Visiting Santa is a rite of passage for kids and parents this time of year. And for TikTok mom Cassie (@cassandrabotnick), Santa's patience and understanding while meeting her daughter with autism, Luna, brought a flood of tears. "She was SO excited to see him 🥹❤️🎄 #autismacceptance #autismawareness #christmas," she captioned the post.
The video shows an excited Luna approaching Santa, but backing up with some apprehension as she works her way up to sitting in his lap. Cassie offers Luna an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, a tablet that helps those with speech or language impairments to communicate.
Santa says to Luna, "Come here! Ho ho ho!", dancing and putting his hand up for a high-five. She moves closer to him and they high-five--although she isn't totally comfortable to sit in his lap yet. Rather than expressing frustration or becoming impatient, he continues to talk with Luna to put her at ease--making eye contact with Cassie to also reassure her he understands Luna's needs. "I like your shirt! Are you very merry with your curly hair? Do you want to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?" he asks.
Slowly, Luna inches towards him and finally jumps into his lap, as Santa pats her back and reassures her all is well. "Good job!" Cassie emotionally says to her.
"Santa immediately realized my daughter needed extra support and looked at me and said 'don't worry, there's no rush' 😭🥹," she wrote in the video.
The precious clip captured the hearts of TikTokers, leading to thousands of sweet comments. "Inclusivity seriously can be this simple. I love he did it without hesitation, wish more people could do this," one wrote. Another chimed in, "Now that’s a 'real' Santa!! 🥰"
The Santa's calm demeanor also stood out. "I appreciate how he went at her speed and didn’t rush the visit. Should be that way always. Merry Christmas 🎄," one wrote. And another added, "The pat pats to slowly get her used to his touch 🥹🥹🥹."
The video also united other parents of children with autism, and they opened up about their Santa visit stories. "I love how caring he was, it means so much to us autism Moms ❤️," one wrote. And another mom shared, "My son has autism, too. We went to see Santa when he was about 4. Santa got down in the floor with Harper bc he could tell he didn’t want to sit in his lap! It was the sweetest!"
santa claus with red background
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash
Another autism mom shared a not-so-nice experience in the TikTok comments. "More Santas like this please! My son was stimming so hard yesterday so excited, and Santa kept shouting at him to wait for him to speak to his sister first and tutting at him calling him naughty! It was the first time he’s ever been able to speak to him himself too. He couldn’t tell what was going on and came away saying Santa was the best, but my mama heart still hurts! Oh and told him to stay still when he was jumping from foot to foot!"
Unfortunately, not all Santa's are as understanding or patient--remember the Santa in A Christmas Story? Or Tim Allen as a newly appointed Santa in The Santa Clause?
Santa Claus Christmas GIFGiphy
In contrast, there have been a number of more compassionate Santa's--like Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, which the Santa from this TikTok got comparisons to. "This reminds me of Miracle on 34th St when Santa begins speaking Dutch to the little girl. Santa did so well!" one wrote.
santa claus beard GIFGiphy
This kind and gentle Santa is helping restore the reputation of his cranky cohorts and spreading Christmas cheer.
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21 everyday phrases that make people silently scream inside
If you’ve ever cringed at hearing “It is what it is” or rolled your eyes at someone saying “No offense…” before delivering something totally offensive, you’re definitely not alone. Some expressions are so irritating, so overused, or so grammatically cursed that hearing them once more might just push us over the edge.
We asked our Facebook audience, “If you could ban one annoying phrase from existence forever, what would it be?” and holy moly, did the floodgates open. Typically, a given question might rack up around 5,000 comments—but this one? Over 14,000. People shared responses that were funny, petty, brutally honest, and occasionally downright poignant. From phrases that try (and fail) to sound wise, to those so overused they've lost all meaning entirely—here are the top contenders folks are completely done with.
The one phrase nearly everyone wants to vanish
By far the most repeated offender was:
Over and over, users cited this as the ultimate non-response. It’s dismissive, it ends conversations, and it offers exactly zero comfort or help.
Another big category? Expressions meant to comfort that end up being painful or insulting. These include:
Many commenters explained that these phrases, while often well-intentioned, feel dismissive in times of grief or hardship.
Grammar gripes and word crimes
Grammar lovers had a lot of feelings. Some of the most-cited “please stop saying this” phrases included:
And let’s not forget the collective rage over “pacifically” when people mean “specifically.”
Words that reveal more than they intend
Several users took issue with phrases that feel passive-aggressive or intellectually lazy, such as:
As user Jacqueline C. put it, “'To be honest...' What does that mean? That you're not honest any other time?”
Phrases tied to racism, sexism, or toxic positivity
A significant number of respondents took aim at harmful or politically charged phrases. Among them:
These comments weren’t just about annoyance—they were about the emotional weight and social impact of language.
James G. didn’t mince words when he wrote: “‘Go back to your country, then’ 🤬. The epitome of racist. I love my country, plus my ancestors did not ASK to be brought here the way they were.”
Corporate speak and empty buzzwords
You knew these were coming.
These phrases sparked a different kind of rage—one reserved for staff meetings and marketing emails.
Iris H. summed it up: “Most corporate speak. Downsizing. Low hanging fruit. Pivot. etc…..” Just say what you mean, please.
Why this resonated so deeply
There’s something unifying about shared irritation. These phrases might seem harmless or routine, but for many people, they’re like verbal paper cuts—tiny annoyances that, over time, sting a lot more than they should.
Whether it’s poor grammar, dismissive condolences, or flat-out hate speech in disguise, we’re collectively craving language that’s thoughtful, clear, and kind.
So the next time you find yourself reaching for one of these expressions, take a beat. Maybe there’s a better way to say what you mean. Or maybe… just don’t say anything at all.
And if you’ve got your own phrase that should be banished from existence? Don’t worry—there’s still time to add to the list.
Got another phrase that needs to go? Drop it in the comments on our original Facebook post.
Bonus: The top five most hated phrases from our poll
Let’s make 2025 the year we finally stop saying all of them.