Similarly, there is little to no evidence to suggest that the Elf on the Shelf has an overall negative psychological impact on children. What is most important is for families to determine if the Elf on the Shelf is congruent with their own family values and/or religious faith.
Many of us enlist help from an Elf on the Shelf to remind our kids that he's keeping tabs and monitoring their place on the infamous naughty or nice list. We explain he'll report back to Santa every night regarding their behavior.
The first and most important rule is that you must NOT touch your Elf. If you do, they will lose all their magic - and nobody wants that to happen. When scout elves lose their magic, they can't go about their Christmas duties. This means no presents for anyone in your family!
The Elf can have a positive impact on imagination
While plenty of internet hot takes skewer the elf in the name of child phycology, Westers points out that “Many psychologists suggest that, like believing in Santa, participating in the Elf on the Shelf can foster creativity and imagination .”
One philosophy provides a compelling argument about the dangers of the Elf on the Shelf, namely that it is a lie, threatens the trustworthiness of parents, ultimately encourages gullibility in children rather than critical thinking and inadvertently teaches children that their behavior should be governed by potential ...
In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic, which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole.
So the Elf tradition as it's written in the book can be just one more little thing that trains kids to be more concerned about other people's opinion of them and what it will get them, than their own God-given conscience, compassion, and wisdom -when no one is looking!
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.
Basic Elf on the Shelf rules
Don't touch your elf or their magic will disappear. Talk to your elf, but know that they can't talk back. Your elf reports to Santa nightly and can deliver letters to him.
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.
Elves need to wait until everyone is asleep before they can move around. If there was too much activity around the house last night, perhaps your elf only had time to get to the North Pole and back, but not enough time to find a new position. Make sure you get to bed early tonight to help them out!
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.
Be honest with your child.
Tell him/her that the Elf on the Shelf is something parents do to make the Christmas season a little more fun for kids, and you are sorry he/she is so smart to have figured it out too soon but Santa (or you) will be proud of him/her for letting siblings/friends continue believing in the elf.
Do I need one Elf per child or one per household? The choice is yours. We have included two Nice List Certificates and two Letters to Santa in each kit, as these items are personal.
Firstly, parents should change the position of the Elf every night when their children are asleep. This will help create the illusion for the children that the Elf travels back to report to Santa at the North Pole about the behaviour of the kids every night.
“Are Mom and Dad really Santa?” We know that you want to know the answer and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. The answer is no. We are not Santa. There is no one, single Santa.
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.
Elf is taking a permanent vacation
Not all elves love flying to the North Pole every night. (It's freezing there, after all.) Tell your kiddo that your little elf prefers warmer climates and has decided to move to the tropics. Sell in the idea by sending them a tropical "postcard" from Elf.
In Elf, the Santa is a little too cranky for little ones who still believe. At the age of 5, it is not uncommon for kids to still believe in Santa Claus.