Due date and elf on the shelf...

[OnNaturesCourse]

Looking for any advice from parents who had/have a due date around Christmas and also juggle a elf on the shelf..

I'm due 5 days before Xmas and it's possible I will be a section, or have some time in hospital. Liklihood is other DCs will stay at grandparents most of this time however I'm looking for easy to do ideas for the Elf in the lead up and in the aftermath of birth - something I could even write down and leave for DH/other babysitters to do. (in case DCs end up being watched at home instead)

I've always gone super big with the Elf, he brings weekly letters and gifts, and gets up different things each day. My eldest in particular adores him but is very clued in to things so the magic could be easily spoiled if the Elf suddenly stopped, or things changed.

Aww! That is so nice of you! I always laugh when elf on a shelf does a poo. Chocolate drops. That is an easy one. Hope all goes well! Xxx

Sod the elf.
He's having a year off this year because he's busy sorting out presents for another child who needs him more. He's given the list to santa and santa will bring the presents.

Don't even try to keep the elf going in someone else's house. Unfair on them and you and might undo the magic.

You're my new favourite person.

I'm not asking anyone to do the Elf in their house, only if they stay at my home and/or for ideas for DH to do if he is at home with kids while I'm in hospital.

NOT doing the Elf at my house would ruin the magic.

This

Surely your dh will have been aware of what you have done in previous years? Can he not replicate those? Or think of things himself?

Not doing the elf from day 1 would be totally fine. Kids will cope. Really they will.

Plenty of people have an elf some years and not the next. The elf is needed elsewhere, end of.

Get a fake santa cam for the month if needs be.

Elf breaks his leg- put it in bandage, note that he has to rest up.

Wow, really helpful responses...

Just to confirm our Elf will be staying this year. My eldest DC is already counting down the days to the 1st December on her calender. Our Elf has nothing to do with the presents etc, he just reports back to Santa each night so I can't even say he needed elsewhere.

RE DH, he wasn't here last year so no, he doesn't know and this would be his first time doing it all.

Back to my question - has anyone else been in this situation and what did you do? Does anyone have any straight forward ideas for the Elf that I could write down for use incase I do need to stay in hospital and my DCs are watched at home. (they know their Elf doesn't travel if they stay over night anywhere)

@Cantchooseaname I have considered this actually! Or having him in his bed with a cold or something, I'm sure I used that a few years ago when I myself was ill and couldn't be bothered lol

https://thetravelingred.com/motherhood/naughty-elf-ideas/#google_vignette

Why does your Elf report back to Santa?

An elf cam in the house does the same thing for a fuck tonne less effort.

@StSwithinsDay because that's what they do in the books and films

@Hercisback1 OK, I get it, you don't like Elf on the Shelf. Clearly we do in my house. I think we can leave the discussion at that.

But if you have been doing it for years, was your dh never involved?

Can the Elf bring a baby elf the day the baby is born?

@StSwithinsDay no, he wasn't.

I've done it for nearly 8 years... And I don't mind.

This is adorable!

I've seen people put the elf under a glass jar/bowl and say he's isolating due to covid 🤣

@Scutterbug I have considered this actually as we do have a girl elf aswell who occasionally visits so I was maybe going to have our boy elf leave for "an emergency" and return with the girl and a baby elf. Think it could buy me a few days?

So why does DH not have any ideas or any way of doing it himself after watching you do it for eight years straight??

I'd go with baby elf, for sure. Then you can do extra little things with the baby elf. Or you could do a treasure hunt where each day you're away they get a new piece (could it fit into a jigsaw?) so you prepare it advance but it's little effort.

Tell DH he has to do elf on the shelf this year and leave the mental load up to him

On the days my DH has done it, or we forgot, we literally just put it somewhere strange. Eg. In the fridge, on the Christmas tree etc.

Or dress them in barbie clothes + sit them in the barbie house.

We have a little whiteboard too where the elves can write messages or play noughts and crosses etc

During COVID I heard of someone putting their elf into quarantine for a week. Might be worth a punt?

I wouldn't do this as I'd like to keep home life as normal as possible for them while you are away having the baby, and they could be unhappy with elf is gone.

I think the broken leg idea is prob best. Or just instruct your DH to do elf on the shelf and leave him worry about it!

looking for Christmas stockings pull all the socks out of the drawer and throw them everywhere

‘Christmas bubbly filling a wine glass with washing up liquid

gingerbread chain lying down flat holding hands with some actual real gingerbread men

Elf school. Doing a worksheet your child can easily do but doing it all wrong and writing upside down with silly pictures drawn on it etc

Reindeer and sledge care. Get all the cuddly toys out, lining them up, tie onto a shoe box or basket or similar, putting some antlers on if you have any

Inside a Candy cane prison. Could use old loo rolls decorated instead of candy canes

upside down Christmas tree. Bit of a Christmas tree of a fake mini tree all upside down by mistake

colourful breakfast, so orange juice turned green, toast served with hundreds and thousands on etc