'I just want my daddy home:' What kids told this mall Santa

While Santa Claus gets lots of requests for the latest gadget or playthingfrom children he meets on mall visits in the weeks before Christmas, he said a recent visit to Charlottetown yielded some wish lists that had nothing to do with toys.

"It's such a pleasure to hear all the good little girls and boys and talk about all the nice things they'd like for Christmas," Santa Claus who is sometimes known as Robert Clow told CBC reporter Lindsay Carroll when she chatted with him after one of his stints at the Charlottetown Mall.

While most children want toys and a few other special treats, Santa heard some heart-wrenching tales, too.

"One little girl was here last Sunday and all she wants for Christmas is for grandma to get out of the hospital," Clow said. "She said 'Santa, no toys this year, just grandma.'"

'I just want my daddy home'

Another boy, whose father isworking away from home in Alberta, told Clow he no longer wanted a toy that had been at the top of his wish list.

"He said 'Santa, I wanted a race car set but I don't want it any more. Santa, I just want my daddy home.'"

Another girl told Clow about her single mom losing one of her two jobs, preventing her from buying a replacement for the family's broken television set.

"So she said 'We don't want anything for Christmas Santa. Just give mom a new television set so she won't have to get a second job,'" Clow said.

Clow said the selfless requests make him feel sad,but he does his best to comfort the kids and help them cope.

"I tell the little boys and girls that sometimes dads and grandmas can't be home but they're in our heart all day," he said. "The little boys and girls seem to understand that."

A first for newcomers

Clow is delighted to be the very first Santa some newcomers to P.E.I. have ever seen.

"And they just want presents, not any particular toy," he said. "A lot of pictures with moms and dads and children."

The most popular items on kids' wish lists are Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig toys, he revealed.

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