Many families find that Elf on the Shelf is a fun way to start the day and get everyone into the holiday spirit. However, like many parenting decisions, there isn't one right answer about whether or not the Elf on the Shelf tradition is right for your family. Family traditions can foster family bonding.
Many psychologists suggest that, like believing in Santa, participating in the Elf on the Shelf can foster creativity and imagination.
By age eight, kids begin to acknowledge the unlikeliness of one man travelling the world in a single night. The good news? If you started the tradition of Elf on the Shelf in your household, you can likely send the elf into early retirement around your child's eighth Christmas.
How to explain why there's no Elf on the Shelf at your house. “You can just say that you don't need one because your kid is good and Santa already knows it. The elf is for the kids that need to be watched? This is the first year I didn't bring it out and my daughter hasn't asked where he is!” ~Maggie M.
Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition that sees parents moving an Elf on the Shelf (also known as a "Scout Elf") around the house every day to keep an eye on children ahead of Santa's visit.
Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition where a special scout is sent to your home from the North Pole to encourage kids to behave themselves. The idea is that Santa's little helper watches the children by day, and each night, it returns to the North Pole to report on whether they were naughty or nice.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.
“Elf on the Shelf” undermines a child's natural motivation to try hard and do her best. For example, if a child cleans up her room in the hope of getting more presents at Christmas, she'll be less likely to clean up her room at other times of the year, because there's no incentive.
Traci Williams, a board-certified child and family psychologist, says she's concerned that when elves are used to control a child's behavior, parents engage in empty threats. They often tell their children that if the elf doesn't deliver a good report Santa won't bring them gifts, which never happens.
Those who disliked the elf voiced concerns about their child being judged and under pressure each day. Many others believed the elf didn't portray the true meaning of Christmas. Another parent mentioned she didn't want to teach her children to behave just because they were being watched.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
Explain that you actually bought those yourself and that Santa Claus is the idea of giving for the sake of giving, without thanks or acknowledgement. Tell them that now they know the truth, they're part of it, too, and can never tell a younger child the secret.
Not so fast. The crux of this toy is that the elf is not-so-secretly spying on your kids on a daily basis to report their behavior to Santa Claus. If your child is bad or doesn't follow rules, the obvious risk is that their Christmas presents will be sacrificed, and they will instead receive that dreaded lump of coal.
We think Elf is one of the more family-friendly Christmas movies out there. It should be something kids ages 6 and up can handle in most cases. There are a few issues as noted above, but if these do not concern your family: enjoy Elf together this holiday season!
Age: Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
If your kids purposefully touch their Elf on the Shelf, you can have their elf spend a day away at the North Pole. Write a brief letter from your elf to explain that because they were touched, they have to spend the day getting their magic fixed at the North Pole and there will be no fun antics happening that day.
It erodes intrinsic motivation
As a classroom management system, the Elf on the Shelf is pretty terrible. Having a spy in the classroom doesn't exactly promote an environment conducive to respect, kindness, and learning.
The Elf on the Shelf® is a Christmas tradition centered around Scout Elves who fly to the North Pole each night. Scout Elves arrive at homes in a keepsake box set that features a storybook. The book explains that elves love to report to Santa to tell him about each day's activities! The best part?
The story in the book, written in rhyme, reveals that the elf doll is an emissary sent by Santa Claus to observe children and report back on their behavior for judgment. The elf cannot be touched or the magic will be broken; it is a silent observer, a CCTV camera with pointy ears.
A Scout Elf's heart is full of Christmas magic, and once your family names your Scout Elf, it activates the Christmas magic in your elf's heart, allowing them to fly, report to Santa and keep a watchful eye each Christmas.
When does Elf on the Shelf come? The Elf on the Shelf website recommends your Elf arrive between November 24 through December 1. This is also known as Scout Elf Return week, a.k.a. the time when Santa's little helpers flee the North Pole and head out to the houses they'll be staying at until Christmas.
Do I need one Elf per child or one per household? The choice is yours. We have included two Nice List Certificates and two Letters to Santa in each kit, as these items are personal. All the other items can be shared as a family.
Parents need to know that although Elf has some potty language and mild swearing ("pissed," "hell," "damn," etc.) and a few references to bodily functions, it's family friendly at its core.