My understanding of the Elf, whom my children affectionately named Jingle Wingle, is that he is here as a spy of sorts, for Santa. He watches the children's behavior and reports back to Santa every so often. Jingle moves around the house hiding in places where he can observe the children most effectively.
I dislike Jingle for several reasons:
1. It really doesn't magically improve my children's behavior. Although the 3 year old does look at it and stare if his behavior is being questionable, and somebody says, "Jingle Wingle can see you." Besides, shouldn't my children WANT to behave 365 days of the year, not just the days leading up to Christmas.
2. Sometimes it seems we have a lazy elf. He forgets to move. The children will wake up and find him in the same spot as the night before. I explain it as perhaps Jingle found it an extra good spot to observe behavior from and chose to stay there a day or two (or three). Then I get irritated that I'm making excuses for an elf I don't even like.
3. All over Facebook I see photos posted of other peoples elves into all sorts of mischief. One in a pile of salt making snow angels, one in a bag of dumped over marshmallows, etc. I thought the elf was supposed to be coming to watch for good behavior, not participate in poor behavior?
All these Facebook photos are accompanied by expressions of glee and excitement of children finding their elf in such amusing situations.
Not us. He is always boring, doing pretty much exactly what the title of his accompanying book is titled, The Elf on a Shelf.
I have enough messes to clean up without having to clean up after a silly elf. And besides, I need to keep him up high out of the reach of little hands, or he'll end up being frantically searched for in toy cupboards and bedrooms. And if I get irritated that I have to make excuses for the silly thing, I certainly don't want to be searching for him.
That's the children's job each morning to find Jingle Wingle's new hiding spot. Except it usually only takes them 10 seconds or less to find him, as he isn't exactly the most creative elf around
Rant now ends.
Merry Christmas.
Our elves must be brothers because he ALWAYS forgets to move! My kids don't understand it!?!? :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!!! Why the mischievous acts? Why not behaving because Heavenly Father is watching us? Why not think more about giving that getting? UGH. Glad to know we agree, as usual. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWe have an elf in the library-Peppermint. He only moves once a week. I am using him to my advantage with those 1st grade classes. I agree that elves watching behavior shouldn't be doing naughty things. It is funny, just more of a grownup thing.
ReplyDeleteI can afford to say this as I have no children still at home as you well know BUT...I think it sounds kind of fun!
ReplyDeleteI must be the only person in the world who didn't know about "elf on the shelf"... but I can say that that has been remedied, because I see it everywhere this year. It seems to be working for my niece's three-year-old because my niece reports about it quite faithfully on facebook (but of late I hear it is stressing her out; the child that is, not the mom). I don't know why, but I think it's a little spooky... sorry to all of you "elf on the shelf" lovers. It seems so long ago since I had small children waiting for Santa to come... I don't remember ever having to threaten them with Santa (not coming that is) because of bad behavior. Instead all I had to say was "you'd better clean your room, when Santa comes and sees all these toys on the floor he'll figure you have plenty and he won't need to leave you any new ones."
ReplyDeleteMy struggle with the elf is that it makes the focus on Santa that much more and that much tougher to deal with later on. And I love Santa. I'm even fond of our elf. But I am conflicted about all that magic and all that will inevitably happen. It's all tied up with my not wanting my kids to grow up either!
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