Last year, my mother gave my children The Elf on the Shelf. Your first thought when you open the box, read the story, and get the idea is: who is going to fall for that? Your second thought is "Great, one more thing that the kids who don't celebrate Christmas are going to have to put up with." But I have to tell you, and I'm not alone in this, Santa Claus having a little "Nanny cam" is a really good idea and once again why didn't I think of it?!
For those who don't know:
When the elf arrives, you read the book with the kids. This sets the rules and names the elf. Then every day during Advent, or whenever in November/December you start, the kids look for the elf and know they are being watched. The elf goes back to the North Pole and tells Santa everything it saw and the next morning the kids have to see where it is hiding again. The elf has been warned by Santa not to speak to the children, only watch and listen. AND if the children touch the elf, his/her magic is gone for the year.
The elf assigned to us has had quite a life so far. I'm sure the other elves listen to her stories and think, "Good Lord, Santa screwed you!" I hope she spends the rest of the year on a beach sipping a margarita and reading Twilight novels.
Yes, we have a girl elf. She came with a skirt. We named her "Tatty Tale." "Tatty" goes and tattles to Santa what she saw during the day. I have heard my children debating whether or not something is worth doing according to what Santa will find out. I have also seen my daughter stamp her foot and shake her fist at the elf and say, "DON'T YOU DARE TELL SANTA!" I have heard my son rattle off all kinds of requests for things there is no way he is going to get. Instead of complaining to me, they run find the elf and tell her all the atrocities committed by a sibling. Yay!
It gets harder and harder to be creative about where she is hiding. I have put her in the bathroom to make sure they are washing their hands and brushing their teeth. I put her in a tea pot to try and trick them. I put her on top of the oven and my son freaked and told me not to cook anything (Gosh darn on that one). I tried to put her on the curtain rod and she hung upside down and couldn't see anything, so she didn't hide there again.
The elf comes with a LOT of "Ifs."
If you forget to move the elf? Ask your kids this, "Now why would she want to hide in the same spot twice? What did she see yesterday?" You will get a confession-"I took two cookies instead of one." or "I pushed my brother instead of using my words." It's brilliant!
If you are in a book store or another place and see one for sale? Use your Harry Potter smarts. Santa has told the elves to act like toys. How else are they going to get to us? The magic is activated when you read the story and name the elf.
If the kids are having a really bad day or week? (Or year, but anyway....) Take the skirt off the elf and hide it. THEN tell them Tatty's report to Santa was SO bad, he sent "BUTCH" to check things out. Kenneth swears "Butch" is bigger, but it is the same elf. Ha ha ha...
If the baby actually gets a hold of the elf and starts running around the house with it, tell the older two Santa will re-activate the magic because toddlers don't know better and next time Tatty will pick a better hiding spot. Mommy can put her up high with a towel or tongs.
AND Finally.....
IF in August all hell is breaking loose because summer is coming to a close and school hasn't started, Tatty can always do a "Check in."
Anyone else having fun with an elf?
No comments:
Post a Comment