When I first mention to people that I am thinking about starting the Elf on the Shelf tradition with my son, I am met with two types of reactions: the first is one of utter excitement, accompanied by an eagerness to share tips, ideas and past experiences that have lit up the holiday season for their own little ones.
The second reaction is far different: it’s a mixture of an inward sigh of exhaustion and a desire to warn me about what I was getting myself into. After all, this is a multi-year commitment. You don’t just do this as a one-off. My son is three and he will likely be expecting and anticipating his elf’s annual return, for a good number of years. If I am going to do this, I am in it for the long haul. There’s no going back … which is why I have listened to many a warning of how to begin and navigate this festive, yet labour-intensive tradition.
For many parents and caregivers who take part in this holiday tradition, December 1st marks the beginning of a 24-day journey of creating memorable daily experiences for their children. After all, the little ones wake up each morning expecting to find their dutiful scout elf displayed in funny, creative and entertaining ways. Whether they are swinging from a ceiling fan, baking cheerio-sized donuts or reading a book to some stuffed animals, the mystery of what their elf will be doing next is something that many children look forward to uncovering each day.
And for many parents, this can be a lot of fun.
Personally, I am having a fantastic time planning out ideas for how my son’s elf, whom he has tentatively named Apples-Oranges-Grapes (we’ll call him AOG for short), is going to surprise him in the morning. I have been pouring over Pinterest pages, googling fun ideas and talking to as many people as I can about what they have done. And, boy, there is a lot to go through.
Luckily, I have found that it certainly doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg to accomplish these daily presentations. Sure, you can go out and buy the kits from the stores, which include costumes, props and pets for the elves. But, parents have also come to realize that a lot of what you can do, can be done using things you can make or find at home. In fact, some crafty souls here, in town, recently hosted a workshop for making easy props for Elf on the Shelf, and I’m kicking myself for not noticing it sooner. I’m sure it could have been a lot of fun.
I’ve also found that the Elf on the Shelf website is a great place to find free printables—a fact that makes my husband happy, as he feared I was going to go a little overboard the first year and set the bar very high for the many years to come. “He’s only three,” many people have said, implying that I can start out with simple things like hiding him in funny places around the house for my son to find (especially since my son is brand-new to this and is still at an age where he is very easily entertained).
Plus, given that my husband and I are nerdy folk, with plenty of collectables throughout our home, AOG has many friends to interact with over the course of his 24 visits to our house.
Now, that’s not to say that I don’t understand why some parents find this tradition to be a little tiring over time. Like I said earlier, it is a long commitment and the holidays are already a busy time of year. I’m sure that some nights, trying to make sure you get something fun ready is adding a lot to an already full plate, which is why so many parents have stressed the importance of having a plan in place—just to make it easier than having to think of something on the spot, or forgetting to do it altogether.
It’s definitely going to take a lot of work, time and creativity, but I’m looking forward to beginning this tradition with my little boy. I still have my Elf on the Shelf from when I was little, and seeing him on my Christmas tree, each year, brings me a lot of joy. He’s a retired scout elf, dating back from the ’60s, so I’m sure he’ll have a lot of wisdom to pass on to AOG this time around.
Heck, maybe he’ll even share some tips with me as well.
