Elf on the Shelf

I just recently learned what Elf on the Shelf is about even though the idea has been around since 2004 apparently.

You can wikipedia what this is, but you'll get a huge ad for their fundraiser, so I'll save you the trouble: The Elf on the Shelf is this little holiday tradition based off of some book where a stuffed elf is placed in a room so that he might report the good and bad activities back to Santa at night. Then he comes back the next day in a different spot.

I guess the end goal is to motivate children to behave, but the whole elf-spying concept is a little weird. Meanwhile, the parents have to keep up with moving the elf so that the children stay convinced that it's "magic" even though it's just a huge lie.

I was explaining all this tomfoolery to Mike.
Mike: That sounds like a lot of work.
Me: It is.
Mike: It'd be so much easier to just tell your kids about Jesus.
Me: Yep.

Like, why do people feel the need to invent these creepy little ways to get their kids to act right?
"Be good so that the elf will report good things to Santa."
"Be good or Santa won't bring you any presents."
"Be good for goodness sake."

Think about all the subtle effects that these traditions are instilling in your children:

First, they develop a works-based-love relationship with Santa. They must impress him in order to get the things that they want. Therefore the goal is a self-centered material desire instead of behaving out of love for someone, a.k.a. honoring your parents (which is a concept totally lost in western culture).

Secondly, they learn to behave only when someone's "watching". This translates to a larger problem later on when they learn to only do the right thing when they will be rewarded for it instead of doing the right thing because it's inherently the right thing to do. Mixed up priorities and such. Short term rewards instead of long term gains, as it were.

And thirdly, when this whole sham comes to light, it's pretty much teaching children that it's okay to lie.
"It's just a white lie. It's harmless!"
It's still a lie. And it's still harmful.

Instead of: we love Jesus, so we always strive to obey his commands.
It's: we obey Mommy and Daddy during this certain time of the year so we can get more stuff.

"Where I come from, tryin' hard to make a livin'
And workin' hard to get to heaven. Where I come from"

Every time I hear that song, all I can think of is that Alan Jackson doesn't understand basic Christianity.

You don't work hard to get to heaven. You work hard because Jesus has gone and prepared a place. The hope is in what He has already done, not in what you can do.

So when I see Christian parents using this gimmick-based Elf on the Shelf/Santa kind of garbage, I just don't know how they rationalize the double standard.

When children are taught that they better not shout/cry/pout I'm tellin' you why, it's not "because Jesus is our Lord and Savior" but rather "because stuff".

(This is a huge reason why I love The Grinch: The Whos SANG ANYWAY because they had joy despite the fact that they had just been horribly robbed.)

We obey God because we love him.
Wouldn't it be great if your kids just obeyed you- not because you were indirectly bribing them with things via a fictional character - but rather because they loved you and God who actually exists?

It's a loaded question, I know. And what does "being good" mean anyway?

I don't like to tell people how to raise their children because I personally do not have a vested interest in parenting.
But if I ever did, I would not tell them about Santa.
Or any elves on any shelves.
Or the many other lies of this world.

I would just tell them about Jesus.
The original true story.

What you say about his company is what you say about society,
TWS

...

THE RIVER!!!!

Tom Sawyer; Rush