what to do with elf when child is bad
I love December. I love the lead up to the holidays. I dear Christmas music and cookie baking and the aroma of cinnamon. I love decorating the tree. I also beloved how well my kids behave.
If during the rest of the yr they are pretty good kids, then come Dec they are lilliputian angels. They follow instructions. They desire to become fix for schoolhouse in the morn. They wipe and flush after going to the bath without my usual prodding. They will forgo their coveted iPad and TV time for books and family togetherness.
You might have guessed that my family unit celebrates Christmas this time of year. Each December, I'grand grateful that my kids nevertheless believe in Santa. Not only that, they believe in (miniature-sized drum roll) the Elf on the Shelf.
I admit, at first I thought the whole thought of Elf on the Shelf was slightly disturbing. Attempt to explain it to anyone who doesn't have kids and it sounds really weird — disallowment on psychotic. There's this spindly-shanked, beady-eyed elf with a mischievous smile that is always watching my children. Spooky! Then, at nighttime, the footling doll flies dorsum to the North Pole where she reports good and bad behavior to the Large Guy. Creepy? Yep. Constructive? Absolutely.
Since and then much of parenting is about the education moments, I experience like this is my golden opportunity each year. When Mittens comes out of hiding, she can exist the neutral party that tells my kids they are being brats or snobs (not in those words, of course), or gets them to consume healthier, or but carry better in general.
Aye, yeah, I'm sort of bribing them with the promise of the presents they will receive at Christmas ("If you're adept, Mittens will tell Santa and he volition requite you what you enquire for!"), just the genius of my elf system is that she can broach any topic and it doesn't seem every bit confrontational as when I bring it up.
For example, both of my kids take trouble going to bed at night. In these cases, Mittens might exit a annotation to say how important sleep is for the body to abound. Or she could leave a candy cane nether their pillows with the reassuring promise of sweet dreams from now on. You might think Mittens is simply total of excuses. I recollect Mittens is helping my kids cope.
When it comes to subject area, Mittens knows how to make her mark. She not just leave notes when they aren't acting like the fine, cute citizens of the world that I know my kids tin exist, just she tells them what she expects of them. And if y'all must know, she requires of them the same good-natured, well-mannered stuff I require of them. Here once again, you might just think Mittens is full of crap. I think I'g going to make a tee shirt with her face up on it that reads, "Mittens is my spirit fauna!"
Her notes know no boundaries. She puts them under pillows or slips them into tiffin boxes. Mittens is everywhere! (Ok, I know. It's creepy. Only information technology works!) Recently, she informed my older daughter that if she didn't swallow all of her yogurt, Santa would be receiving a negative report. Turns out, my daughter loves yogurt at present. When my younger girl was still having problem pooping in the potty, Mittens told her "Even Santa poops in a toilet." Ok, that note didn't exactly do the trick. (If you must know, information technology actually just prompted a whole discussion on the color of Santa's poop.)
I would be lying, of form, if I didn't tell you that I do take momentary pangs of guilt about farming the parenting out to Mittens. But as a mom, I so rarely get a break from beingness "on" with my kids. And, allow's face it, I experience guilty when I forget to bring in school snack or transport my daughter to schoolhouse with the sniffles or when I don't turn in a permission slip on fourth dimension…You know what? Mittens should carry some of the burden! I have to milk this for equally long equally possible!
Human being, January is really going to suck.
Photos: Meredith Franco Meyers
More About Elf on the Shelf:
- Elf on the Shelf Is Now a Live Musical Show
- My Thwarted Attempt o Resist Elf on the Shelf
- 26 Fun & Derisive Elf on the Shelf Ideas
Source: https://www.momtastic.com/parenting/671099-elf-on-the-shelf-helps-me-discipline-my-kids/
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