This year at Astor International School the Elf on The Shelf has decided to be nice and bring kindness to the school. Each day in December, the elf will bring magic, kindness and mischief, causing chaos in the name of the Christmas spirit.
Elf on The Shelf is a Christmas tradition where an elf from the North Pole is sent to encourage children to behave themselves. The idea is that Santa’s elf watches the children day and night, and then it returns to the North Pole to report whether they were naughty or nice. The Christmas elf has just two rules. First, the children are not allowed to touch the elf or it will lose its magic. If an elf is touched by mistake, the official Elf on the Shelf website advises children to write a letter to Santa to apologise and sprinkle a little cinnamon beside the elf. The second rule is that the elf will not speak or move while the children are awake. The elf only moves at night when it makes its trip back to the North Pole.
This year The Elf on The Shelf at Astor is kind, as there are many benefits of using a kindness elf at Christmas. They encourage good behaviour, promote helping others and set a positive example for children. However, the real magic lies in the lessons they teach us. Telling children that Santa won’t come if they are naughty focuses on their negative behaviour. Instead, kindness elves teach us to focus on positive behaviours. By encouraging acts of kindness and rewarding selfless behaviour, the kindness elf teaches children how good it feels to be generous. In addition, the kindness elf teaches children that gifts aren’t something to be earned and that they are a token of someone’s love and appreciation.
On the 1st of December, the kindness elf was delivered to Astor and introduced themselves with a letter. This way, they can explain why they have come to stay and what the children can expect during their visit. While the elves stay, they will leave notes and ideas for fun and thoughtful activities for the children. Some days, they will even leave special treats to reward good behaviour. You will still find them getting up to mischief but this year it will be to encourage acts of kindness – like helping mum wash the dishes or helping the teacher clean the classroom.
Astor International School has come up with some ideas on how to help you spread some kindness with the Christmas elf:
Gives someone a hug
Donate old toys/clothes to charity
Help a family member with house chores
Write someone a Christmas card
Help carry the shopping bags
Make a kindness jar
Write a letter to a friend
Clean your bedroom
Pay someone a compliment
Help a classmate at school