Why my kids WILL have an Elf on the Shelf

I want my children to grow up as children. I want them to have joy, excitement and wonderment. I want them to have fun and remember-able traditions. I want them to believe in fairytales and magic.

After seeing a (crazy) discussion about this article- http://www.nauvootimes.com/cgi-bin/nauvoo_column.pl?number=101385&author=hannah-bird2
Another Anti-Elf person here, but at least her reasons are logical!

It got me thinking. Was I crushed when I found out Santa wasn’t real? No. In fact, I was about 5. It was Christmas Eve, I couldn’t sleep so I got up and went out into our living room where I found my dad setting up our gifts from Santa. It was no big deal. I still got presents so who cares! Did I feel like my parents were lying to me? Not at all.

Now I get that some people don’t want to do Elf on the Shelf. I get the people have different opinions and feelings about pretty much everything.

I am one of those crazy moms who LOVES to do things exactly like Elf on the Shelf. I think it is fun and creative. I know some moms at the end of the night do not have the energy to do another item on the do-to list. Or they don't want to make a mess just to have to clean it up themselves. That is understandable. I won’t bash these moms. Does me doing these things make me a better mom then one who doesn’t? NO. We are just different.

Case and point: I grew up waking up on my birthday morning to a “Happy Birthday” banner in the living room, a table with gifts on it, I got to choose what we would have for dinner, I always had a friend’s birthday party with homemade cake. My husband woke up to nothing, after school, his parents got off work, he choose what was for dinner and got a few gifts. Does this mean my parents were better than my husbands, nope. In fact my dad was verbally abusive and my husband’s parents were, well, perfect. I just spent HOURS planning and putting together my daughter’s birthday party. Why? Because I wanted to. And guess what? I run my own business and work 60+ hours a week, along with maintaining a household! I make time for it because I want to! Did I do every little craft project I had planned? No. I didn’t have time for all of them.

I know some people have Elf do crazy things, some people just put Elf in a different spot each night, some people’s elves are only naughty if you touch them. There is no one way of doing Elf on the Shelf. You can still do without teaching your children that Elf being naughty equals them getting to be naughty.

Oh and anyone who thinks he is creepy looking, here is some other styles, they also make girls and black ones!

You can always use your elf to focus Christmas on Christ! Have you thought of that? Have Elf leave Christ centered notes and do Christ like acts of kindness at night!!!!