Elf on the Shelf: Love it or Leave it?

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Children all around town spent November eagerly awaiting the arrival of their newest magical friend….their family Elf! That’s right, the Elf on the Shelf has quickly became a new must do family tradition!

elfmainSo let’s back up and see what this Elf thing is all about. Elf on the Shelf  is a sweet little boxed set sold at major bookstores and small boutiques. It comes with your own personal elf and a book explaining the purpose. Your family gets to name your personal Elf . The premise is simple….he serves as a “spy” for Santa, reporting back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa how the kiddos behaved! So for example, “Stop fighting with one another, Bernard (our elf’s name) is watching”! The Elf on the Shelf craze is in full force. Some families have welcomed elves into their home to try to curb bad behavior {which for us it totally does}, and others simply have one for the fun and joy it brings. We do it for both reasons!

Every year on December 1st, our Bernard arrives to spend the month at our house. Our sons know he will report to the North Pole each night and reappear in a new hiding spot each morning. The first year we did EOTS, I kept it simple and just hid him around the house in a different spot each night. Last year I tried to get a little more creative, so I would occasionally leave little treats, messages, or activities to do. Pinterest is a never-ending source for ideas for your elf {and all things Christmas for that matter}. You can go all out with it or you can make it as low-key as you want. The point is to just have fun with it!

elf CollageEOTS is definitely a conversation starter. People either love it or hate it. Some will argue that they want to focus on the real reason behind Christmas and this silly concept distracts them from that. I am a firm believer that we need to teach our children the real meaning behind Christmas–bottom line. However, this will be the third year that Bernard is with our family and there really is nothing more magical and more fun than when our elf comes to stay. My boys begin asking when Bernard’s coming right after Halloween and they don’t stop looking for him until the turn of the New Year. They talk about him all. the. time. Each morning, they pop up out of bed so excited to see where he is and if he’s left anything. It has really added fun to our holidays.

For my family it’s been a total hit and here is how I justify it. Kids have their entire lives to celebrate Christmas, but there is only a short little window in their life when you can make a little magic for them and speak to their imaginations. There is something so precious in watching their eyes light up with wonder each morning For me that’s what sells it!

So check it out and see what you think and if you don’t think that Elf on the Shelf is for your family, that’s okay! Some families are drawn to a similar product, My Secret Angel and Me. Though I don’t personally know much about it, many families have found it to be a great option.

Looking for some good ideas for your elf? Follow Tara on instagram to see what trouble Bernard gets himself into this year!

So let’s have it out – how do you feel about the Elf on a Shelf phenomenon?

1 COMMENT

  1. I’m really excited to start doing this with my family. My husband has a clever sense of humor and I’m excited to see what he’d do with an EOTS. I might want it more for me than my kids. HA!

    Thanks for sharing Tara!

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