No doubt, every parent has had a thought at least similar to those outlined above! But not to fret friends – we want to share with you some helpful tips in this article: not wanting to have to come up with new ideas for the Elf each dayĭo any of these legitimate concerns sound familiar? not wanting to scare your child as “the Elf is watching” not wanting to have to do all the work of setting the Elf scene each night not wanting to use the Elf as a threat for good behavior But should your family “do” Elf on the Shelf?Ĭommon complaints we hear about the Elf are: Of course, one of the biggest and latest trends to perpetuate the magic of the holiday season is none other than the Elf on the Shelf (or one of the many similar products such as the Mench on the Bench, or these other fun alternatives) As much as we enjoy crafting the days away with them, we also love hearing different ways they experience holiday magic! It’s a really magical time of year and we can’t even tell you how much we enjoy the holiday season with our preschoolers and drop-in childcare visitors at Austin Kids Retreat. Comment below or tag us in your social media pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.The holiday season is upon us. We want to hear from you and see what your elf is up to. How do you encourage your children to behave positively during this most challenging time of year?Ĭlick over to our 101 Elf on the Shelf Ideas to get ideas for your Elf on the Shelf. What a way to visualize the cumulative effect of behaving well. Each time her boys do something good they get to add a piece of hay to Jesus’ bed. Together, Jenny’s family works to create a warm, soft bed for baby Jesus’ arrival. Their family nativity set is an integral part of their holiday decor. Emails can keep kids informed of their status on the Naughty or Nice List or on watch.Īnother friend, Jenny encourages positive behavior in a way that really sets the tone for what the season is about. By saying things out loud and getting positive reinforcement from you the good behavior is likely to continue.Īnother friend gave us the idea to use emails from Santa to children detailing what your elf is seeing. Have your children speak out loud, in front of the elf, the great things they’ve done that day. Talk with your kids IN FRONT of your elf. The elf returns with a message for Jenn’s boys. We’re all so tech connected these days, you could also use emails from Santa to your children, just set up a new email address from the North Pole. That note seems to have struck a nerve because neither one wanted to claim responsibility for the lie and the next day they were significantly better. If their behavior did not improve they would stay on the Naughty List. Santa sent back a note warning her boys that they were on the Naughty Watch List. Since she had warned them the elf would report to Santa if they lied, it only seemed right that Santa would respond to the not-so-good behavior. With Frosty watching the boys told her babysitter they were allowed to have 2 snacks every day. She was very disappointed to learn that her boys had tricked their babysitter into an extra snack. Use your elf on the shelf to send notes from Santaĭid some bad behavior happen in front of your elf recently? Here’s a story of what happened in Jenn’s house. Call a friend to speak to the kids, or just pretend to be calling Santa when they’re in the room, if you’re a good actor! Given this, the elf’s best use is for communication!Ī ‘real’ phone call from Santa makes the “Santa is watching'” or “I’m going to tell Santa” threats real. The Elf on the Shelf flies back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa what is going on in the house. He may have a bit of a freaky face and he’s work for sure (just wait until you wake up at 3 AM and in a sleepy stupor have to go move your elf) – but he (or she) will bring you great joy!ĥ ways to use the Elf on the Shelf to improve behavior Arrange a phone call from Santa If you kids are in school, they are likely regaling you with stories of their friends’ elves. The Elf on the Shelf might seem like just the a “fad” tradition that won’t go away but if your children struggle with behavior during the holiday season, you might want to bite the bullet and bust out an elf! You can remind your children that it is indeed time to remember to be good, but it is a lot more. It adds a bit of tomfoolery to the Christmas festivities. The Elf represents a way to do more than get your kids to behave. Have you yet considered why an “ Elf on the Shelf” may be something to consider adding to the holiday traditions in your home? It’s understandable but it can make the day to day routine a challenge. That excitement can lead to some troublesome or at least over-hyper behavior. It’s that time of year … Christmas is coming and the kids are getting overly excited.
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