Elf on teh Shelf Celebrates 20 Years, Sparking Joy and Parental Exhaustion
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. - The mischievous Elf on the Shelf is marking its 20th anniversary this year, continuing to spark holiday magic for children while together testing the creativity – and sanity – of parents nationwide. What began as a self-published children’s book in 2005 has blossomed into a cultural phenomenon, but maintaining the daily tradition of the elf’s playful antics is proving to be a double-edged sword for many families.
The tradition, centered around a scout elf sent to report children’s behavior to Santa Claus, requires parents to nightly reposition the elf in increasingly elaborate scenarios. While the delight on children’s faces is often reward enough, the pressure to innovate and the time commitment are leading some parents to seek help, simplify the practice, or even abandon it altogether.
“I am a creative person, but you do go dry at some point doing this over and over again, year after year,” said Melissa Katsanos, a mother who finds herself regularly searching online for inspiration. “I Google ideas and look at Instagram. It’s sometimes a nuisance. I’ve popped up from sleep at 3:30 a.m. remembering I need to move the elf.” Katsanos has found her elf in precarious positions, “she was in the ice machine or hanging upside down in the car.”
Others are opting for a more low-key approach. Ashley Zavala of St. Paul, Minnesota, a bartender who works late, prefers to keep things simple. “We don’t get elaborate, we just move the elf,” she said. “Our kids like it and they don’t know the difference because they haven’t had their elf do crazy things.” Zavala still shares clever ideas with her cousin who embraces the more complex side of the tradition.
For parents feeling particularly drained of ideas, enlisting the help of older children is proving to be a triumphant strategy. Alan Ritchson, star of “Reacher,” credits his 13-year-old son with becoming their “Elf on the Shelf weapon.” “they get excited. They’ll never miss a night. And you get a kid who’s coming up with ideas for you. That’s the trick,” Ritchson explained.
The success of Elf on the Shelf has also inspired similar traditions for other holidays. Neal Hoffman created Mensch on a Bench in 2014, a doll and book combination designed to teach children about Hanukkah, successfully pitching the idea on ABC’s “Shark tank.” However,the demands of maintaining such traditions can be overwhelming. Sandi Celentano of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, ultimately “boycotted” both elf on the Shelf and Mensch on a Bench after several years, finding the daily effort “just took over everyone’s lives.”
