Do you totally regret getting your kids an Elf on the Shelf?
Are you trying to figure out how to stop doing messy Elf on the Shelf shennanigans and send your elf packing?
Need to reclaim your time?
This article is for you!
If you've been asking yourself when will this elf on a shelf leave??? pretty much as soon as you've gotten him or her out for the year, you may be experiencing Elf Regret.
It's a real thing.
Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. You heard of elf on a shelf. Maybe the kids' friends have one. You think why not.
You adopt the elf. Take it home. Name it.
Everything is fine and dandy until you realize that now your elf needs to do things.
Which of course means you need to figure out what to make the elf do.
The next thing you know, you find yourself constructing elaborate scenes for your elf.
(which of course, now you also have to clean up)
You're up late in bed Googling "101 elf on the shelf ideas."
You get tired of messy elf mischief and move on to trying to find easy and quick elf on the shelf ideas.
But then you hit the point where you are totally over it and just start wondering when is this elf-ing elf going to leave???
Don't worry. I've got your back.
Mamas have to stick together.
Elf on the Shelf Ideas for People Sick of Their Elf on the Shelf
Strategy 1: Keep elf but it can't move
You're not sure the kids can stand the heartbreak of the elf leaving or just not showing up for the year?
Try one of these clever ideas that will limit your kids' expectations and keep you from having to move the elf every night.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 1:
Kidgredients had this clever solution for keeping the elf but not having the pressure of having to move it every night:
The elf won't move and it will let your kids practice empathy. It's a win all around.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 2:
Amy from Living Locurto has some clever excuses for why your elf may not have moved one night. Most of these are just one night fixes when you need a short break or if you forgot.
One of my favorite ideas from Amy is the "it's too warm in here for the elf" trick:
"Elves live in the North Pole where the temperature is very cold. Often an elf will lose their magic overnight when the temperature gets too warm, or they use up too much energy making something for you." -Amy Locurto from Living Locurto
Although instead of putting him in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, maybe he needs, like, a week long vacation?
Love this idea? Get all 10 of the reasons why your elf on the shelf didn't move.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 3:
One of the rules of Elf on the Shelf is that nobody is supposed to touch the elf.
image from ElfonTheShelf.com "What happens if our Scout elf is accidentally touched?"
The official Elf on the Shelf website suggests sprinkling some cinnamon near your elf if this happens since cinnamon is like elf vitamins.
This, they say will give him the energy to get back to the North Pole where the elf doctors can fix him or her up.
Of course, this is a very serious problem and it might take weeks for your elf to be fully recovered. In fact, he'll probably start feeling better right about December 23rd.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 4:
The Do It Yourself Divas have a collection of nine great ideas for how to get your elf to stop moving.
Number 8 is probably my favorite: Put your elf up high with a note that he found the best place to keep an eye on everything so he's just going to stay right there until Christmas.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 5:
Oh no, your elf has fallen off of a star and broken his leg and won't be able to move for 2 weeks!
(or 3 weeks! 4 weeks? How much longer til Christmas?)
(or 3 weeks! 4 weeks? How much longer til Christmas?)
Today tells a story of one mom whose elf broke his leg and even includes the cute note he wrote to his family (hint: it even encourages the kids to go to bed on time!)
Get the full story about why one mom broke her elf's leg here.
How to get your elf on the shelf to stop moving idea 6:
If your kids are more than about five years old, they're old enough to remember the quarantines and lockdowns that happened at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To keep your family extra safe from elf sicknesses, your elf is going to have to quarantine for 2 weeks once he arrives in your home.
Once your elf is out of quarantine, he might break his leg see idea #5 above.
Or maybe he will climb to the top of the tree and decide that's the best place to stay since he can't risk flying back and forth due to current pandemic travel restrictions see idea #4 above.
Strategy 2: Get the Elf on the Shelf to Leave
If you don't even want to deal with the elf at all, here are some great excuses for why your elf isn't coming this year or has to leave after arriving
Why your elf on the shelf isn't coming back idea 1:
Do your kids love Harry Potter? Have they made it to the part where
(spoiler alert!!)
Harry Potter frees Dobby by giving him a sock?
Tell them you (or someone else) gave Dobby, er, Scout, a sock so now he's a free elf and is probably on vacation somewhere in the Bahamas.
How to get your elf to leave idea 2:
Building on "he has clothes so now he is a free elf" idea, this one involves a little trickery but at least the kids will be involved so they will know how your elf ended up with clothes.
Decide as a family wouldn't it be so fun to get sparkles a Christmas sweater???
Pop onto your favorite shopping site and pick out the perfect sweater or skirt for your elf and order it.
When it comes, the family can all give it to the elf together.
That night, of course, the elf will disappear and leave a note about how he is so grateful to have been freed of his house elf duties. Thank you so much for the clothes. You're great kids, bla bla bla.
Gone.
If you want, you can really play up the freedom vacation buy getting this super inexpensive downloadable Elf postcard from Austin, Texas based artist Rhyne Simon.
Why your elf on the shelf isn't coming back idea 3:
Nadia from Teach Me Mommy had this story to share about how their elf never came:
"Our Elf got lost in transit-true story! But he will be leaving a letter on the 1st (saying he needs to work at the toys factory at the North pole since he has been promoted) and some goodies for the Advent Calendar, so they won't feel too sad, hopefully..."
Why your elf on the shelf isn't coming back idea 4:
If your kids have grown up and no longer really need the elf, have your elf send them a letter or postcard explaining how they're such well behaved kids that they no longer need the elf to keep and eye on them
Of course, if that's not quite true for your children, there's always reason 5...
Why your elf on the shelf isn't coming back idea 5:
Ok, so maybe your kids aren't angels and they won't believe you for a second if you tell them that the elf isn't coming back because they have been just so well-behaved.
Enter, the Santa spy cam.
Now, I'm personally a little creeped out about normalizing government surveillance but if you aren't, your elf can send a note saying he has been promoted and so Santa will just keep an eye on everything with a Santa spy cam.
Why your elf on the shelf isn't coming back idea 6:
Have your elf send a letter explaining that due to the international pixie dust shortage (you could probably even blame it on the postage worker strike in Canada or pending tariff implementation), Santa doesn't have enough dust to send out all the elves AND make it around the world to bring presents to the boys and girls on Christmas Eve.
Of course he is opting to save that up until Christmas Eve.
Of course he is opting to save that up until Christmas Eve.
He'll just have to trust that you are being good in the meantime.
If you liked this ultimate guide to how to get your elf on the shelf to leave or stop moving, please share!
You know you've got friends who will need this advice!
LOOKING FOR MORE ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS?
Maybe you're not quite ready to kick your elf to the curb.
Maybe sending him gently into that good night is more your style?
Check out these blog posts from my friends to help send your elf off at the end of the season:
from Play Party Plan
from My Crazy Good Life
About the Author:
Carissa is an award-winning green lifestyle writer and mom of two active boys.
Her goal is to empower families to make healthier, more sustainable choices that are beautiful and delicious!
She is also the author of Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020).
Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, BlueSky or join the Creative Green Living Community Group on Facebook.
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