Elf on the Shelf?

We have chosen to not "do" Santa with our girls.  Just like we don't "do" the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny.   And by not "doing" them, I mean that we are not going to help the girls believe they are real.  We still tell them the stories of these pretend characters and what other kids may believe they do, but for us that's where it ends.  Just as we don't foster the belief that Lightning McQueen is a real car, Curious George is a real monkey living with a man that always wears a yellow hat, and Ariel is a mermaid living in the sea,  nor will we let them believe that an elf that sits on a shelf is watching them and reporting their behavior back to Santa.  Why?  Well, there are many reasons.

1.  It's the truth.  Santa isn't real and we don't want to lie to our children.  We are teaching our children that the center of our family is God and we need to put our faith and trust in him, even if we can't physically see him.  We don't want them to grow up believing in made up characters only to find out they don't exist, then not trust us with the most important thing we've ever taught them to believe in....Jesus Christ.

2.  We don't want our children to think they need to be good to receive gifts.  Gifts are given out of unconditional love.  It is not at all based on behavior.  Our kids need to obey and honor and respect others because that's what God calls us to do, not because they may or may not get something in return.  We definitely don't deserve and can never be "good enough" for the greatest gift ever given....Jesus Christ.  All we have to do is accept this precious gift, just as my kids just have to accept their gifts at Christmas.  We also want them to know that it is their friends and family giving to them because we love them so much that we want them to have something picked out specially for them.

3.  Christmas isn't all about getting gifts.  We want our girls to learn about giving.  There is so much joy in giving to others.

Please understand that this is what we have decided for our family.  I am not judging yours.  And I am fully aware that kids can believe in Santa when they are little and still know God and love Jesus.  And if my kids want to sit on Santa's lap and read The Night Before Christmas, we'll let them.  Just like we let them play "princess" and "mommy".  They know they aren't really mommies or princesses.  It's okay for them to pretend and be imaginative.

So in the spirit of Christmas we are going to enjoy selecting gifts for loved ones.  We are going to enjoy being with friends and family.  We are going to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

I believe these will more than make up for a childhood devoid of an, "Elf on the Shelf".