Oooops! 5 Things to Say to Your Kids When Your Elf on the Shelf Doesn't Move! by Kim Kusiciel

The Elf on the Shelf is supposed to fly back to the North Pole every night and then return home to a new spot to observe the children for the next day. What happens when he doesn’t find a new spot? What do you say when your kids ask why it didn’t move? Try these five parent-approved “elf-scuses!”

• “Think about your behavior choices yesterday. Maybe the Elf is giving you an extra night to be nice to each other before he tells the big guy.”
• “The Elf must have found a cozy spot there and fell asleep before flying back and forth to the North Pole.”
• “Maybe the Elf liked that spot and went back to it for today! It must be a great vantage point!”
• “I don’t think the Elf is feeling good. We better leave some soup out tonight so he/she feels better soon.”
• “The Elf must have been so tired and overslept! Let’s hope he doesn’t get in trouble with Santa.”

If those don’t work, maybe your Elf will move midday. See if and when your kids notice. Draw attention to it and then make sure the Elf is feeling up to his travels before it’s too late in the night.

What do you say to your kids when you forget to move the Elf?