Hard Times have Kids Sulking with Santa

Santa Claus impersonators across the U.S. are getting an earful from children whose families are mired in the nation's struggling economy.

According to a Wall Street Journal report Monday, one Santa training school e-mailed advice to fellow St. Nick's on how to help children cope with the economic downturn.

As the Journal reports: "The tips included telling worried children that 'things will get better' and asking if Santa could 'bring a surprise' instead of promising specific gifts. The job of a Santa 'is to make the child feel better,' he counseled. He suggested that Santas refer children to local charities to find Christmas gifts."

And the letters sent to Santa Claus that end up in North Pole, Alaska are tinged with themes reflecting families' economic plights.

"When we had the housing crunch, we saw, 'Please help us stay in our house,'" Paul Brown, operations manager of the Santa Claus House, told the Journal. "This year, it's more job-related."

For more tales of Christmas woe, click here for the entire WSJ article ($).