A little girl in Florida has gone viral after she tells Santa she doesn't want to sit on his lap. When Katie Love took her daughter, Adley, to meet Santa Claus at the Ritz Carlton holiday party in Miami, she learned a valuable lesson. In the video posted to her TikTok account, Love recorded the interaction between Adley and Santa after she said she didn't want to sit on his lap. "I said this is her body and she's in control of her body," Santa Claus said in the video. "I asked if she wanted to sit on my lap and she said no. And I said, 'Way to stand up for yourself and way to say what you believe is true.' You can't let even Santa Claus, if Santa Claus says you want to sit on my lap, if you don't want to, you say no!" Love captioned the video, "This response was 🔥 Thank you Santa for respecting my daughter's choice & even applauding her for it! 🎄🎅🏻."

@katielovesocial This response was 🔥Thank you Santa for respecting my daughter's choice & even applauding her for it!🎄🎅 #toddlersoftiktok #santaclaus #christmastiktok #toddlersbelike #adviceforgirls #importantmessage #toddlermom #toddlertok #wholesomemoments #femaleempowerment #girlpower #bodyautonomy ♬ original sound - Katie Love

In an interview with People, Love opened up about the experience. "I told her before we got in line that she didn't have to sit on his lap if she didn't want to," she said. "We always reinforce at home that it's her choice whether she wants to hug or kiss someone, even if it's family! Growing up, I was always taught to be polite and do as your told and I want my daughter to feel complete control over her body. She doesn't need to push through being uncomfortable to make someone else comfortable. She has the power to say NO."

Santa Claus in the video, or Steve Lantz, is an actor and church pastor. He was excited to take the role as Santa Claus, seeing it as an opportunity to share a positive message. "As Santa, I’ve had access to audiences I wouldn’t otherwise have; I take that seriously. It’s a way to engage with kids, yes, but in my experience, adults love Santa even more than kids do. People respond to Santa the way the crowds responded to Jesus. As a Christian, acting as Santa is a means to bring Jesus to new crowds. It’s yet another way to illuminate the darkness.”