I’ve got a complicated relationship with tinsel, our elf (on a shelf)

Some evenings, it feels like utter madness to try to think up something fun and mischievous for him to do when all I want do to crawl into bed.

Utter madness to be adding to the “to do” list, which is already out of control with end-of-term activities, Christmas festivities and organising.

But it is awesome when you manage a Tinsel visit so fabulous that Luca can’t wait to excitedly share every detail with the kids he walks to school with.

And it’s like you are part of a worldwide community. A community of other parents you can turn to. The “Cheeky Elf Ideas 2024” Facebook group with its 1.7 million members is a treasure trove.

The mental load of the Elf on the Shelf I don’t think can be truly understood until you’ve already committed…but I tried not to walk into it blindly.

Knowing what I knew, I was clear I wasn’t going to have the sole responsibility for the “elf on the shelf” experience at our house. When Luca was three I sat my husband down in the November and explained the concept to him. I stepped him through it…

● Elf arrives 1 December

● Each night before Christmas we will need to think up a cheeky idea for the elf to do. I provided some examples.

● Once we start we can not stop. We are committing to at least a 7-year relationship.

With all that clear…we signed up to do it together.

3 year old Luca is definitely much easier to impress than 9 year old Luca.

Some years have been more creative than others.

Last year I actually bought a box off Esty that had a preprepared activity for each day. No thought required at all! But it did take some of the fun out of it for us, and we’ve taken back control this year. We’ve also upped the ante and introduced Jingles, Tinsel’s girlfriend to the family.

That might sound counter-intuitive. Creating more work for ourselves. But really it’s just opened us up to a range of new tricks that two elves can do together.

If you have an elf, do you fly solo on ideas, or is it a team effort in your household?

Got any tips for making the Elf on the Shelf fun for everyone, without adding to the mental load?