Bindi Irwin’s Daughter Grace Met Santa for the First Time & People Are Amazed by How it Went

It’s a big year for Bindi Irwin’s daughter Grace Warrior! The 4-year-old temporarily lived in Los Angeles, where she got to experience many holiday firsts, like going to a pumpkin patch! And recently, she got to do something even better: meet Santa Claus himself!

The wildlife conservationist shared new pictures of her daughter meeting St. Nick, along with her dad Chandler Powell and her grandma Terri Irwin, and people praised the way Bindi handled the whole situation.

“Grace’s first time meeting Santa. ????” Bindi captioned the post on Instagram. “The holidays will always be my favourite time of year.”

In the first snap, the whole fam is dressed in winter jackets as they meet Santa at an outdoor venue. This shows that they likely met him somewhere in the U.S., as it’s currently summer in Australia right now! For the picture, Grace sat on her mom’s lap, who was crouched on the ground. Santa sat on a bench, with Terri on the other side and Powell standing up from behind. Grace leans over to give Santa a high-five as she turns to the camera to smile. She looks so cute with the biggest grin on her face, showing that the first visit was a success!

In the second snap, Santa and Terri have scooted a little closer together, with Bindi still crouched down in front of the bench and Powell still standing behind it. Grace looks happy and excited as she cuddles up close to her mom, nowhere near Santa at all. It’s for this reason that people praised Bindi — because she didn’t force her daughter to sit on his lap or get close to him if it made her uncomfortable.

“I absolutely love that you guys clearly respected her choices and how close she was willing to be to Santa!” one person commented. “So many force their kids on his lap. You guys are having a great time and got great pics without making her uncomfortable!! Good for you!!”

“This one photo says everything about their parenting,” someone else praised. “As a child who’s boundaries were not protected, I thank you. ????????” So heartwarming! It may be just a picture with Santa, but to kids, having that autonomy to say no and set your own boundaries is so important, even as young as 4 (or even younger!).

Earlier this month, Bindi shared another way her daughter is getting into the holiday spirit. “A glimpse into my camera roll,” she captioned a screenshot of her phone’s camera roll. “Can’t possibly describe the joy to be home. ❤️”

In one of the pictures, Grace stands on a stepstool to hang a little star ornament on their family’s Christmas tree. She’s so grown up now, and we know the holidays have to be that much more fun for Bindi this year.

Last year, the Irwins celebrated Christmas with a visit with kangaroos at their Australia Zoo. Grace wore a pink Christmas dress with a vintage holiday carousel with Christmas trees and snow, paired with a floral bucket hat. The photo carousel also include pictures of Christmas Eve cookie baking and a plate set out for Santa, decorated with icing and sprinkles.

“Merry Christmas from @australiazoo. ❤️” Bindi captioned the post. “Cherishing the magic of the holiday season with our beautiful Grace.”

What sweet memories!

Before you go, check out all the ways Bindi Irwin’s daughter Grace is following in her mama’s footsteps.