5 Simple Ways to Shelf the Elf | End the Elf on the Shelf Antics Once and for All

Elf on the shelf is no new concept. In fact, it seems everywhere you look there are people sharing what their elf has been up to and into lately. You have naughty elves, nice elves, and even elves that aren’t really elves at all. One thing is the same with all of them. They take 25 days of continuous work and imagination. So what can you do when you just can’t move Elf one more time? Here are 5 simple ways to end Elf on the Shelf once and for all.

End Elf on the Shelf once and for all

5 Ways to End Elf on the Shelf Once and For All

Make Excuses

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 downside… you kids are left feeling like Elf is a liar.

Freeze Him

End Elf on the Shelf with Elsa
Image via Reddit

Just the other day I saw this brilliant idea and thought… well, that is one way to shelf the elf. Elsa has done it again. Unable to control her emotions, she has frozen the Elf.

The downside… in a few days you have a wet elf to move again.

Stage a Takeover

End Elf on the Shelf with Star Wars
Image via 97.5KROCK

All the other toys are sick and tired of Elf getting all the attention. Simply, use that to you advantage to stage a takeover and captive situation.

The downside… you might traumatize your child and then they won’t sleep for the next 20 days.

Fake an Accident

End Elf on the shelf with a broken leg

All that traveling between the North Pole and back is dangerous work. You never know what might happen during Elf’s travels. It’s not unheard of that the Elf has an accident. After moving the Elf for for straight years, one friend says “I ran out of ideas. She remembers everything the elf has done before and I just couldn’t move him one more time. So….I broke his leg.”

The downside… you might be imposing some sort of karma on yourself by pretending like the poor Elf actually got hurt.

Face the Truth

What would happen if you just told you kids the truth. You know that you have been moving that crazy elf every night (or in the morning before they notice) for the last 4 christmases? What if you owned up to the fact that the Elf is just a toy that comes with a story. He is supposed to be fun. He is supposed to be enjoyable. He is not supposed to cause you guilt or add to your already full list of things to do!

Have elf make some cookies and eggnog and leave one last note telling the kids it’s time for a talk.

The downside… you might ruin Christmas.

No matter what you decide to do, the struggle is real! The take away should be that you should do what if fun and right for you family. Whether you want to pose as the elf yourself, or you want the dogs to take care of him… it doesn’t matter where you stand or what your neighbor does. The real moral of the story is between you and your family!

So tell me, what will you do with your Elf?

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4 thoughts on “5 Simple Ways to Shelf the Elf | End the Elf on the Shelf Antics Once and for All”

  1. What about telling the truth to the older one so that HE finds new stories for the elf. I guess he would be proud to know the secret and would do the job.
    I’m from Belgium and we don’t have this tradition. We have Saint Nicolas bringing toys to kids (your santa Claus). The eldest ones knows the secret and help us to maintain the secret for the smallest one, he is very proud of that.
    Simpliest as that, you just need 2 kids.

  2. Trayo

    The best thing is to not start it in the first place!

  3. Valerie Lynn

    Why not keep it simple if you plan to have an elf…our elf does hide in a new location every night but he doesn’t get into trouble or provide a gift every day….every once in a while (maybe once a week) he might do something nice for us…he decorated our front window before taking a nap on the curtain rod…and he wrote us a letter one day as well telling us his name Elo….and he made himself a scarf out of tinsel that he has worn for the last week…its not work, its not a chore, no guilt and no big dramatic expectations! Our kids loving hunting for Elo every morning and it is a fun distraction while they wait for oatmeal or waffles or eggs to be cooked/warmed up!

    Keep it simple and you can enjoy the magic too!

  4. Pingback: Totally Delicious Elf on a Shelf Punch!

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