Disclaimer: If you are a child who loves Santa Claus, now would be a good time to run along and play. I'm about to discuss grown up stuff, and besides, you don't want to end up on the naughty list. Do you?
I am always amazed at the lengths some parents go to in order to ensure that their children believe in Santa Claus. I myself have been guilty of saying "Santa is watching!" sternly when my children misbehave. Even in the heat of July.
Now there's a zany new Christmas tradition that is sweeping the nation. The Elf on the Shelf inserts one of Santa's little spies right into your home. The story goes like this: your family adopts a little elf and releases his Christmas magic when you read the storybook.
The elf can't be touched or it will lose its magic! He serves as a scout for Santa and flies back to the North Pole each night to tell him if your child has been bad or good. The elf returns to your home the next morning but plays a game of hide and seek. So, he turns up all over the house and the children have to find him each morning.
A friend of mine has started the Elf thing with her family and has been posting photos of their Elf's shenanigans on her Facebook page. Her husband and she are having a competition to see who can create the funniest hijinks for their elf to get into. The family will vote for their favorite place on Chritsmas morning. They seem to be having a blast with it and her kids love finding the elf doing silly things
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I am not sure what to make of this mischevious elf. Either he is the most awesome thing to ever happen to Christmas or he is a diabolical intruder who could potentially traumatize children into feeling like they are being watched all the time. I haven't decided yet if he is a tiny Big Brother.
Although we have yet to put an Elf on our shelf, we have nurtured our sons' belief in Santa Claus. Every Christmas Eve we toss reindeer food onto our front yard. It's a magical mix of glitter and bird seed that looks dreamy as it falls down into the grass. The street lights catch the shimmer of the glitter and it looks like pixie dust. It almost makes me believe that Rudolph could land in our yard at any moment to feast on the enchanted goodies.
Last year we even tracked Santa's route on the website Norad Tracks Santa. My older son's eyes were as big as saucers when he saw a satellite image of Santa's sleigh flying halfway across the world and riding on a projected path to our fireplace. I could see it in his face, it was hard evidence that Santa was real.
"Okay, Mom, is this real? Is Santa really real?" he asked earnestly. He had shown signs of suspiscion before but I had always managed to be elusive with my answers. I knew that this was a pivotal moment and decided to tell him the truth before he found himself on the playground, being taunted because he swore up and down that he had seen scientific proof that Santa was real. I broke the news as gently as I could.
He stood up and walked a few steps away before he turned around and said, "Can we still put out milk and cookies for him?" With that, my innocent six-year-old son held onto the magic of Santa and is now very careful to pretend that he's real for his two-year-old brother.
We'll see how long my little one can go before he figures out it's all a farce. Until then, we'll write letters, sit in Santa's lap at the mall, sprinkle reindeer food, and maybe even stick a creepy little Elf on the Shelf. I'll do just about anything to keep the spirit of Santa Claus alive in my home.
Do your children believe in Santa? What traditions do you have to keep their belief alive? Would you perch an Elf on your shelf? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
