The Elf on the Shelf has been part of our family holiday tradition since my oldest was in first grade.  His teacher used it in the classroom and Max marveled at the things the Elf could do. He talked about it every day.  I can still remember the look on his face when the Elf appeared in our Christmas tree at home.

In case you aren't familiar, the Elf keeps an eye on kids and reports their behavior to Santa each night.  Every morning when the kids wake up, Elf has returned from his visit to the North Pole and is located in a different place.  The Elf moves all around the house, keeping his eye on all kinds of trouble spots and naughty behavior.  Elf keeps kids on their toes and enforces the idea that not only is Santa watching, but he has a spy in house to make sure he doesn't miss anything!   As I mom, I got all kinds of cooperation from my kids by reminding them that the Elf was watching.

The Elf on the Shelf comes cleverly packaged in a kit with the Elf doll and a well written book that explains to kids how Elf works and what he does.  The only drawback to Elf on the Shelf is that mom has to remember to move the Elf each night after the kids are in bed.  Failure to do so will result in one of two things.  You will be madly dashing down the stairs to move the Elf before your kids get downstairs.  That is best case scenario.  The worst case scenario is that you won't remember at all.  Your children will start crying that Santa won't know they were good yesterday.  You will spend all morning conjuring up stories about how the Elf was so tired from telling Santa all the good things the kids did yesterday that he got confused and went right back to the same resting spot. 

I tell you all of this with a heavy heart.  Despite many mad dashes to toss Elf into a new location before my kids came downstairs, I loved all the years of the Elf on the Shelf.  Sadly, this is the first year we aren't doing Elf.  My older two think it is ridiculous. My ten year old didn't mention it, not once.  I set the box out on the counter, hoping it would evoke comment.  It didn't.  

It is the end of an era at my house.  Good bye Elf.  You had a great run here.  I'm  tearing up as I type this.  Not because I will miss moving that little Elf around the house, but because my kids no longer need me to.  

Please tell me I'm not the only one having a hard time with their kids growing up and out of little kid holiday traditions.