I feel uniquely qualified to write this post as a 10 year elf mom. I was introduced to The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition when my daughter was a little under two and she is now 12😩. When I first read the book to her, she was barely able to understand the concept. Back then, social media didn’t pressure me to perform insane acts of magic and it was…. fun. It was a unique Christmas tradition that I didn’t mind. Fast forward 10 years later, I was surprised when she asked, “mom, when do you think the elves will come this year?”. I think I was secretly hoping that she wouldn’t bring it up…but she did. And her face lit up. And she was excited. So the elves will be showing up.
Now for the good part….here are all the things that I wish I had known. These tips would have made my experience so much more enjoyable.
Tip #1 - Don’t Start too Early
I don’t think my kids could grasp the concept of the book until the age of 3. If I had to do it again, I would delay the start as long as possible and start somewhere between the age of 3 and 5. Here is the key: I WOULD KEEP IT SIMPLE. Literally the elf would just move from location to location. No scenery. No props. No magic tricks. No cute little notes. NOTHING. Just move the elf. That’s it. Super Simple. Easy. Fun. Pro Tip: The only way to get an officially licensed elf is to buy the book. If you need a doll and you already have the book, Etsy has some great replicas and you can’t tell the difference.
Tip #2 : Don’t over do it.
Peak elf years are between the ages of 6-8. Kids this age really get a kick out of it. If I had to do it over, I would sparingly add a few nights of razzle dazzle, but for the most part the elf would just move from location to location. The elf might have a razzle dazzle entrance, and 3-5 more elaborate situations, and go out with a bang on the night before Christmas Eve. Thats IT. The other nights the elf would just to a simple move to a new location. This is where I feel like the burnout starts. We get so excited that our kids “get it” that we over do it. Whenever I hear moms say that they don’t enjoy the elf on the shelf anymore (myself included) I already know they are doing too much. Keep expectations manageable and excitement high by not having the pressure of performing elaborate acts every night of the season
Tip #3 - Save the wow factor for the older kids
If you want to get some WOW for you efforts, I would save it for ages 9 and up. This is the age where doubt starts to creep in. Maybe their friends no longer believe. Maybe they have seen and heard too much. At this point, if you are going to keep it going, you have to do it BIG(er). The good news is: if you have kept it simple up until this point, stepping it up a notch shouldn’t feel overwhelming.
Tip #4 - Don’t try to reinvent the wheel
The elf on the shelf website has all kinds of FREE printables and props. They really make it easy to see what other elves are doing. Try not to get so caught up in creating the perfect social media ready scene that it takes the joy out of it.
Tip #5 - Outsource
A couple of nights every season, the elf is completely my husbands job. You need a few nights off and it’s not like the elf is the only thing you have going on. You would be surprised at how creative the husbands can be. Two minds are (sometimes) better than one in this situation. I know a couple of people that outsource the elf to the older kids if you have a large age gap between the kids. Another option is to buy one of those elf activity kits. The scenes are pre made and the directions take the guess work out of elfing. Target had one last year and it was amazing and affordable!
So now to answer the question: To Elf, or not to Elf (on the shelf)
This is a judgment free zone. I can’t answer the question for you, but if I could go back in time, I would still introduce the elf. I would just do it a little smarter next time 😉.
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