Elf Rules

[Elfnsafety]

First year doing it.

Don’t want to go with the creepy, the elves are watching you thing. Have a girl and boy elf, just them no big kit or story book etc. My plan is to put them in our post box with a letter for her from them. I’m going to say they’re Santas helpers from The North Pole …then what? Where will they go after that? She’ll wonder where they are/why she can’t play with them. I get that I make them do silly things for when she wakes up in the morning…but then where do they go when they’ve done the silly thing? Sorry but she’s smart and won’t get why she can’t play with them/why they’ve disappeared again until the next morning 🤷🏻‍♀️
Also, I read that they leave on Christmas Eve when they go back with Santa and I leave a letter for them saying thank you? For what though?

Hope I’m making sense 😂

Our arrives on 1st December with the advent calendars and a little note to say he's pleased to be back and see the kids again.

He moves around the house every night. Nothing fancy - like he hides in the washing machine or whatever. The kids leap out of bed everyday to find him. That's it. No surveillance, no social media.

Then he hitches a life back with Santa on Christmas Day.

Our elves have a repertoire of things that get repeated every year - the kids get disappointed if they don't fish in the toilet or poop somewhere. I think deep down the teens know it's now real but they love it too so we keep it going. Honestly I have so much fun with it!

Your time is worth more than this!

Mine isn't. It only takes a few minutes and it's totally worth it.

I was like you OP didn't listen to the advise, thought the elf would be a brilliant addition to the family, I was so wrong 😆

Hated the bloody thing, one of my kids would wake up at daft o'clock just to see what the elf had been up to. I would wake up at daft o'clock because I forgot to have the elf do something.

After a couple of years giving me anxiety, I promoted their elf to a chief elf because the kids were so well behaved and he would just come on Christmas Eve with a Christmas Eve Box of goodies. The relief I felt of not having to come up with anything was like no other 😂

I was determined not to ever do it but was forced when my gran bought the kids one - she had no idea, she just thought it was a cute Christmas toy, but DD immediately said “it’s one of the naughty elves which comes alive!” so I was forced into it. Our tradition was the elf brought their advent calendars the first night with a letter saying he was back (or I’d write it on a mirror/framed photo with a dry wipe marker) then I’d nick ideas from Facebook (only simple ones) and on the last night he’d leave their Xmas PJs. They’d leave him out next to the mince pie and drink for Santa and he’d hitch a lift back to the North Pole. That was it, no gimmicks or watching them or anything. They absolutely loved it and now DS has taken over for DD who doesn’t really believe but pretends she does (Y6). This’ll be the last year and then next year I guess the elf will just be a Christmas decoration.

Aw I've found this thread quite useful OP, thanks. I'm going to buy an elf today as my youngest has been asking. My eldest (now a teen!) definitely felt out of the loop not having one so I'm giving in now. I thought my eldest might like to help move the elf each night with me but she said she wants to be surprised too! The pressure 😂 I'm definitely not going along with any story of santa surveillance or killing elves. Just a fun thing for them to wake with.

We never did it, but if you are keen then I would recommend setting the expectation that the elf checks in weekly rather than every day. That way you still get to do the thing but only 4 times rather than 20odd.

DS is 3 and has no idea about the elf yet so admittedly I have 0 experience but could the elf not just arrive with a letter saying Santa has sent the elves on holiday as they’ve already been working so hard getting everything ready and your DD has the very special job of looking after them until Christmas? They need to be left with Santas milk and mince pie on Christmas Eve and Santa will collect them and take them back to the North Pole? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

It gives a reason why they’re here, and sets the expectation that they will leave. She’s to look after them so can play/take them to bed if she wants. If she leaves them out some nights you can set up some funny scenarios for them if you want.

Just keep it relaxed, I make my own elf rules. We have one of those advent calendars you fill yourself, the elf puts a chocolate coin in it each morning. Then he has moved to a different position, but also high up so he can’t be picked up! Normally hanging from a light, sitting on the shelf, on top of a picture.
Also some days the elf doesn’t move at all or forgets to bring the chocolate. That’s fine too, we laugh and then he might move when they’re at school.

People are so negative about this but it’s just a little bit of fun that takes about 1 minute each night and the kids love it!

This thing seems to stress out my friends who are mums (not dads) an awful lot.

They are here because an American marketing company created this nonsense.

Don't do it!

I thought I had avoided these things - not really a thing when my kids were small.
Then I moved to a school where every class has one and I have to do it at work.
I never have a clue what to do and I had to buy the stupid thing and any bits it needs for tricks myself.

There is a film on Amazon Prime about Elf on the Shelf - maybe watch it with her today so that she's ready for its arrival tomorrow?

I thought the only reason people ended up doing this was by force or because they'd been hoodwinked, not voluntarily!

I thought the only reason people ended up doing this was by force or because they'd been hoodwinked, not voluntarily!

Why would you think that?

So I'm doing it for the first time for my 5 yo and I'm not following most of the "rules". I'm going to set it up doing something each night but nothing "naughty" just funny, cute things. He can play with it if he wants to. I was thinking of writing a letter as well, I was just going to say he's been sent from Santa to keep him company and play with him til Christmas Eve then he has to go back to help Santa deliver presents.

They are here because an American marketing company created this nonsense.

So many of our Christmas practices owe their existence to marketing in fairness.

DONT DO IT

YABU because there is a Christmas topic.

It stays where its put in our house until the next days shenanigans. Don't bother with no touching, mine were never interested in playing with them. They leave on Christmas Eve to go and help Santa get the presents and the sleigh ready. Never used them as a behaviour tool, all just for fun here. I resisted for a long time and wondered why in the end, we love the elf. DC15 now enjoys getting involved for the younger Dc.

Haha every year I love how much MN hates The Elf.
We have three elves. Cuddly little ones, cute. We've had them for years. They originally came when the kids were little, in a box with a letter saying they'd got lost and could they stay in our house til FC can take them home on Xmas Eve. No spying, no reporting back. No elf death if touched by children.
Over the years their arrival has marked the beginning of Christmas time! Some days they've gone bigger than others, definitely not an every night is huge situation. Sometimes they just move. But I genuinely miss the days of the kids coming down in the morning to see what the elves had done. We had SO MUCH FUN over the years. Yeh, the getting into bed and suddenly thinking oh shit, the elves! happened a couple of times. But if you set the precedent early that they don't do something every night, that's not so much of an issue.

My kids are teens now. The elves still come, but they don't move (much... Sometimes I get a pang for the old days and do something fun, to be met with rolled eyes 😂)

I get that people have different traditions and do things differently but I don't get the hate on here towards people who chose to have elves 😂 I feel no hatred towards people who do Christmas eve boxes, or special plates for Santa's cookies, or make floury footprints Christmas morning, it's just not something I do.

Have fun OP. I'm glad I have some magical memories to look back on!

I've told mine that if a child touches him the magic dies. So wherever he is found in the morning is where he remains all day - unless mummy needs to move him. Mummy has special permission to gently move the eld from Santa

Make up your own rules. I did it when they first arrived in the UK ( teens now) we did it for a couple of years. I said they where sent by Santa and brought treats during the night. They could play with them and they stayed after Christmas just popping to the north pole at night. There are no rules, make your own.

I left DH in charge of the elves last year while pregnant. Came downstairs to a tableau of Elf yoga instructors and Barbies in downward dog

Because that's the only way anyone sane would have allowed the odious little thing into their house?

All December there is thread after thread of people saying "OH MY GOD why did I start this, it is awful".