“It is a strange tradition when you think about it!”
A mum has gone viral after sharing the hidden sign her young son was giving her to show he was a bit anxious about his first meeting with Santa.
In fact, it turns out that Spencer Samuel, now 13 years old, was downright terrified of St Nick when they came face to face.
Mum Dr Kerry Spencer decided it was time to take her then-toddler for an introduction to St Nick at a mall in the United States.
But, as it turns out, her son just wasn’t in the Christmas spirit.
The photo, which was taken around a decade ago, shows the little boy sitting beside a beaming Santa.
However, it wasn’t until Kerry and Samuel got home that she took a good look at the picture – which is when she noticed the  distress signal.
Besides the sceptical side-eye Samuel, now 13, was giving Santa, there was one other thing that gave away his unhappiness with the situation: his hands.
We taught our baby sign language. This is the sign for "help." You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/i6NkxBf4KP
— 🌈Dr. Frizzle (@Swilua) December 5, 2017
Kerry explained to Mirror Online that Samuel and his sister, now 11, had been taught ASL baby sign language, so that they could always let their mum know when they were anxious or worrying about something.
She told the publication that the snap is now brought out every year during the holidays as part of a family tradition, explaining how she was standing right beside Santa and Spencer as the photo was taken.
She said:
“It’s ASL baby sign (simple baby sign language), so he is slightly ‘mispronouncing’ the word, but it is the sign he always made when he needed help.
“Poor boy didn’t love Santa very much – ever really. So we didn’t try to get him to go much after that.”
And it turns out Spencer isn’t the only one a bit creeped out by St Nick.
She added:
“It is a strange tradition when you think about it! My daughter is also creeped out by Santa: ‘He stalks you, he kisses you mother, and don’t get me started about what happened with grandma,’ she says.
“We all laugh at the photo now. Posting it is one of our favourite family traditions.”
