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.

Oh I think this is your best plan, leave a note saying there’s an elf emergency and bring back a baby elf! (Leave a clue as to what the emergency might be) So cute and obviously links with you bringing back a baby too!

@OnNaturesCourse in these circumstances I’d consider a little industrial accident while helping out at elf HQ, elf has broken his leg and needs to sit very still on the shelf for a few days. 2 lolly sticks and masking tape for a cast.
Or what’s this years must have toy? A few years ago it was hatchimel things and I needed a few days off so our elf left a letter stating he was needed at elf HQ because someone had accidentally hatched them all!

Some easy ideas I have used in the past (where the Elf actually does something, rather than just chucking him wherever he wasn't).

Kids' pants/socks on the tree, with the Elf "stuck" in them.

Elf "stuck" underneath a big pint glass with HELP written backwards.

Elf drew moustaches/glasses / horns on some family pictures.(on the glass)

A row of mismatched shoes with character toys in them, Elf at the front with a sign "All aboard the shoe shoe train".

Toilet paper snowman

Elf makes snow angels with cereal

Snow ball fight... toys and cotton wool thrown about

Elf does dress up - bracelets, hair clips etc on him from DD's jewellery box.

Elf drew faces on bananas.

Elf with a box of eggs and a hammer . One egg cracked with ketchup on top, and drawn (horrified) faces on all the other eggs.

Elf tucked up in bed in the doll's house/the cat's bed.

Toothpaste message in the bathroom mirror.

Dresses up as Harry Potter. (We already had the stuff , but you can do another character)

Elf skool.. elf with whiteboard/paper and pens , surrounded by dolls.

Stick elf in a pair of kids pants and hang on the tree (extra pants also hanging up are very effective 😁)

Put cotton wool balls in a bowl and sit him in like having a bubble bath (tie some material around his head like a towel)

Tea party with Barbie's

Sit him in the fruit bowl with a marker - draw funny faces on bananas

Lay him on the floor next to an empty beer bottle

Let him 'shine' the kids shoes (wrap in tin foil)

Draw a picture of a rainbow on a sheet of paper and leave some gold coins at the end

Stick his legs in some rolls of wrapping paper and put the other end in a pair of shoes

I really don't understand the drama here. If you have been doing Elf for years, can't you just write down five or six previous suggestions for your DH to do.? He may not have been involved previously, but unless you are expecting him to bring in fake snow machines or build a carousel in your garden then surely it's just one more thing on the list for him to do while you are in hospital? I don't know what you set up is, it's quite possible that he's not been responsible for sorting the school uniforms before either or making school lunches but presumably it's anticipated that he has grown up enough to be able to manage those things so why the big drama about the Elf?

An easy one is "treasure hunt". Hide a few chocolates round the room, and have a note saying to search for them. I'm pretty sure you could do that for several days without DC complaining!

I've only done the Elf once, last year, and my (then) 9yo was in charge of it for my 6yo. (It was my 9yo's first year not believing, and I thought it would involve him in "the magic"). He did some very simple things:

• Elf falling asleep playing the playstation
• Elf getting stuck inside various things (glasses, etc)
• Elf being stuck in tall places

You should only need a few simple ideas to see you through, and don't worry about repeating things. Be kind to yourself!

You can buy elf packs with ideas/dress up bits for the full 24 days online - try porkypenguin on instagram.
sure their would be others too, will make life easier for you and anyone else looking after the kids.
Hope all goes well with the new baby! 👶

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'm going to take some of them and organise/make a list for DH to help make his life a bit easier when he's doing something that's not really his thing.

To all those bashing DH and his ability to just suck it up and do the Elf himself - honestly, you're all the reason Mumsnet gets a name for itself. Turning a subject/question into something it's not.

To those hating the Elf - maybe not click on a Elf thread in the future? Save your frustrations lol.

Oh and ignore the grumps! Totally get it, I always did the elf- it was something I started and I continued to do. Dh had a few ideas here and there and joined in when it suited, but it was my thing!
enjoy this stage while you can,it’s not long until they won’t believe!

@hockityponktas thank you. I just want to enjoy the magic years as much as possible.

We moved house during December a couple of years ago and I bought a Santa please stop here sign and changed here for our new address. Left a note saying the elf didn't want to get in the way and would see us in the new house next week.

