Usually elves travel by more magical means, but for a more official goodbye, pack up your elf in a box, write “To the North Pole” on it, and slap every stamp you can find on there. You don't actually have to send it anywhere, just make it seem like he's going on a trip to a very cold and faraway place.
The first step in giving up on this favorite holiday tradition, is to make excuses why your elf forgot to move in the first place. Over time, you children might just give up and decide that elf isn't that reliable anyways and they might move on to something less time consuming.
The Elf on the Shelf tradition can be started at any age, but most parents recommend waiting until your child is between the ages of 2 and 3. They claim it's the perfect sweet spot for children to appreciate and understand the elves' magic while establishing this family tradition at a young age.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation.
By age eight, kids begin to acknowledge the unlikeliness of one man travelling the world in a single night. The good news? If you started the tradition of Elf on the Shelf in your household, you can likely send the elf into early retirement around your child's eighth Christmas.
How to explain why there's no Elf on the Shelf at your house. “You can just say that you don't need one because your kid is good and Santa already knows it. The elf is for the kids that need to be watched? This is the first year I didn't bring it out and my daughter hasn't asked where he is!” ~Maggie M.
According to The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, the night before Christmas, an elf's job comes to an end. On December 24, most Scout Elves say farewell to their families and fly back to the North Pole following Santa's sleigh. This way, they can help him begin preparing for the year ahead.
The night before Christmas, the elf flies off one last time to spend the year with Santa until reappearing next season. Every night, a parent hides the elf in a new place.
Most Americans (67%) stopped expecting Santa to shimmy down their chimney by the time they entered seventh grade. Half (49%) of Americans say they stopped believing in Santa before the age of 10 – with a quarter (23%) reporting that they lost sight of him between the ages of seven (10%) and eight (13%).
Because the Elf on the Shelf “moves” each night, belief can sometimes be suspended into thinking that it is real. And for all intents and purposes, the Elf on the Shelf is real. It's a real doll, after all.
Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. As an only child, he was given great affection by his parents.
There are just a few rules to remember! The most important—don't touch your Scout Elf, or they will lose their magic! Scout Elves can't talk, but they are great listeners. Little ones can share secrets and wishes with their elf as often as they'd like.
The truth is, Scout Elves only move when they are certain noone else is around. This is because when they're with you, they must fulfill their duty for Santa, watching and listening to every single thing that happens in your home.
Your elf ate too many treats from Mrs. Claus' Sweet Shop™. It can happen to the best elf (or human) when so many tantalizing treats are floating around during the holidays! Your Scout Elf may need an extra day or two to digest his or her holiday treats and get back into tip-top flying shape before returning.
Fun Ways for Elf on the Shelf to Go Home
Candy note: If there's enough wrapped Christmas candy in the house, the elf can spell out a fun yet edible farewell message on the kitchen table. It could simply say "goodbye" or "farewell." A trendy elf might opt for "elf out" or "laters."
Elf on the Shelf usually leaves on Christmas Eve. While this can be sad for many children, the elves must go back to the North Pole to report to Santa and help with Christmas.
Many times when the elves leave they leave a good bye letter or sometimes a tiny gift.
Some families opt to say “Goodbye, Elf on the Shelf” on Christmas Eve so the Elf can get back to the North Pole before Christmas Day. Other families prefer for Elf to be present on Christmas morning when everyone is opening gifts, then make their departure later that same evening.
How Does Elf on the Shelf Say Goodbye? On Christmas Eve, the elf leaves a goodbye letter for the kids, thanking them for their good behavior and wishing them a Merry Christmas. The goodbye letter is a tradition that helps to make the Elf on the Shelf even more special.
Have your elf leave behind a new Christmas book before he jets off to the North Pole, and your kids and you can read it together before bed. Leave a sweet message inside the front cover, and each year your kids will have a new literary treasure to add to their Christmas collection.
Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition that sees parents moving an Elf on the Shelf (also known as a "Scout Elf") around the house every day to keep an eye on children ahead of Santa's visit.
Not so fast. The crux of this toy is that the elf is not-so-secretly spying on your kids on a daily basis to report their behavior to Santa Claus. If your child is bad or doesn't follow rules, the obvious risk is that their Christmas presents will be sacrificed, and they will instead receive that dreaded lump of coal.
Traci Williams, a board-certified child and family psychologist, says she's concerned that when elves are used to control a child's behavior, parents engage in empty threats. They often tell their children that if the elf doesn't deliver a good report Santa won't bring them gifts, which never happens.