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Why the Elf Didn’t Move: 20 Believable Elf on the Shelf Excuses

December 22, 2020 by Jill Leave a Comment

One of the reasons families who don’t do Elf on the Shelf cite for not doing Elf on the Shelf is that they don’t want to hassle with moving the Elf each and every night. Enter my 20 believable Elf on the Shelf excuses.

While we strive for moving the elf every night, sometimes it doesn’t happen. Here are some “reasons” your elf might have opted to stay put.

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Table of Contents

  • Why the Elf Didn’t Move: 20 Believable Elf on the Shelf Excuses
  • 1. The elf didn’t move because you were making too much noise and wouldn’t go to sleep.
  • 2. He caught a cold* – One of the elf of the shelf excuses to be used sparingly right now, maybe.
  • 3. He’s teleworking.
  •  4. Of course he moved.
  • 5. He was really tired and fell asleep before you did.
  • 6. Your dad accidentally touched the elf so he’s lost his magic for 24 hours.
  • 7. Storms made it unsafe to fly so the FAA grounded all elves.
  • 8. He liked this spot so much he wanted to come back to it.
  • 9. The elf must have picked this spot because it’s got such a great view of the TV.
  •  10. The elf stayed up had too much eggnog and decided not to make the journey
  • 11. It was too warm in our house last night.
  • 12. He forgot his keys to the North Pole and is waiting on Santa to FedEx them.
  • 13. The elf has a bellyache because he ate too much candy
  • 14. You’re right, he didn’t move. The elf is messing with us to see if we’re paying attention.
  • 15. Freeze tag?
  • 16. Maybe he forgot he’s been to that spot three nights in a row.
  • 17. Is that really our elf?
  • 18. Santa’s really busy this week so the elves are only flying to the North Pole every other night.
  • 19. Maybe he’s resting and saving his magic to give you a really cool surprise tomorrow…
  • 20. Do you think he could be stuck?
  • For more elf on the shelf excuses and ideas:

Why the Elf Didn’t Move: 20 Believable Elf on the Shelf Excuses

If your elf on is uncreatively resting on the mantle yet again, here are some believable elf on the shelf excuses that might explain why.

Related: Why we love the Elf on the Shelf at our house

1. The elf didn’t move because you were making too much noise and wouldn’t go to sleep.

If you stay up too long having whispered arguments about “who farted,” well… your elf might just fall asleep and miss his transport to the North Pole.

2. He caught a cold* – One of the elf of the shelf excuses to be used sparingly right now, maybe.

Santa is sending some emergency “elf-o-tussin.” In the meantime, he’s just gonna rest here. A quiet house will speed his recovery so everyone use your library voices.

*In the pandemic age, this one is probably best used sparingly, especially with younger kids. Our kids are probably more fearful than we realize and we don’t want our elf on the shelf excuses to cause them real distress.

3. He’s teleworking.

This is most effective when you score a Barbie-sized iPad and throw it in the general direction of the elf. This is extremely plausible. With all the technology at our fingertips, why does the elf have to fly back to the North Pole every night in person?

Santa has Face Time and Skype, right?

 4. Of course he moved.

Maybe just a little bit but he’s definitely in a different spot.  

Channel your inner authoritative parent and bust out the “because I said so.” You might even convince yourself the elf moved. That said, this is one is probably best for really young children.


 

5. He was really tired and fell asleep before you did.

Yes, mommy knows his eyes are open. He’s really sleeping. It’s an elf thing.

6. Your dad accidentally touched the elf so he’s lost his magic for 24 hours.

You can also blame anyone else that lives in your household. The dads don’t have to bear the brunt of this one if there’s someone else you can point the finger at. 

7. Storms made it unsafe to fly so the FAA grounded all elves.

This is one of the elf on the shelf excuses that’s especially plausible if your location is experiencing rain or snow. If not, you can (hopefully!) show your child on a map where it is storming in the world.

8. He liked this spot so much he wanted to come back to it.

He’ll probably keep coming back to this spot again and again. 

If this isn’t a blanket excuse for future slip ups, I don’t know what is. 

9. The elf must have picked this spot because it’s got such a great view of the TV.

The elf really likes to watch Disney+, you know.

 10. The elf stayed up had too much eggnog and decided not to make the journey

Because flying to the North Pole when you’re tipsy is irresponsible.

Related post: Four ways social media is ruining Christmas

11. It was too warm in our house last night.

The optimal temperature for elf travel is 67.5 degrees. I’ll make sure we adjust that thermostat. 

