These are genius ways to avoid moving the Elf on the Shelf every single day

2012 Elf on the Shelf - Snowy
Flickr | mbaylor

No offense to the Elf on the Shelf, but he can be a real pain to move around every single day. For all parents looking to avoid this chore — without ruining the magic of Christmas for the kids — these hacks could come in handy.

It’s tradition to move the elf every single day because, in theory, the elf returns to the North Pole every night to tell Santa how the children he’s been watching over are behaving. But this winds up being a lot of work for parents. Even just remembering to move the thing can be a chore!

Luckily, other parents who feel your pain have come up with a couple of ways to buy yourself some time before you have to put the Elf on the Shelf in his next clever spot. And they’ve taken to Facebook to share their brilliant ideas rather than keeping them all to themselves. ‘Tis the season for giving, after all!

The mom behind the Crafty Morning Facebook page shared an idea from Courtney Boles online, and it’s just the thing you need to keep your sanity this season. In order to keep the Elf on the Shelf firmly planted for at least a week or two, she put the elf in a cast. And because the elf was injured (probably during one of his travels!), it was against “Santa’s orders” to move him. Pretty brilliant, huh?

The post from Facebook proves that all you need to make this cast story believable is a little gauze and duct tape:

One parent took things a step further and, back in 2017, decided it was time for the Elf on the Shelf to “retire.” The retirement came complete with a note from Santa, relieving the Elf on the Shelf from his duties so he could enjoy being a toy throughout the year.

“So, yeah. This is happening!!” writes Christy Heins on her Facebook page. “George Elf has been our elf on the shelf for the past three years, but after a short career, we are congratulating him on his retirement.”

Click through to see the full retirement letter:

And because George was willing to lose his Christmas magic to be a “real toy,” Heins’ kids can play with him throughout the year. All’s well that ends well, right?

Whether you buy yourself a little time or decide to retire your elf altogether, there’s nothing wrong with creating scenarios that allow you to cut yourself some slack this season.

If you happen to love the excitement of Elf on the Shelf, however, here are a few ideas for clever activities your elf can take part in during the season — once that broken leg heals. 😉

Family & Parenting, Holiday & Seasonal, Parenting, Time-Saving
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About the Author
Augusta Statz
I have a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I’m an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. I feel the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what I spend most of my time writing about.

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