The official Elf on the Shelf website details the three rules to follow. The first and most important rule is that you must NOT touch your Elf. If you do, they will lose all their magic - and nobody wants that to happen. When scout elves lose their magic, they can't go about their Christmas duties.
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.
7. Children are not allowed to touch them. Elves are very fragile, and if they are touched by human children they lose their magic and ability to communicate with Santa.
The Elf Must Not Be Touched
Considered the most important rule, the Scout Elf must never be touched (of course, apart from when the parents move them around) as that will cause them to lose their magical powers. In some cases, they could also disappear when touched, such as when a dog might get a hold of them.
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.
Per official Elf on the Shelf lore, a touched Scout Elf loses their magic. Learning this fact could leave your kids spiraling down an endless rabbit hole of unwanted outcomes — ending up on the naughty list and Christmas being cancelled being their chief concerns, according to my own kids.
For a few easy ways to fix this problem, here's what you need to do if your child touches the Elf: Have your child write a note to Santa or your Elf, saying “sorry”! Have them sprinkle a little cinnamon on their Elf. If you want to take it further, have the kids sing Christmas carols.
Christmas Eve is debatably the most exciting day of the year, however, that doesn't mean the rules change. Even though your kiddos probably want to embrace your Elf with tons of love before he leaves, he still has to fly back to the North Pole. So, just like the other 23 days, don't touch the Elf.
An elf does not want to report a child's bad behavior to Santa. Instead of reporting naughty behavior, they will stay in their spot for a few days until there is something nice to report to Santa. If you want your elf to move, you better be good!
According to elf legend, the elf moves each night. Some mornings, though, kids might find themselves asking why the elf is still in its same place. Here are a few possible reasons that Santa's helper may not have found a new position in your home.
“I just tell them we don't need an elf to report back to Santa… we have a direct phone number to Santa and Mommy can call it anytime. I tell them the elf is silly and that you don't want a 'spy' watching you to see if you're being naughty or nice.
“Are Mom and Dad really Santa?” We know that you want to know the answer and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
According to the official "Elf on the Shelf" website, "Christmas magic is very fragile, and if scout elves are touched they may lose their magic." It doesn't specify that this only applies to kids, so we're guessing this applies to any humans.
Give the Elf a Hug.
While normally this is not ok and the elf will lose his magic, Santa gives special permission on Christmas Eve for the kids to hug their elves good bye.
The elf usually leaves just before or shortly after Christmas Day, but the timing isn't the same in every home. Christmas Eve: In some homes, the elf makes its final appearance on Christmas Eve. After all, once Santa packs the sleigh and heads out, the elf's work is done.
Some families opt to say “Goodbye, Elf on the Shelf” on Christmas Eve so the Elf can get back to the North Pole before Christmas Day. Other families prefer for Elf to be present on Christmas morning when everyone is opening gifts, then make their departure later that same evening.
Perhaps you have the rule that adults can move the Elf on the Shelf, as long as they don't use their hands. This means using kitchen tongs, two forks, a spatula, chopsticks or any other kitchen utensil in your arsenal.
With great magic, comes great responsibility! Once your Scout Elf has their magic, they must preserve it as much as they can. Your family can help by never touching your elf. If you accidentally touch your elf, they could lose their magic and be unable to fly to the North Pole.
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.
"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.
#2 “Elf on the Shelf” focuses children on “getting” rather than “giving”. “Elf on the Shelf”, as well as any other “behave-or-you-won't-get-gifts” threat, focuses the child on herself and on the gifts that she is going to get, rather than on what she will give to others.