12. He forgot his keys to the North Pole and is waiting on Santa to FedEx them.

13. The elf has a bellyache because he ate too much candy

And let that be a lesson to you, young man.


14. You’re right, he didn’t move. The elf is messing with us to see if we’re paying attention.

We are! Yay us!

15. Freeze tag?

16. Maybe he forgot he’s been to that spot three nights in a row.

Elves have a lot on their minds, you know.

17. Is that really our elf?

Look closely. Maybe this is a pretend decoy elf and the real elf is hiding? We better be on our extra good behavior!

18. Santa’s really busy this week so the elves are only flying to the North Pole every other night.

19. Maybe he’s resting and saving his magic to give you a really cool surprise tomorrow…

If you bust this one out, for the love of all that is merry and bright, follow through.

20. Do you think he could be stuck?

Yes, I realize some of these elf on the shelf excuses defy logic a little. Or, perhaps a lot. But if your kids are old enough to smell the lies then they’re most likely clued in to the fact that you’re the one pulling the strings. 

For more elf on the shelf excuses and ideas:

Check out one of my favorite blogs, Mama in the Now. Tove has lots of fun ideas and she is just fun in all the way around.


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All About Jill

I'm a digital content creator and essayist who copes with parenting and most other situations with humor and snark. Just so you know, if this weren't the internet, I'd be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like "How are you today" with gems like "I like pockets."

I really do love pockets, though.

I spent 26 years in the USAF, which went by really, really fast. I'm very proud of my service but I'm loving my second act even more. Writing gives me the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and that's what makes me happy. Welcome.

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Jill Robbins
This little guy wasn’t a keeper - a fish has to This little guy wasn’t a keeper - a fish has to be at least 20 inches long to keep and this one was a couple of inches short. That said, the excitement of catching my first fish was BIG. 🎣 
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I was invited down to South Padre Island this weekend for #NationalCookYourCatchDay and I’m not gonna lie: I was a little nervous. Things could go wrong. I could fall out of the boat, break something or get eaten by a shark. (I have a vivid imagination.)
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I’m still going through pictures and videos and I’ll tell you all you want to know about planning your own fishing trip on the Texas Gulf Coast + where to eat and some other things to do. Every day can 
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Thanks @visitsouthpadreisland for hosting me & Captain Eddie (AKA @fishingpadre ) for being such a patient teacher. 
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📷 taken at Wasserman Wranch near Alpine. Check my bio link for more information. 

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Our kids are watching us right now. I mean...they're always watching us but I think what they see in these times is more important than ever. Nuturing our kids' intelligence and character is more important than ever. My kids are 10 now - this picture is about four years old - and they are absorbing EVERYTHING we say, how we say it and even what we don't say. 

This mural is near the suspension bridge in downtown Waco. Waco is famous for all the Magnolia things but there's a lot there for families, too, and the park around the bridge is a great place to explore along the Brazos River. 

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Here’s something you’ve probably never seen be Here’s something you’ve probably never seen before: my bottom teeth.
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I always hide my crooked bottom teeth in pictures and I’m super self-conscious when I talk. So I did something about it.
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My husband gets up with our kids twice a week and does their breakfast and morning routine and takes them to school so I can sleep in. I don't laze away the morning in bed - it usually amounts to about an extra hour of sleep for me and a little more peace and quiet as I start my day. 

This probably seems like a little thing but this is huge for me. The mental benefits of not having to set my alarm on a schoolday is truly my love language. I would rather have sleep than flowers or presents. 

On those morning where my husband takes my kids to school, I will inevitably find the kitchen not "just so." There will be spills on the table or something that didn't get put away. I resist the urge to be sarcastic or to ask "Um, is there a reason we have four boxes of cereal just sitting on the counter?" or point out that it would take less than 30 seconds to wipe a tabletop or put a box back on the shelf. I resist saying stuff like "I guess if I want it done a certain way, I have to do it myself." I don't even say that to myself. 

My husband isn't "doing me a favor" by taking care of our kids. When I talked about being stressed and tired during an argument last year, he offered to take some things off my plate and giving me two mornings where I don't have to set an alarm was one of his ideas. It's part of the give and take of marriage and even though it makes me clench a little when I see spilled milk or stuff that hasn't put away, I appreciate having a partner who shares the load with me. 

My marriage definitely is not perfect and I'm in no position to give relationship advice. But for us, this one little thing is a really big deal. 

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