Then last year, 2 of my little ones were in hospital at the same time, we had to abandon the elf but the day we came home I took some pics of the elf around the house and printed them out with a note saying 'where have you all been? I've been looking for you everywhere!'

You could put the elf in your hospital bag and leave a note saying 'oh I've popped off to look after your mummy and the new baby, I'll bring them back soon!' And do a few photos for your dh to print off of the elf on your hospital bed and in the cot. Mine would think that was really funny

Personally, I would be more worried about my vulva than a darned elf but I'm ever practical.

Also some easy ideas you can do in advance

Stick some googly eyes on some notepads and leave a note saying 'I've bought you all an eye pad'

Peg some crisp packets to the Xmas tree with a note saying 'merry crispmas'

I put the elf in one of my bras once and said 'I bet your mummy won't think this is very funny!'

There's quite a few groups on fb, I usually screenshot ones I like the look of and have a rough plan of ones I want to do and make sure I've bought any 'props' in advance, much easier to dash them off quickly in the evening if you've had a bit of a think

How about the elf sneaks into your hospital bag and is just sat in the crib with the new baby when your son comes to visit. Doesn't need to do anything fancy. Just meeting the baby.

If you want to leave some easy ideas then here are some.

Wrap a toilet roll round the tree or roll it down the stairs.

Get a white board marker and draw on some photo frames. Or draw on bananas in the fruit bowl.
Tip some flour on the floor and do elf snow angels.

If your little one has an ipad take an Elfie selfie with it.

Leave note saying hide and seek and then hide the elf somewhere.

5 minute activities that have been popular in our house:

Head first in box of cereal so legs are sticking up

Sitting on top of Christmas tree with toilet roll looped around the tree, holding the end in his hand

Set up as if playing Connect 4 with another toy

Sitting inside a toy vehicle as if driving it, or else sitting up in a shoe with other shoes arranged one at a time behind it

Sitting on hob holding a wooden spoon in a saucepan as if cooking

Sitting as if reading a book

Dangling upside by feet from the curtain pole / washing line / blind string / light fitting etc

Under a doll's blanket as if going to sleep

Wrapped up in tinsel and surrounded by guards ... toy soldiers, police officers etc (or indeed any toys)

Write on a bunch of bananas and leave the elf sitting in the fruit bowl holding the pen

Other popular ones were sitting smugly on top of the toilet seat, which had been wrapped up with newspaper and a bow put on top; and the annual favourite of discovering the elf has taped toilet roll across the bedroom doors so the children can't get out (elf found surrounded by empty toilet rolls and / or holding end of the roll. Not really what you are looking for there, though.

I, for one, love elf on the shelf! It's a tradition in my house that the kids really enjoy and I wish I'd had it as a kid!

Wow, should the op tell her 7 year old about santa too? Why on earth do people want to make sure that a 7 year old misses out on something fun because they don't want to do it in their own house?

You can get elf pyjamas and sleeping bag. If the kids are going elsewhere for a sleepover while the baby arrives, the elf can have a sleepover too.

Other easy ideas we have done are elf stealing the remote control and watching Elf, breaking into the chocolate tub, hanging out with the teddies, having a "bath" in the sink using a toothbrush as a back scrubbing brush and stirring a saucepan of tinsel.

Wrapping toilet paper round the Christmas tree was an easy win here! As was drinking daddy's beer / mummy's wine and hiding in the freezer. Look on Pinterest for easy ideas too

OP I don't have anything to suggest as we're not elf fans in this house so I don't know if the type of ideas I'd come up with would be called simple or not (flour angel on the kitchen counter?) but I'm really sorry that you asked a very specific and pretty simple question and the majority of responses I have read could be labelled 'least helpful ever'.

Idk why if people don't have anything nice and/or helpful to add they don't just move on...you really shouldn't be having to justify why you do it, why your husband doesn't do it or anything else. Goodness sake!

Thank you all for the ideas.

I've ran through some with DH and he thinks even he could manage some of them 😂 despite apparently being useless.

Sorry if it's already been suggested but I'd stick it in your hospital bag, maybe dress it up as a midwife, and send a pic of it with the new baby to the kids with a funny message - like sorry I'm not here been busy delivering this little gift or something.