The house we went by where he saw the ghosts, had had a big Halloween display. So glad I don’t have to now get a second phone line for the Seer-(thumb)Sucker ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/8 "2002-12-12T23:21:31Z")
Next on FOX: _When Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons Attack!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/9 "2002-12-13T00:14:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rocking chair \* > \*\*perhaps if he were introduced to the snowman before he was inflated? did it inflate very, very quickly? or slowly like you would blow up a ballon? \*\* It was pretty instantaneous. It started out as an unassuming puddle of plasticy material; then sis plugged it in, a quiet little motor kicked on, and \>floomp\< there he went. Up, Up, Up. I’d say 15 seconds max and he was fully inflated. _Frosty the snowman, is an evil scary beast. Upon the bones of sweet young boys he loves to munch and feast, Oh…!_ heh heh heh… I’m gonna regret laughing when his therapy bill comes due in ten years. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holiday-trappings-and-toddler-terror/142023/10 "2002-12-13T01:18:17Z")
the instant inflation could be the problem. speaking as a somewhat taller and older person that sort of floomp would make me jump if i wasn’t expecting it. try some small plastic snowmen and work up to adult size. ones that don’t go floomp. goodness only know what sort of reoccuring nightmares will result … i bet the therapist gets an award on the “snow terror” paper.