There is a Christmas crisis brewing in New Zealand with a shortage of Santa's helpers.
The shortage of special helpers means there's a chance kids may miss out on their chance to relay their Christmas wishes.
One of those helpers made a plea for help on AM on Wednesday morning and described what the special role entails.
"We have to work longer hours to fill in the gaps, and it gets quite tiring," Santa's helper stressed. "We need more helpers desperately."
"It's not about the look, we don't need people with a big tummy and a beard, it's more about the personality, someone that's happy and loves children and can be festive and can just make Christmas a joyous time."
He said people who step into the role learn to deal with the mix of emotions from kids over the years.
"When I started, I was just as nervous as the children and you learn to deal with that," he said.
"Sometimes it's just a case of getting off the chair and walking away and letting the child sit in the chair on their own to start with and then you can gradually inch in and get a nice photo."
He said he often gets kids with Christmas lists as long as his arm. "You say, well we'll have to get a trailer for our sleigh this year," he joked.
"Then you get the kids who ask for peace on earth."
He said the most popular gift over the past few years has been Lego.
"I'm predicting that this year, because of the movie, we are going to be asked for lots of Barbies."
He said he often gets unusual gift requests, such as kids asking for new washing machines.
"There's the sad ones too, where a child asks for Granny to come back from heaven or Daddy to come home."
He said there are strategies to deal with and respond to the more difficult questions.
People wanting to register as a helper can head to scenetobelieve.co.nz.
