I think everyone has heard of
The Elf on the Shelf. This is our first year to do it, our son is 3 1/2 years old. So we felt it was a good age to start the tradition. Though we are doing ours a bit differently than some families.
It was really important to us to incorporate Jesus. After all, He is the reason for the season! So I typed up a letter from Santa and it was left with Max the Elf and The Elf on the Shelf book.
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| Max landed in Elmo and Cookie Monster's house and decided to rest. |
The elf is suppose to report back to Santa each night to tell him if you've been good or bad. Well, I didn't really want to do it that way. I wanted to use Max as a teaching tool. Obviously at the age of 3 1/2, your child is still learning right from wrong and how to obey. And since we are incorporating Jesus and what Christmas is really about, Ronnie is still learning about Jesus. So, I thought Ronnie could help Max with learning those things. So if Max does something wrong, (like one morning he was found playing with the oven) Ronnie will explain to him what he did was wrong and explain why. The oven is dangerous and we could get hurt, so we do not play with it. Max does go back to the North Pole every night. He doesn't report if Ronnie has been good or bad. Instead, he tells Santa what they did that day and what he learned from Ronnie.
Ronnie's letter from Santa...
Dear Ronnie,
It was so good to see you at the BX. You have grown to be such a big
boy. I am so proud of how well you have been doing with Ms. Jessica,
you've been working so hard. I know how proud your Mommy and Daddy are
too. You are such an amazing little boy and you are so full of love.
Christmas is such a special time of the year. It's not just about the
decorations or getting new toys. Christmas is the time to celebrate our
Savior, Jesus. You know how you and Mommy say your prayers every night
at bedtime? Well, you are saying those prayers to Jesus. Christmas is a
special time when we get to celebrate Jesus Christ coming to this earth
to be our Savior. Jesus came to this earth and died for all of us so
that we can live in Heaven with Him forever. That's how much Jesus loves
us, even when we make mistakes and do things we shouldn't. Like if we
tell a lie or we are rude to people. Jesus forgives us for those sins. I
know there are times when you may not mind Mommy or Daddy. And that's
okay, you are still learning to obey them. And they forgive you, just
like Jesus forgives us.
Now Ronnie, I have a very special favor
to ask of you. I think you are the perfect little boy to help me. I
have a friend, an elf who is still learning how to obey and learning
about Jesus just like you. He is a dear friend of mine and I've tried
explaining to him about sin. But, he tends to be a bit naughty. Maybe
you could help him make good choices and obey too. I have explained to
him about Jesus and how He died for our sins. I bet you two could learn
more together.
Now my friend is a little different than you. He
stays still all day long and comes alive at night.You can play with
him, just be careful with him and be nice to him. That teaches him to
treat others the same way. He's really quiet during the day but loves to
play once everyone goes to sleep. That's when he tends to be naughty,
so be sure you tell him when he does something wrong. That's how he will
learn right from wrong, just like you do. I told him he was coming to
stay with you and he jumping up and down with such joy. Now he is fairly
new to the North Pole and I haven't figured out the perfect name for
him, can you help me give him the perfect name?
Have fun, be good and I'll be back to pick him up after Christmas. -Santa
Ronnie saw Santa at the BX on base (we are military). And for those of you wondering, Ms. Jessica is Ronnie's occupational therapist. In the letter from Santa it states "you can play with him, just be careful with him and be nice to him." The book says you can't touch the elf. I know my son, it's not something we could have in the house and him not be able to touch. He just wouldn't be able to comprehend why. He was first unsure of Max, but likes him now. He likes coming downstairs every morning to see where Max is.
This is our new family tradition....
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| Ronnie and Max the Elf |
